Complaints against concrete company in Spring

SPRING, Texas – A Spring couple looking to spruce up the outside of the storefronts they rent in Old Town Spring said they signed a contract with a concrete company, and no work has been done.

Sandra and Paul Van Fleet said they agreed to pay concrete company, JB Maintenance, $1,500 to pave their sidewalk and parking lot. They said they signed the contract with  David and Jennifer McGowen - the owners of JB Maintenance.  

Paul Van Fleet said he met with Jennifer McGowen and gave her a  deposit for $825. The couple said they even drew up a sketch of the work they wanted done on the contract and gave it to Jennifer McGowen.

"She looked at our sketch and said thanks for the sketch," said Paul Van Fleet. "She signed the contract, I signed the contract."

Now, the Van Fleet's say the McGowens took their deposit and no work has been done.

"The next day their Facebook page was gone," said Sandra Van Fleet.  "When I called the phone number, no one answered." 

KPRC reached the McGowens by phone. They said they only agreed to do part of the job for $1500 and that the Van Fleets' breached their contract by cancelling the job.  

"I offered to do the section that she signed the contract for," Jennifer McGowen said.

Sandra Van Fleet said she asked Jennifer McGowen for the money back if they were not going to do the work she said they agreed upon.  

McGowen said Van Fleet breached her contract with the cancelation of the job.

Sandra Van Fleet said she's contacted the state's attorney office about the situation.

Channel 2 asked the McGowens to send us the contract. Jennifer McGowen said she would.  As of this writing, we still had not received the finalized contract with both parties signatures.  

 In the meantime, Sandra Van Fleet shared her story on  social media and it went viral.

Spring Happenings, a local news website, picked it up and the founder said several other people shared similar stories to the Van Fleets'.

"It's disturbing because there are so many people that have been affected and that have been victims of the business," said Zach Karrenbrock, the founder and president of Spring Happenings.

KPRC also spoke with several other unhappy customers of the McGowens.

The previous customers said they had similar stories of jobs being unfinished or not properly done.  They spoke of not being able to reach the owners when they called to complain or ask for their money back.   

David McGowen said customers complain when they haven't read the contract or want to make changes without a change order.  

"We have nothing to hide here," said David McGowen.  "I already reached out to another lady who called. I'm happy to go back out there and help her out." 

KPRC found the McGowens have had brushes with the law.  

David McGowen plead guilty to theft by check back in April.  

Jennifer McGowen still has a case pending against her where she too is accused of theft by check. 

In 2010, the McGowens filed for bankruptcy.  

There are two lawsuits against the McGowens' company, a company that has had several names, including CCS Concrete, Quick Pave and JB Maintenance.

In one case, the McGowens were ordered to pay $37,000 plus legal fees.