BEWARE, SHANE MOSELEY of CUSTOM HOME UPDATES is running a Ponzi scheme. On December 15, 2017 Shane Moseley evaluated my property after a previous contractor did massive damage to my home during a failed bathroom remodel. Shane wrote up a work order of the things he could do to fix the damage and get my house ready for June 2018 when I expected to put my house on the market). The work order included demolishing the faulty installation of the bathroom, rebuilding & re-tiling the shower areas, kitchen backsplash, and paint walls. He quoted me $14,000 of which he required a 50% deposit. He told me he was booking 4-5 months out, so I could expect to begin the project in early May (2018). Believing Mr. Moseley was an honest professional, with roots in the community—and good reviews here on Angie’s List, I relinquished the last of my savings ($7,000) to him to do the repair project. In late March 2018 I called Mr. Moseley for an update. I wanted to see if he had a better idea of when he could start work, now that May was just weeks away. Moseley said he had been “meaning to call me.” Unfortunately, he said, he had a health setback—had suffered a small stroke. Naturally I was shocked and concerned and inquired as to his condition. He said he was ok, but would need to do physical therapy because he had some paralysis in his arm and leg. He was confident however that he would regain all his functionality and would only be a little behind schedule. June—July at the latest. This was disastrous news for me: My husband and I had so much riding on the schedule with our house go to market when Moseley’s work was complete at the beginning of June. It pained me to have to tell him we couldn’t wait, but I had to think of my own situation: I explained how sorry I was for his unfortunate set-back, but I would have to find someone else to do the work because I was not in a position to reschedule. I kindly requested the return of my $7,000 deposit. These were his exact words: ”Well the thing about your deposit is, ah, my girlfriend accidentally deposited your check to my personal account.” What? She deposited my money to your personal account? I was confused. Why would she think a check of that amount was his personal money? Weren’t business deposits held in a special escrow type of account? Ok, well what does that mean, I asked. He confessed he had spent the money, said he used it to buy materials for another project. I was confused. You used my money to pay for someone else’s project?? Why wouldn’t you use their deposit to pay for their project? And why were you using your personal account for business expenses at all? I was incredulous. I must have misunderstood, so I asked him to clarify. He said. “Basically, I borrowed from Peter to pay Paul” (his *exact* words.) Borrowed from Peter??? You mean, you borrowed *my* money!!??? Without asking? I was incredulous. How can you do that? That’s illegal! It’s a felony to co-mingle accounts. I was sick to my stomach; I knew what this meant. I was caught in someone’s Ponzi scheme. “But, but—I can do the work,” he said “…or just give me some time and I will return your money. I promise.” He was actually pleading—it was beyond pitiful. (And I have many emails to prove this). I asked him, “What about your crew? They can’t wait around for your recovery. They must have families and need income. How will you be able to do the job without a crew??” Not to worry he said—most of his crew were close friends; everyone was being so supportive. No one was leaving. As he went on & on trying to convince me, all I could think about was how I was going to break the news to my husband that the contractor had spent our money. What else could I do; I would have to take his word for it. He thanked me profusely. Thanked me for being a “good Christian.” April came and went, then May; finally June arrived. I couldn’t sleep I was so stressed wondering if he was going to show. I was relieved when in late June he appeared with ladders in tow. There was a teenager with him—introduced him as his “girlfriend’s son.” This was his loyal crew??? I didn’t have a good feeling. In fact, that afternoon, I would see the kid swing his ladder and slam it into a wall, causing damage. Moseley barked at him to “watch it.” They put in about 4 hours of work on the 9th, and four on the 10th (and did a good share of damage during those two days. On the 10th Mr. Moseley said he had to go to Home Depot to pick up some trim and would be “right back.” Mr. Moseley never came back that day. He never came back ever to finish the work. At first I was worried. Did he have another stroke? Was he in an accident? Of course I called, left an urgent message asking him to return my call and let me know he was ok, asking when he’d be back. When he returned my call a week later, he said, Oh it was nothing like that. I had to take care of a “little old deaf lady’s” house.” He assured me he would be back….wasn’t sure when…he’d let me know soon…he’d know tomorrow…he had an appointment but definitely no later than the end of the week--or next week for sure. Meanwhile, and to my horror, I noticed he had not painted the ceiling with white ceiling paint. He’d accidentally used the grey wall paint! How does a professional make such a mistake?? I sent him images of the paint job. He didn’t reply. Finally, after several texts & emails he replied, writing that No one had ever questioned his skill before. He was deeply offended and not sure he “should” return to my property if that’s how I “felt.” Really? To his credit he came by with his girlfriend to see the job in person. He admitted to painting the ceiling the wrong color. He instructed his girlfriend to buy 5 gallons of white ceiling paint. He said he’d be back early next week. Weeks went by; weeks turned into months, and pretty it was a year. Every time I called or emailed, he’d have a ready excuse and a new promise that THIS TIME he’d be at my house at such & such a time/date. He’d be here just as soon as the weather warmed, or as soon as the rain stopped, or as soon as the temperature cooled; or as soon as he finished the work at the home of the “little old deaf lady.” He’d come the next Saturday—he meant the next; and the next. He never showed. But he always had an excuse. It’s hard to believe that he would sustain this lie as long as he did, considering how much I did to work with him, show him kindness, give him the benefit of the doubt. I mean why not just come and do the work? Why keep lying? I considered he wasn’t physically or mentally capable of doing the job. Earlier, he had confessed to losing of his short-term memory ability from the stroke. I told him he didn’t have to do ANYTHING he didn’t feel comfortable doing. No demolition—I’d had someone else do that long ago anyhow when I couldn’t wait any longer for him to do it. All he had to do was tile. If not tile, then sand, if not sand then just pick a new project--outside the existing one if need be (but he’d have to submit a change order). Did he want to do exterior work? Interior work? Whatever he wanted to do, I was willing to accommodate. Alternatively, I told him, now that he was working and making income, he could RETURN my deposit and not do the work at all. I would even give him credit for the horrific paint job (that I ended up having to pay someone, Perkins Home Improvement, to correct at a cost to me of $4000.) He actually had the temerity to accuse me here, on Angie’s List in a response to my first brief review (since removed so I could write a more detailed review for legal purposes) of “changing everything on the work order;” as “trying to schedule completely different work.” What? Are you serious??? I would have loved for nothing more than for him than to DO THE WORK I PAID HIM TO DO. As he continued to make money and offer services to new clients (presumably taking their money to pay for the work of other clients) he continued to tell me he was still catching up on the projects people had paid for,