BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -- Jon Harfst is yet another homeowner trying to track down David Sohlden to recoup his hard earned money. Sohlden, owner of Kalamazoo Craftsman, allegedly made off with tens of thousands of dollars for decks he never built.
The Better Business Bureau issued awarning on him weeks ago. Harfst is among the customers who'd informed the BBB.
“Ultimately, I obviously want justice. What he’s doing to us and others is criminal," Harfst said.
“We tried to do the research as best as we could. We got a recommendation. We interviewed a lot of people, and again, he rose to the top based on availability, based on price, based on his professionalism, his creativity. We liked all of that about him," he explained.
Harfst paid Sohlden $9,000 upfront. He said that's about half of the project's total cost and said Sohlden put in about 10 wooden posts before disappearing.
“About two weeks prior to finding out that others were in the same boat, that’s when all communication truly stopped with David. We were reaching out daily with phone calls, emails, text messages, any form of communication that he had communicated with us previously," Harfst explained.
He learned Sohlden never pulled a permit. Harfst said he invited the local building inspector to check the wooden posts that were put in.
“We pulled one or two [posts] directly with the building inspector here. No footings were poured or done to code. Concrete was not properly mixed with them,” he recalled.
According to public records, Sohlden has had more than $50,000 worth of civil judgments and a tax lien filed against him. The day after the Problem Solvers original broadcast on Sohlden, his website became unavailable. Harfst is hopeful the exposure will at least stop others from having the same experience.
"I guess my biggest point with this is to try to help others not fall victim like we and so many others have with this man,” he said.
The BBB said Sohlden's builder's license lapsed in 2004. FOX 17 called and left another message on his cell phone. Sohlden still has not returned any calls or emails.
