RECENTLY AFTER BEING SUED IN
SEVIER COUNTY.
BO:
A RETIRED VETERAN WON THE
LAWSUIT AFTER THE CONTRACTOR
STARTED THE JOB, BUT NEVER
FINISHED THE WORK.
LORI:
WATE, SIX ON YOUR SIDE CONSUMER
REPORTER DON DARE FIRST REPORTED
THIS STORY IN 2017. DON, IT'S
TAKEN THAT LONG TO GET
THE CONTRACTOR TO COURT.
DON:
YES, THE CONTRACTOR WAS FIRST
SERVED A SUMMONS IN MAY OF LAST
YEAR.
BUT COURT RECORDS SHOW HE NEVER
RESPONDED TO THE ORDER.
A ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR
JUDGEMENT WAS GRANTED A FEW
WEEKS AGO, TO A RETIRED AIR
FORCE
MAJOR WHO HIRED A CONTRACTOR
FROM COSBY IN MARCH OF 2017.
A FEW MONTHS AFTER THAT, THE JOB
GOT UNDERWAY, BUT
THEN THE CONTRACTOR WALKED OFF
AND NEVER RETURNED. NEARLY 60
THOUSAND DOLLARS HAD BEEN HANDED
OVER.
NASTARAN SOWERS, PROPERTY
OWNER:THIS WAS MY
RETIREMENT DREAM TO SET UP A
CAMPGROUND.
FOR NASTARAN SOWERS HER
RETIREMENT DREAM WILL NEVER BE
REALIZED. THE 20 ACRE SITE SHE
BOUGHT AFTER RETIRING FROM THE
AIR FORCE... AFTER SERVING TWO
TOURS IN AFGHANISTAN. NO
VACATION CABINS WILL EVER BE SET
UP ON THE CAMPGROUND WHICH SHE
HAD PLANNED TO USE
FOR A RETIREMENT INCOME. DARE
SAYS: WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING HERE
ON THE SITE,
DO WE? NASTARAN: NOPE.
THE DEAL WITH K & G CONTRACTING
3
YEARS AGO TOTALED A 115-
THOUSAND DOLLARS -- THE
FIRST PAYMENT WAS 29-THOUSAND
THE
COMPLETION DATE THE END OF MAY
2017.
THE CONTRACT SHOWS, WITHIN
MONTHS THE CONTRACTOR COLLECTED
ANOTHER 28- THOUSAND BEFORE HE
QUIT.
NASTARAN: IT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL
FOR ME TO BE RIPPED OFF THE WAY
I WAS.
NASTARAN: IT HAS TAKEN ME A LONG
TIME TO COME TO TERMS
IN LETTING IT GO. AND NOT BE
BITTER AND UPSET ABOUT IT.
DARE: YOU ARE STILL UPSET.
NASTARAN: I AM UPSET.
THE CONTRACTOR SHE HIRED IS
KENNETH GLEASON. THIS MUG SHOT
TAKEN IN EARLY 2017 BY SEVIER
COUNTY ON AN OUTSTANDING
VIOLATION OF PROBATION CHARGE,
THEFT, FROM ANOTHER
STATE. GLEASON WE DISCOVERED
ALSO WAS A SUSPECT FOR
ALLEGED CONSTRUCTION SCAMS IN
MARYLAND. WHEN
WE FIRST VISITED IN OCTOBER
2017,
MRS. SOWERS HAD HIRED ANOTHER
BEHIND BY GLEASON AFTER HE
WALKED OFF. HE HAD ALSO STARTED
REMODELING A 130 YEAR OLD LOG
CABIN THAT WAS TO BE MRS.
SOWERS'
HOME. SHE WORRIED ABOUT THE
QUALITY OF WORK.
NASTARAN: THE COUNTY ASKED ME TO
GET AN ENGINEER TO EVALUATE THE
JOB HE WAS DOING.
IN THIS AUG 2017 ENGINEERING
REPORT "SHODDY WORKMANSHIP"
WAS DOCUMENTED. MRS. SOWERS:
IT SAYS CONTRACTOR HAD NO
INTENTIONS OF BUILDING A
STRUCTURALLY STRONG TWO
STORY HOUSE.
IN 2017, GLEASON TOLD 6 OYS, HE
HAD
PROOF HE HAD DONE HIS JOB. HE
CLAIMED HE DID NOTHING WRONG
AND HE BLAMED MRS. SOWERS SAYING
SHE DIDN'T WANT TO PAY FOR
ADDITIONAL WORK. IN MAY 2019,
MRS.
SOWERS FILED A CIVIL SUIT
AGAINST
GLEASON IN SEVIER COUNTY. BUT IN
JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, GLEASON
FAILED TO SHOW UP FOR THE
HEARING
OR HIRE AN ATTORNEY. MRS. SOWERS
SAYS: THIS IS THE MOTION FOR
DEFAULT
JUDGMENT WHEN I TOOK HIM TO
COURT.
DARE READS: A JUDGMENT IN THE
AMOUNT OF 2-MILLION DOLLARS BE
ENTERED AGAINST THE DEFENDANT
FOR PUNITIVE
DAMAGES. ON TOP OF THAT IS
ANOTHER 5-HUNDRED AND 15-
THOUSAND. DARE: ARE YOU GOING TO
E THE MONEY?
SR: PROBABLY NOT. BUT I'M
EEAND FEEL GOOD
THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET SOMEO
HEAR ME.
NASTARAN HIRED A SECOND
CONTRACTOR TO FINISH HER HOME.
SHE SAYS CONSTRUCTION
MISTAKES MADE BY GLEASON ARE NOW
FIXED.
NASTARAN: HE PUT IN A FOUNDATION
THAT WAS
INCORRECT. WE HAD TO COMPLETELY
RE DO IT. SHE'S EXPECTING TO
MOVE INTO THE
HOUSE SOON. WE TRIED TO REACH
GLEASON FOR COMMENT -- THERE'S
BEEN NO RESPONSE.
NASTARAN: DO NOT, DO NOT DEAL
WITH THIS GUY.
DON:
WE'VE LEARNED THAT GLEASON HAS
CHANGED THE NAME OF HIS
BUSINESS.
IT NO LONGER GOES BY K & G
CONTRACTING.
THE NAME OF HIS BUSINESS, STILL
AT
THE ORIGINAL ADDRESS, IS NOW K.
G. BUILDER.
HOWEVER, WHEN YOU CALL THE
LISTED PHONE NUMBER, YOU CAN'T
GET THROUGH.
WE CHECKED WITH THE TENNESSEE
CONTRACTOR'S BOARD, NEITHER
BUSINESS IS LICENSED WITH THE
STATE.
LORI AND BO
LAST YEAR, WHEN WE FIRST
REPORTED THIS STORY ... GLEASON
SAID HE DID NOTHING WRONG.
BUT HE NEVER SHOWED UP TO ARGUE
HIS CASE IN COURT.
BO:
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER
QUESTION FOR DON -- SEND HIM AN
EMAIL AT D-DARE AT W-A-T-E DOT
COM,
OR CALL HIS SIX ON YOUR SIDE
HOTLINE
NUMBER AT 865- 633-5974.
LORI:
STILL TO COME -
T-W-R-A HELPING BRING EAGLES
INTO
OUR STATE..
BO:
THE HISTORY OF THE POPULATION'S