‘Violated’: Customers say landscaper took money but didn’t do work

CHARLOTTE — Donna Poyner has a green thumb, but it’s not green enough for her to redo her yard, at least not the way she wanted. So, she hired Carie Carlson.

Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke asked Poyner if Carlson did any work on the project. Poyner said, “Nothing. Never showed up. Took my $10,000 which I’m going to say I’m embarrassed.”

Kristine Canen also lined up Carlson. “I said, ‘When are you starting? When are you starting? When are you starting?’” Canen said.

She says Carlson came out a few times but then gave her the runaround. “Violated. I worked so hard to save for almost two years to get this project to this point and I have to start all again,” she said.

Canen says she’s out $5,900. “You have to forgive things because if you don’t, they’ll eat you alive. And I’ll get there. Not today. But I’ll get there,” she said.

Seven people told Action 9 Carlson took their money but didn’t do the work.

Carlson tends to land jobs in the Indian Trail, Matthews, South Charlotte, and Stallings areas.

Multiple people have been warning others on social media, including Canen and Poyner.

“That’s what I’m trying to do now is to prevent other people from being in my shoes,” Poyner said. “And I don’t want it to happen to anybody else. That’s the biggest thing. I don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”

Carlson wouldn’t discuss any of the complaints on camera, but she did text Action 9 saying many of the customers were lying and that they broke the contracts, not her. She texted, “[Y]es I do get delays like anyone else,” but that “I always finish the work unless they say stop.”

No matter what contractor you’re thinking of hiring:

- Try not to pay more than a third up front.

- Research the owner’s name, not just the business name.

VIDEO: Second homeowner says contractor did shoddy work and not all of it

Second homeowner says contractor did shoddy work and not all of it

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