Following an abandoned remodel and a contractor bankruptcy, Shirley Boyken finished her dream kitchen with free help from Shine Electric.
MESA, Ariz. - Shirley Boyken was first introduced to viewers in October as part of an ongoing FOX 10 investigation into Holtzman Construction.
Thanks to some generous companies and her own tenacity, Boyken's kitchen went from an unfinished site to a dream come true.
Mesa home remodel abandoned as Holtzman companies file bankruptcy
Mesa resident lost thousands when Holtzman Remodeling abruptly stopped work and voluntarily cancelled its Arizona ROC licenses. "No word, no phone call, no nothing."
What they're saying:
"It's finished! And I'm just so happy!" Boyken said.
Boyken can once again eat home-cooked meals, with her kitchen transforming from an abandoned project to a fully-functioning room. Her dream cabinets, boxed up when FOX 10 first visited her last month, are now all assembled.
"It was everything of what they said they would be and working with the company was fabulous," Boyken said.
Following an abandoned remodel and a contractor bankruptcy, Shirley Boyken finished her dream kitchen with free help from Shine Electric.
The backstory:
What was not fabulous was Boyken's initial experience with Holtzman Construction. Boyken says she thought she had done enough background research on the company before hiring them.
"But it wasn't all available at the time either. Because a lot of it came out after the fact," Boyken said.
As FOX 10 has previously reported, Holtzman Construction and three related LLCs filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Oct. 2. That filing occurred months after Boyken had signed her contract with them and spent more than $12,000 just to have her kitchen gutted and left that way.
"I have to feel badly for people with an attitude like that, they can just take advantage of them and walk away. I don't operate that way," Boyken said.
Luckily, neither do the folks over at Shine Electric, who completed Boyken's electrical work free of charge.
"I couldn't believe that somebody would be so generous to offer that and then there were other people that offered also, but I was too far along in the design work, but what was encouraging to me was that a lot of them said if you need us in the future, let us know and that was worth everything," Boyken said.
What's next:
The Arizona Attorney General's Office is reviewing complaints from other Holtzman customers. Owner Brandon Holtzman, in an email to FOX 10 on the day of the bankruptcy filings, called the situation a "unique and unexpected challenge" to the business.
Attorney General reviewing complaints against Holtzman Construction after bankruptcy
The Arizona Attorney General's Office Criminal Division is reviewing consumer complaints against Holtzman Construction following Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Shirley Boyken, an affected customer; Nicole, an interviewer; Brandon Holtzman, owner of Holtzman Construction; Shine Electric, an electrical company; the Arizona Attorney General's Office; and previous FOX 10 reporting.