I can't help but wonder just how many individuals have fallen victim to Adam's scam. I have and I must admit it took me entirely too many months to realize what was happening. I kept trying to give him the benefit-of-the-doubt, but he just kept making excuses. I posted an ad on Craig's list to sell a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer with 95, 000 miles on it. I received an email from April Davis, Adam's wife, asking if I would be interested in exchanging remodeling services for the vehicle. Since I was selling the vehicle in order to get the money to remodel my bathrooms, I thought that was a great idea. Then, of course, I made the terrible mistake of letting them take the vehicle before the work was done. That was in October 2007. The work was to be completed in 6 weeks. His first day to work was December 1. His 2nd day to work was January 2.

It's a long story, but I did get my car back with over 100, 000 miles on it and can show you pictures of all the food and trash that was left in it. During the 3 months that Adam was suppose to be working on my house, he gave more excuses than carter has liver pills as to why he didn't call or why he didn't show up. When he was here, he managed to break an antique desk, and my kitchen light fixture. He did manage to tear out one bathroom.

Not only did I have to take a loss on my vehicle due to the excessive mileage, they also did not pay several tolls for which I had to pay. I had to pay a lock smith to re-key all the locks in the house since he never returned my house key as well as pay an antique restorer to repair the antique desk that he broke. I had to pay for a new wireless key for the trailblazer as he only returned one key. I also had to pay to have the vehicled cleaned.

I've kept copies of all the emails we exchanged and have mailed them along with a complaint to Greg Abbott's office (Texas Attorney General) as well as to the BBB of Metropolitan Dallas. I also sent them to Tim Curry, Tarrant County District Attorney and Channel's 8 and 5 News. The day I told Adam not to return, I had to call the Tarrant County Sherriffs department to ask that my house be placed on a watch list in the event Adam decided to come and take my trailblazer as he still had a key.

Below is a copy of the letter I sent to the news stations as well as the Attorney General's Office and the District Attorney's office. It provides more detail as to the events which occured.

On October 21, 2007, I entered into a contract with Adam Charles of A.C.âs Dream Team Construction, to have some remodeling work performed at my residence. Mr. Charles agreed to completely remodel both bathrooms as well as the hallway in my small home, in exchange for a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer valued at around $10, 000.00. Mr. Charles and his family were in desperate need of a 2nd vehicle and being the naive person that I am, I agreed to allow them to take immediate possession of the vehicle with the understanding that I would not sign over the title until the work was complete. The contract stated that Mr. Charles would start the work on November 1, 2007 and the work would be complete in 6 weeks at the most.

Mr. Charles began work on the remodel on December 1, not November 1 and didnt work again until January 2. His 3rd day to work was January 9th. Our contract stated that Mr. Charles would provide all labor and materials for the complete remodel. As of January 22, the day I told him not to come back, Mr. Charles had purchased 8 sheets of dry wall, a few 2x4 and some plumbing pipe. Not sure how he was going to make that stretch into two baths but then Im not a contractor. The contract called for a glass block shower to be installed in the master bath, unfortunately, Mr. Charles decided not to install a glass block shower but instead built two shower walls with 2x4 and drywall. One of the 2x4 was warped and now that wall must be rebuilt. In the 3 month period Mr. Charles had my vehicle, he tore out one bathroom and nailed up some sheetrock, moved the plumbing for the shower and painted the bedroom. According to the contract, Mr. Charles should have finished the work on or about 12/15/2007 however at that time, Mr. Charles had only worked 1 day.

In late December, I informed Mr. Charles that if the work was not complete by end of day on January 18, that I expected to find the trailblazer in my driveway at 10:00 am on January 19. Mr. Charles, in tears sat in my home office and begged me to give him a chance to get the work done. He asked that I give him 3 more weeks and he asked if they could just keep the car during that time as to be without a car would make it harder for him to complete the work in 3 weeks. I told him I would give him 3 weeks, but that he must bring the vehicle back to me(this was on January 17th) and he assured me that he would get it done in 3 weeks. (Keep in mind, the original contract stated it would take 6 weeks.) Mr. Charles did return my vehicle on Saturday, January 19 after he and his wife had added over 6000 miles to it, as well as returning it in an extremely filthy state. Before he left I asked when he would be working and he assured me he would work on Sunday. Although he begged for 3 weeks on Thursday, January 17, he didnt work that day nor did he work Friday or Saturday or Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.

On Tuesday, I sent Mr. Charles another contract and added additional work, since he had not installed the agreed upon shower or the agreed upon tile and since he was suppose to be through with the remodel by 12/15. Within the hour I decided that this was just not worth my time anymore and at that time, I sent him an email telling him that I thought we should part ways and that I felt I could find another contractor to do the work on a more timely basis. I told him that I felt he had shown a complete lack of respect for me as well as for the contract we both signed.

I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau as well as with the Tarrant County Sheriffs department as Mr. Charles has not returned the extra key to my vehicle nor has he returned the key to my house. (I feared that he might try to come by and take the vehicle since he still has a key and asked that the Sheriffs department put my house on a watch list as I am a single woman.) The Sheriffs department explained to me that there wasnt anything they could do since I did get my car back, however they did put my house on a 60 day watch. I paid Michaels keys just over $120.00 to re-key all the locks on my house and had a new lock installed on my garage. I will have to pay between $75.00 and $100.00 to get my vehicle cleaned so that I can sell it and with the additional miles, Im not even sure I can sell it for the original asking price.

While Mr. Charles was here he (or his painter) broke an antique secretary and neglected to tell me about it. He also broke the light fixture in the kitchen which he was supposed to replace (obviously that didnt happen). He tracked the wax ring from the toilet onto my carpet which I will now have to have professionally cleaned. He left a pry bar, a dry wall T and 3 garbage pails at my residence, however I have no way of returning them to him as I do not want him anywhere near me or my house. Mr. Charles left the tile, sheetrock, lumber and other items he tore out of the bathroom on the curb in front of my house and they have been there since January 2. Mr. Charles ordered a new kitchen counter top at his cost ($415.00) for me for which I did not pay as it has never been delivered to me.

So basically from December 2, when Mr. Charles started the process of tearing out my master bathroom, I have had one bathroom with no toilet, sink or shower although it does have electricity and I have had one bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower however it has no electricity. I know its tough to imagine, however I have lived like this since that time. In my family room, I tore down the trim around the doorways as well as the paneling at Mr. Charles suggestion and currently have a slight breeze coming into my house do to the lack of trim around the doorways. I did take pictures of everything so that people could see the state of my house.

The day after Christmas, I received a phone call from Keith Devoe, CEO of Devoe Investments, Inc., a corporation for whom Mr. Charles had done some work previously. I dont know the details behind what happened, however Mr. Devoe wanted to warn me about Mr. Charles and the fact that he would try to rip me off. According to Mr. Devoe, Mr. Charles took approximately $39, 000.00 in deposits from unsuspecting home owners for work he didnt do or never intended to do. Mr. Devoe states that he has been able to identify 6 people who have suffered some form of loss at the hands of Mr. Charles and A.C.s Dream Team Construction.