BELTON, Texas — After spending $30,140 to have her kitchen remodeled and tile put down in several rooms, Noelia Lopez is still washing dishes on her back porch with no idea of what to do about her missing counter tops.
It all started when she was approached by a man at Home Depot.
Lopez told 6 News contractor Ruben Alvarez of Alvarez Professional Services asked her what project she was working on and then told her he could do it cheaper and more professionally than Home Depot’s services.
Lopez said he was convincing.
"'I'm a professional. I have a professional crew. I'm bonded. I'm insured,' he says. 'My prices are a lot better,'" Lopez said he promised.
Lopez told 6 News workers hired by Alvarez did do some of the work. Tile was put in, cabinets were replaced and painted, and Lopez showed 6 News two light fixtures that were hung.
But Lopez still doesn’t even know if those lights work or not because wires are still exposed in the kitchen, and the breaker for that area must stay off.
She is still missing her counter tops, sink, the stove top and garbage disposal.
Lopez said, under their contract, the job was going to cost $30,000 total plus one addition for around $140.
Lopez was not supposed to pay the last $10,000 until the job was complete, but she said the agreement didn't last.
"Off of that $10,000 he kept asking for a little bit more and a little bit more," Lopez said. "It was always about finishing the job and that's what I wanted."
By Aug. 2, the contract was paid in full but not complete.
Lopez said after constant no-shows she finally asked for just $3,000 back via text message. Alvarez responded by blaming the people he used for the job.
Lopez said, at this point, only one thing would make it right.
"He can give me back some of that money so I can hire a new contractor to finish the job that he started and didn't finish," Lopez said.
Alverez did not return calls or texts from 6 News on Sunday, but 6 News has spoken to Alverez before.
Shirley Osenga told 6 News in late June she initially hired Ruben Alvarez to inspect her sprinkler system for $95 and do some landscaping work.
Alverez later charged Osenga $9,000 and after that refunded around $1,000 -- but only after Osenga's son confronted him about billing for work he did not do.
"They knew about everything that I did there I did not do anything wrong," Alverez told 6 News prior to giving the refund.
After further investigation, 6 News also confirmed that Alvarez had been previously prosecuted for a theft by check charge according to Bell County records.
While Alvarez had an ad on his first invoice to Osenga and to Lopez claiming he was "Insured - bonded registered with the City of Temple, TX," a Temple city spokesperson told 6 News they could not find any insurance information on him.
"They do not have an insurance certificate on file for Alvarez Professional Services or Ruben Alvarez that they could find and their records go back to 2010," spokesman Jonathan Logue wrote in an email. "The only Ruben Alvarez on file with the city applied for a mobile food unit permit for Alvarez Catering which is still valid until Oct. 7 2019."
Home Depot spokeswoman Christina Cornell told 6 News Sunday their stores have a non-solicitation and customers can report any solicitations to management.
Lopez is still waiting for Alvarez to provide the refund.
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