Caledonia homeowner frustrated after contractor charged in separate case
Construction contractor charged with theft
Caledonia homeowner Gerald Dinda says he paid James Ferdon $80,000 for unfinished work, while Ferdon now faces theft by contractor charges in a separate Waterford case.
CALEDONIA, Wis. - A Caledonia man says a contractor left a gaping hole next to his property.
A year and a half later, the same contractor is criminally charged in another case.
What they're saying:
Buried beneath Gerald Dinda's yard is the concrete foundation for a home addition that was never completed.
"I got a lot of, "delay, delay, delay," said Dinda.
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In 2024, Dinda showed Contact 6 the unfinished work that he says was left behind after he hired James Ferdon of Affordable Building LLC.
He says the project stopped after subcontractors said they weren't getting paid.
"Those people never got paid," said Dinda. "They had threatened to put a lien on the house. They decided not to do that."
Dinda had paid Ferdon $80,000 for work that was only partially completed. He says he spent $30,000 cleaning up what was left behind.
"(Another company) covered the hole, landscaped it," said Dinda. "I had to redo the whole house because my siding was not available anymore."
What we know:
The Racine County District Attorney's Office declined to pursue criminal charges against Ferdon in Dinda's case.
It told Dinda it didn't believe it could prove the case to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.
The criminal case:
A year and a half later, Ferdon is charged in another case.
Ferdon faces one count of felony theft by contractor and three misdemeanors. He declined the opportunity to speak with Contact 6 while heading into the courtroom.
The criminal complaint says a mortgage lender paid Affordable Building nearly $200,000 "through a series of construction loan draw requests."
The money was intended to build a single-family home in Waterford.
It says, "multiple subcontractors who either performed work or supplied materials ... remained unpaid or partially paid."
Instead, the court documents say construction funds went toward credit cards, vehicle payments and retail purchases. They say the total amount of misappropriated funds was about $100,000.
Local perspective:
For Dinda, the criminal charges are a small consolation. He's frustrated that his case won't be heard in criminal court.
"Its money gone," said Dinda. "I'm glad that he's getting charged. I just hope that it's going to stick."
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The court set Ferdon's signature bond at $10,000.
Dig deeper:
Two years ago, Ferdon was found guilty of issuing worthless checks. He also owes more than $150,000 in civil and small claims judgments.
Caledonia family wants refund for unfinished construction project
Delays, excuses and unpaid workers. One Caledonia family says they’ve heard it all during their home renovation.
The Source: Information for this report comes from Gerald Dinda, documentation provided by Dinda to Contact 6, and Racine County Circuit Court Records.