ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — State investigators are looking into a man they say has advertised contractor services extensively on Craigslist but after receiving payment never completed the work.
One customer of Joseph Turner’s, who asked not to be named, said she and her husband hired him to remodel a home they were “flipping” in 2014. Flipping is an increasingly popular method for entrepreneurs to make money by buying older homes, fixing them up, and selling them at a profit.
Going on two years and $30,000 later, Turner has never finished the work, she said. Instead, the family hired a new contractor and paid a second time to get the job completed.
“He never showed up to finish the project,” the homeowner said. “So in the end, it was all a bunch of lies.”
The pair found Turner through an ad posted on Craigslist, where investigators said he had numerous ads promising everything from tile installation to turn-key home-flipping services.
The transaction started off well and she and her husband didn’t see any reason to be concerned.
“He had a work van (and) a work trailer,” the woman said. “So he seemed like a good, legit guy.”
But the homeowners said things soured when they discovered Turner was failing to purchase needed supplies after accepting money to do so. Eventually they found Turner did not have worker’s compensation insurance, which could have left them exposed to a lawsuit if he was injured on their property.
When Turner wouldn’t refund the money the pair had paid him, the woman said she was taking him to court, Florida Division of Insurance Fraud Det. Jan Cary said.
“He told them, ‘I’m already a felon. Do you think I care what you do to me?’” she said.
Cary had Turner arrested on charges of worker’s compensation fraud by failure to secure coverage, theft of monies received by contractors and grand theft.
Turner bonded out of jail and by Tuesday another Craigslist ad, listing the accused contractor’s phone number, was posted offering back yard construction services. The ad claimed he was licensed and insured.
A man who answered the door at Turner’s home refused to comment on the situation.
Investigation into the case is ongoing, but for now, the homeowners who accuse Turner of taking nearly $30,000 from them say they still haven’t seen any sort of repayment.
“It dang near bankrupted us,” the woman said. “It’s just not right, and it’s not fair.”
Turner could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
The Florida Division of Insurance Fraud is searching for other potential victims in Turner’s case. Anyone with information on other frauds allegedly committed by him is asked to call 407-835-4402.