LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville-based contractor is accused of stealing money from his clients and a local hardware business with claims ranging from $4,000 to $45,000.
Michael Sean Flanagan was arrested several times over the past few years, including in early September when he was jailed on theft charges. Some of those claims came from his neighbors and former friends.
Terry Santiago and his wife, Deborah, said they hired Michael Sean Flanagan to fix their deck in February 2024.
"It's agonizing," Terry Santiago said. "It's not like we have $8,000 to throw around."
To the Santiago family, it was initially an easy choice because they were longtime friends with Flanagan and his family.
"They have been in our home and stayed many nights," Deborah Santiago said.
According to social media, Flanagan has owned Flanagan Hardscaping since 2016. He was scheduled to finish work on the Santiago family's deck in May, before Kentucky Derby 150.
"The work was never done," Terry Santiago said. "We've called. We've left messages."
Deborah Santiago (left) said she was friends with Michael Sean Flanagan (right) before he allegedly scammed Santiago and her husband.
The Santiagos said Flanagan finally agreed to pay back the money once he returned the project materials. However, court documents reveal Flanagan stopped responding to their calls in June 2024.
Now, they're taking him to court.
"He's never returned anything," Terry Santiago said. "We've never received our money."
When reached for comment, Flanagan said he has been ill for the past year and unable to do the work.
Several other people have similar complaints against Flanagan, including Brian Watts, the president of Watts Home Center. Watts said Flanagan has been buying materials from his shop for five years and now owes him about $45,000 for merchandise he received but never paid for.
"I might as well pile up $45,000 and put a match to it," Watts said. "It's no different."
Earlier this year, another client sued Flannagan for breaching their contract.
"He just ghosted us," Corrie Urhammer said.
Urhammer and his wife, Roxane Jackelen, needed their deck fixed in October 2022. They hired Flanagan, who lives nearby, to make the repairs. They gave him $14,450 for a deposit, and Flanagan was scheduled to work on the deck in March 2023 while the couple was on vacation.
"We left for Florida, got back in April, and nothing was done," Urhammer said.
An Oldham County couple paid their neighbor more than $14,000 to fix this deck, but Michael Flanagan never did the work.
The judge ruled in their favor, ordering Flanagan to pay back the money with interest. Flanagan signed an agreement to do so but wrote this statement: "I never committed any crimes and never intended to not pay the money back."
As of Nov. 8, Jackelen said they still haven't seen a dime.
The Santiago family said they don't have the money to hire another contractor right now.
"We gotta do it ourselves," Terry Santiago said.
Flanagan's next court appearance is set for December.
Related Stories:
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
