Tracy Hutzul of Lavington has been waiting for money an Okanagan contractor legally owes her after he was hired two years ago to build an RV shelter.
“In 2017, I hired Top Shelf Renovations to come and build an RV shelter that was supposed to go on top of the actual unit,” she said.
Hutzul decided to go public after seeing a story on Global News this week regarding an Enderby woman who can’t live in her home because the renovations have come to a standstill after the contractor walked out.
It’s the same contractor Hutzul hired. The contractor, Gene Bevan of Top Shelf Renovations, told Global News he didn’t finish the Enderby job because the client was abusive, causing him anxiety.
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Hutzul says Bevan stopped coming to her place shortly after Bevan was confronted by one of Hutzul’s friends. That friend, according to Hutzul, reminded Bevan that he still had work to do at Hutzul’s home.
Shortly after that confrontation, Bevan sent Hutzul a text message saying he wasn’t coming back because he suffered a panic attack as a result of that confrontation.
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But Hutzul isn’t buying it.
“If you’re so far gone down anxiety,” she said, “why are you accepting money and not finishing jobs that you can’t do?”
Hutzul took Bevan to court and won.
“The judge awarded me $2,100 back, which was half of the payment,” she said.
Hutzul says Bevan has until next week to come up with the money, but doubts she’ll ever see a cent.
“I don’t see him coming up the $2,000 before next week,” she said. “If I haven’t received it already, then I probably won’t.”