CB Contracting

On 4-23-2018 I paid $17,500 to CB Contracting, owner Curtiss Bird. He cashed my check same day I wrote it. Our contract was for $35,000 with half down at the start. About three weeks in, he determined our agreed upon price of the contract was not enough. He wanted me to give him more money, but nothing was done. I wanted to exercise the right to exit the contract, stop all activity and seek a refund. He said he would refund the money soon on 5-16. He often said something would happen soon. But soon never seems to arrive. Cashing my check was the only prompt thing Mr. Bird did when it came to dealing with me. After multiple electronic requests to refund my money were not effective, I went to his place of business to deliver a personal request for the refund of money. He corresponded to me that he did not want me to come to his place of business. When I initially met him at the referral's home, he gave me his business card. Our contract and his business card listed his business address as his home. He later went to the police department to report that I was harassing him. The police did not charge me. I wrote the BBB and in 30 days he did not respond to them. He currently has a letter in hand from the Iowa Attorney General's office for fraud. I would have never gave him the money, but his friend Nick Ballard recommended him. I have asked Mr. Ballard for help several times. It was when I asked Mr. Ballard to reach out to his friend to reply, then Mr. Bird might email or text back with some line or story that he was seeking my money from other sources he had paid. I believe those are all false claims. They both went to the police station together, looks like they are better friends. Curtiss Bird never even bought a building permit. Failing to buy a building permit at the beginning of the process for the concrete, or any other building permits leads us to believe he never intended to do the work. His lack of actions in doing any work for our contract speak much more than he alledged claims of paying other sub-contractors. In his correspondence to me before we signed the contract, he stated to me that he does all the work himself. His website says they are willing to travel. It did not make sense to me that he would purchase wood in Creston or Corning, Iowa. He was supposedly buying the wood over 84 miles away for my garage in Ankeny. That was before the concrete for the garage was even started. Mr. Bird is not a trustworthy person or reputable business owner.