A COUPLE has enlisted a contractor to help create a new addition to their new home but was left devastated by the result.

Brian Lueck and his wife invested $56,000 to create a metal shop on their two-acre property in Arizona, but months after sending the contractor two checks, nothing has been done.

Brian Lueck and his wife invested $56,000 to create a metal shop on their two-acre property in ArizonaCredit: Arizona’s Family

“It’s devastating,” Lueck told CBS affiliate KTVK.

“I mean, that kind of money is something you work really hard for.”

In September 2023, Lueck hired Integrity Steel, owned by Nick Lammers, to start the hefty project.

He was hoping to use the garage to restore older cars, like the Ford he currently owns.

However, as of March 2024, nothing has been built on his property, and Leuk has no idea why.

“He’s not answering phone calls. Not answering texts,” he said.

When Lammers was contacted by the station, he claimed that the project didn’t begin because he was waiting for permits to be approved by the county

“I can’t go out and physically start the project. There is structural engineering that goes into it. I’m just waiting to hear back from (Maricopa County) so I can get the project going,” he said.

However, officials at the county say that the reason the permits haven’t been approved was because Lammers never completed the application.

“There was a permit application submitted for a detached steel building on 2/9/24. However, it remains in initialized status pending more information needed,” a spokesperson told KTVK.

“Our Planning and Zoning Department emailed Mr. Lammers on 2/9/24 asking for structural and foundation calculations for the pre-engineered steel building.

“We have yet to receive that information from Mr. Lammers, so we are at a bit of a standstill.”

Due to his alleged actions, The Arizona Registrar of Contractors is investigating Lammers and Integrity Steel.

The agency issued Lammers a citation for “abandonment of contract,” for not delivering on his end of the deal.

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Maricopa County & Arizona Registrar of Contractors for comment.

Fraudsters around the country are finding new ways to steal from victims.

Shequanda Kimbrough lost thousands of dollars after her Navy Federal bank account was hacked on the way to Japan.

“I could do nothing,” she said in a post. “I couldn’t even log into my accounts because all passwords were changed.”

After she landed, Kimbrough discovered that hackers opened another account with Navy Federal in her name and stolen $20,000

Using Zelle, they were able to transfer the money from her account to a new account without alerting the bank.

“What a nightmare… I’m still dealing with my banks to get my money back…” wrote Kimbrough.

Another scammer managed to even steal someone’s home.

Robin Mobley of Trotwood, Ohio – about 80 miles east of Columbus, found out last year that ownership of her home was transferred.

She had bought her house in 2010, but ownership was transferred to Rush Plaza Corp in 2021 due to a quit claim deed.

A quitclaim deed is a document that allows people to transfer property ownership of a property without money or a title search.

She has been forced to fight in court, in hopes of getting her property back.

“This has been a stressful process,” she told the Dayton Daily News in February of this year.

“I’m tired, but I just want my house back.”