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CONTRACTOR CONTROVERSY: Fort Wayne Contractor arrested, accused of theft – WPTA 21

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – A Fort Wayne man is facing multiple counts of theft after police say he charged homeowners for improvement projects he never completed.

21Alive News has obtained the probable cause documents from the Allen County Superior Circuit Court in the case against 27-year-old Zachery Downing.

According to those court documents, Downing owns Advanced 1 Construction LLC in Fort Wayne.

In court documents, police say Downing entered into several home improvement contracts with clients. Those clients tell police they wrote checks to Downing for half of the cost of the projects up front. They say Downing failed to deliver on the work.

According to court documents, one of the victims received this text message.

“I am sorry brother. We have filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. I didn’t want this to happen. I was hoping to be able to get your job done but won’t be able to. We’re working on getting people their money back.”

Court documents detail a case where police say a Fort Wayne homeowner entered into a contract with Downing for $125,400 worth of improvements in September of 2021. Police say the homeowner wrote a check for $62,725. “Downing/Advanced 1 Construction, LLC then cashed the check,” police say in the court documents. Police say during the deconstruction of the property, a crew caused damage. In court documents police say “to this date no monies were ever refunded by Downing/Advanced 1 Construction, LLC and the work was never repaired and/or completed.”

“Downing accepted checks from each of the victims for at least 50% of the total and deposited them into bank accounts that he had direct and sole control over the funds of for a total of $280,585.92,” the probable cause states.

Downing is being charged with two counts of theft over $50,00 (a level 5 felony), 13 counts of theft over $750 (a level 6 felony), and one count of corrupt business influence.

Drain Layer Contractor License – chicago.gov

A City of Chicago drain layer contractor license is required to construct, repair, adjust, rod, clean, line, or use a camera to inspect a sewer or stormwater system outside a building. (Licensed plumbing contractors do not require a separate drain layer contractor license to perform this type of work.)

Drain layer contractor licenses are issued by the Department of Buildings.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is a drain layer contractor license required?

A drain layer contractor license is required to construct, repair, adjust, rod, clean, line, or use a camera to inspect a subsurface structure designed to collect or transport stormwater or sanitary wastewater. There are two exceptions:

  • This requirement does not apply to employees of the City of Chicago performing such work in the course of their employment.
  • A licensed plumbing contractor does not require a drain layer contractor license to engage in the installation, maintenance, or repair of plumbing as defined in the Chicago Plumbing Code.

Who can perform drain layer work under a drain layer contractor license?

The drain layer contractor license authorizes drain layer work to be performed by the licensed business and its employees, working under the supervision of an individual employed by the business who has passed a drain layer’s examination.

“Employees” means individuals that the business treats as employees for purposes of unemployment insurance contributions, worker’s compensation, and income taxation. A drain layer contractor license does not authorize drain layer work to be performed by individuals who are paid as independent contractors.

If employees of another business will be performing drain layer work at a job site, that business must be properly licensed and listed on the permit.  

Are there different types of drain layer contractor licenses?

Yes, there are three classes of drain layer contractor licenses:

License Classification Authorized Work
Class A Drain Layer Contractor Any type of drain layer work
Class B Drain Layer Contractor Only repair of private drains or work authorized for Class C
Class C Drain Layer Contractor Only videotaping, cleaning, lining, and sealing of sewers and pumping water out of basements

The classification of a contractor license is based on the examination(s) passed by the individual drain layer(s) who own or are employed by the business.

Who may obtain a drain layer contractor license?

Drain layer contractor licenses are issued to businesses, including sole proprietorships, that are owned by or employ at least one individual who has passed a City of Chicago drain layer license examination.

What is required to obtain a drain layer contractor license?

To obtain a drain layer contractor license, a business must employ at least one individual who has passed the written drain layer examination corresponding to the class of license applied for.

The business to be licensed must file a $50,000.00 performance bond payable to the City of Chicago before a drain layer contractor license can be issued.

How do I apply for a new drain layer contractor license?

The sewer permit section of the Department of Buildings processes drain layer contractor license applications.

Contact the sewer permit section for information about upcoming drain layer training and examinations, which are offered in partnership with the City Colleges of Chicago.

How do I renew an existing drain layer contractor license?

The sewer permit section of the Department of Buildings processes drain layer contractor license renewals.

How much does a drain layer contractor license cost?

License Classification License Fee Renewal Fee
Drain Layer Contractor (A, B or C) $125.00 $125.00
Miscellaneous Fees

Reinstatement of license expired more than 60 days: $75.00

How long is a drain layer contractor license valid?

For years before 2023, drain layer contractor licenses are valid for the calendar year in which they are issued.

Beginning in 2023, drain layer contractor licenses will be valid for one year from the date of issuance.

Ordinances and Rules 

Municipal Code of Chicago, Chapter 4-28: Drain Layers

This information is provided to help you better understand licensing requirements in the City of Chicago. It may not reflect all conditions, limitations, or exceptions that may apply to a particular situation and is not intended as a substitute for legal advice. To the extent the information on this page differs from the Municipal Code of Chicago or applicable rules, the ordinance or rule controls. 

6 Things Every Contractor Should Know about Insurance – For Construction Pros

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Nonunion contractors vow to bow out of new stadium project due to labor agreement – Buffalo News

A statewide organization representing nonunion builders and contractors is renewing its call to eliminate the project labor agreement set to be included for the Buffalo Bills new stadium, or else they will not take part in the project.

ABC Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors continues to claim the use of a PLA, which requires that the majority of workers on a job be part of a union, will mean that many Western New York workers will be kept on the sidelines for the stadium build.

“We want to really harness the energy of the Buffalo fans and create a unique game-day experience,” said Scott Radecic, a former Bills linebacker who’s serving as the project executive for Populous, the stadium’s architect.

Sinead McDevitt


The project labor agreement, a more commonly used mechanism in recent years for bigger infrastructure projects around the state, does not prevent nonunion contractors and builders from bidding or working on the project.

But a spokesperson for ABC Empire State Chapter said the companies it represents throughout the state are united in being unwilling to work under the PLA’s terms. He estimates that will impact 70% to 75% of Western New York contractors and builders, depending on the trade.

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The threat is part of a pressure campaign by nonunion contractors to win changes in the project labor agreement before it is finalized as part of an overall agreement to build and finance the new stadium.

Tanner Schmidt, the spokesman for the ABC Empire State Chapter, said a PLA requires all contractors, including nonunion affiliated ones, to employ the majority of their workers from union halls, sidelining most of their own workers. In many PLAs, three of every four workers on a job must be part of a union, he said.

Ultimately, the use of a PLA in constructing the new stadium will likely require the use of unionized workers from Western Pennsylvania and downstate New York, Schmidt said. Workers may also come from New York City, which could help supply needed ironworkers.

“Our contractors and our members won’t bid on the PLAs because of the discrimination that’s involved with PLAs,” Schmidt said. “It’s also out of loyalty to their workforce. They don’t want to have to have that hard conversation with their workers about replacing them with union guys.”

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and union leadership continue to refute claims that the PLA will cost Western New Yorkers jobs. Poloncarz has said at least 10,000 building trades workers will be employed on the project.

The renewed effort to rid the project of a project labor agreement came about after the Bills announced  that they have chosen the general contractors to build the new stadium. They are Gilbane Building Co., a Rhode Island-based contractor, New York City-based Turner Construction and 34 Group, a Buffalo-based contractor started by former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas and his wife.

The Bills and the county and state are still in negotiations to finalize the new stadium deal, with plans for the project ground break remaining for spring 2023 and completion of it by the 2026 football season. A memorandum of understanding was reached by the sides in March.

“A project labor agreement in no way precludes nonunion contractors from working on the new Buffalo Bills stadium,” said Poloncarz spokesperson Peter Anderson. “It does guarantee fair wages and benefits for thousands of hardworking men and women construction workers of Western New York who will construct our beloved Bills’ new stadium.”

Project labor agreements are intended to minimize labor issues, establish cost standards and help projects stay on schedule, while often establishing requirements for diversity and safety standards. Union leaders have said that there cannot be a legal PLA unless it demonstrates a cost savings.

“The nonunion should flock to a PLA to tap the union’s depth of competent, qualified workers and New York State approved apprentices,” Christopher Stone, trustee for the Buffalo Building Trades Council, wrote in a letter to The Buffalo News earlier this year. “PLAs ensure a level playing field where all workers receive the prevailing rate of pay for their job classification.”

But critics of the plan say that, in reality, using a PLA means more than two-thirds of private construction companies – and their nonunion workforces – won’t get the opportunity to be part of the project and that will limit the labor supply and potential bidders for work, driving up the cost of what is projected to be a $1.4 billion construction project.

But PLAs have withstood legal challenges. The Supreme Court and New York State Court of Appeals have each struck down claims that PLAs are “anti-competitive.”

The state will put $600 million toward the stadium’s upfront construction costs, while the county will contribute $250 million. The Bills have agreed to pay the remaining construction costs, including any that exceed the $1.4 billion price tag.

Poloncarz has said the project labor agreement will ensure that more of the construction work goes to local workers, adding the county had one in place when it completed on-time renovations of the stadium in 2013 and 2014.

“What would have happened – and what does happen in some of these large projects elsewhere – is there are national contractors primarily nonunion who bid on these contracts. And they bid low, and then they bring the workforce in from other areas,” he said earlier this year.

“Does it make sense for Erie County to be investing $250 million, New York State to be investing $600 million, and then find out that the major contractor on the project is from Texas, bringing in employees from Florida and Texas who work basically above minimum wage?” Poloncarz said.

“In a perfect world, the PLA would be removed and all contractors, regardless of their labor affiliation, would be able to bid the job, as long as they’re qualified to do so,” Schmidt said, while conceding that this will be a difficult fight for nonunion contractors to win. “I think in this case, what the county executive and governor need to focus on is ensuring that the workers working on this project are from the region.”

The recent selection of the project’s general contractors was an important step in the stadium project because it will allow work to begin on the logistics of getting construction started and lining up the dozens – if not hundreds – of suppliers, subcontractors and vendors that will be involved in the build.

While the stadium project is being funded with both public and private money, it is being managed as a private construction project, so the selection of the contractors was not subject to the same type of competitive bidding that a public project would be.

A website, buffalobillsnewstadium.com, will soon be launched with information about the project and how vendors, suppliers, trade contractors and professional service firms can learn about opportunities for work on the new stadium. Information sessions are also being planned in the coming weeks.

Local families left hanging after hired contractor suddenly files for bankruptcy – KIRO Seattle

Several local families are about to lose thousands of dollars to one contractor.

Shane Solomon, Hugh Lyon and Evan Wahlman paid Thomas Weems and his business, Elite Custom Homes and Construction in Puyallup, to remodel their homes.

Now Weems and his business are filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy — a total liquidation of assets — potentially leaving his customers short of nearly a million dollars after doing little or no work on their homes.

“I mean, he definitely shouldn’t be able to walk away,” Wahlman said.

Yet Weems seemingly has done just that and started a completely new construction company, Warrior Construction Services.

“I don’t know how he got this license in the first place after what he’s going through, trying to file bankruptcy,” Lyon said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

This would seem to be the case, especially following Weem posting on Facebook about a trip to Miami. In it, he says he dined at swanky restaurants where steaks cost up to a thousand dollars.

He got bottle service at the Clevelander Hotel — ranging from $225 to $800 each.

He played golf at Doral — that’s almost $400 a round.

He posted about it on May 30. On June 1, Weems decided to close Elite Custom Homes and Construction — just two days after telling everyone about his Miami adventure.

A few weeks later, he kept eating well in the Puget Sound at El Gaucho.

Three days later he filed for bankruptcy.

“I believe that he is insanely financially irresponsible,” Solomon said.

Now at least five former customers are filing complaints in federal court challenging his bankruptcy. In court documents, Solomon says he paid $103,000 and Weems provided no services and did no work.

KIRO 7 called and texted Weems — he told us to talk to his lawyer. When the lawyer didn’t respond, we stopped by Weems’ house looking for answers. He didn’t answer or respond.

Randy Littlefield runs Labor and Industries’ bankruptcy unit. He said if a contractor has no violations with L&I, has paid their workers comp bills and doesn’t have any court judgments, the agency can’t stop them from getting licensed.

And court cases filed declaring bankruptcy don’t count.

Weems’ new and old businesses are supposed to be separate, but on the website for his new business Warrior, there are parts that are clearly from his old company, Elite.

As a result of our investigation, Rep. Tina Orwall from Des Moines says she will write legislation to better protect consumers when it comes to bankruptcies and low contractor bonds.

In this case, all of the former customers would have to split the bond of $12,000.

“It’s going to be a big lift. We’re going to get some pushback,” Orwall said. “But I do think at the end of the day, we have no balance in our system. The protections just aren’t there.

“I think it’s more than bad business. It’s bad business and then plus.”

As for those who have done business with Weems, the pain goes much deeper than the wallet.

“It’s crazy. And it’s hurtful,” said Lyon. “It’s going to hurt more people.”

“I don’t care if he has to pay me a dollar out of every paycheck for the next hundred years like I will do, I will exhaust every effort,” Solomon said.

PE firm scoops up another DOE small-biz contractor – ExchangeMonitor – ExchangeMonitor

Department of Energy small business contractor Boston Government Services, Oak Ridge, Tenn., was acquired in October by a private equity fund, according to someone familiar with the deal.
Bernhard Capital Partners, Baton Rouge, La., was the buyer for Boston Government…

ASCE and Accelerator for America Release Map to Showcase Infrastructure Projects – Contractor Magazine

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MoT asked to avoid transferring contractor for 2nd phase N-S expressway project – sggpnews

Under the requirement of the Ministry of Transport, the project management boards need to focus on assessment, approval of technical design and quotation for 12 bidding packages which are expected to start works in advance on November 15 to propose the State Audit Office of Vietnam to perform the audit accounts before signing the construction contract and well prepare documents, papers, procedures to start works by end of 2022.

Besides, the project management boards shall strictly collaborate with localities in fields of site clearance, support and resettlement, and send staff to permanently monitor localities to ensure the hand-over of 70 percent of the site for the bidding packages being expected to start works in advance November 20.

In addition, the Directors of the project management boards are fully responsible under the law for all violations related to transferring contractor situation and other negative issues on contractor selection.

The Ministry of Transport said that the projects had three bidding packages in maximum on the approved bidding packages separation. As for the component projects with a total length of under 40 kilometers, there will be only one bidding package with the most value of nearly VND8,000 billion (US$322 million).

The bidding packages division was performed under the director of the Government, comprising not subdividing the package and ensuring the technical design, site clearance, coordination of materials and construction materials are feasible. As for bidding packages of high value, apart from financial requirements, it is important to prioritize contractors having constructed the same works in terms of quality and progress.

It is expected that the documents of requirements for the construction and installation bidding packages and the priority construction supervision consultant will be released to the contractor before November 20, ensuring that the signed contract with the contractor in advance by December 20 to start works before December 31.

By Bich Quyen- Translated by Huyen Huong

Castellum, Inc. Announces Signing of LOI to Acquire $10 Million Government Contractor – Yahoo Finance

Castellum, Inc.

Castellum, Inc. Announces Signing of LOI to Acquire $10 Million Government Contractor

Castellum, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: CTM) announces the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire an East-coast-based government contractor generating approximately $10 million in revenue. Subject to due diligence and the execution of a definitive purchase agreement, the Company hopes to close the acquisition by the end of January 2023 – https://castellumus.com/

BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Castellum, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: CTM) announces the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire an East-coast-based government contractor generating approximately $10 million in revenue. Subject to due diligence and the execution of a definitive purchase agreement, the Company hopes to close the acquisition by the end of January 2023.

“We are very pleased to announce to our shareholders that we have identified and signed a non-binding LOI for a strong seventh acquisition,” said Mark Fuller, President and CEO of Castellum. “This transaction, should we be able to close it, would give us over a $54 million revenue run-rate and expand our scale and capabilities to serve our government clients. Additionally, our current business continues to perform well, as evidenced by our recently announced record revenue for Q3 2022. We will be looking to make several other acquisitions in 2023 as we continue to execute our business plan.”

About Castellum, Inc.:

Castellum, Inc. (NYSE American: CTM) is a technology service and solutions company executing strategic acquisitions in Cyber Security, Information Technology, Information Warfare, Electronic Warfare, Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, and Software Development. Castellum completed its uplisting to the NYSE American on October 13, 2022, and has completed six (6) strategic acquisitions over the past three years. For more information, visit our website at https://castellumus.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or the Company’s future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should carefully review the risks and uncertainties identified in this release and the matters disclosed at nyse.com. These risks and uncertainties could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Specifically, the letter of intent announced in today’s release is not a binding agreement, and it may not close.

Contact: 
Mark Fuller, CEO 
[email protected] 
301-961-4895

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f556e28a-7c10-4ab3-856e-bb535d3c9bc9

Wrongful firing case against Sandia contractor can be heard in state court – ExchangeMonitor – ExchangeMonitor

A federal magistrate judge has ruled a scientist fired by a Honeywell-owned prime contractor for Sandia National Laboratories need not litigate his wrongful termination case in U.S. District Court.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephan Vidmar ruled Oct. 20 that National…