By james art GILBERT, Arizona (AZ Family) — When Brandon Mader and his family step into their backyard, they are greeted with a huge concrete hole. And so for 3 long years now.
“Well, this was supposed to be your heaven here,” On Your Side’s Gary Harper told Mader. Mader replied, “Yes, it had to be. I call it a bunker that looks like a pool.
Mader hired a company called Unity Pools, which is owned by Travis Scott.
Mader says that at the time, Scott was bragging about being a competent pool builder and gloating about something else.
“Did he sell himself as a big NFL star?” Harper asked. “Yeah, I mean, he definitely talks about it a lot,” Mader replied. I remember when I opened the door I was looking up at him. I mean, he’s just a big guy.
Under that contract, Scott agreed to build Mader’s pool, fire pit and other amenities for $138,000.
But before starting the project, Scott asked for and received $40,000 up front.
Some progress was made in the pool, and over the course of several months, Mader gave Scott a series of checks totaling about $125,000.
At this point, Mader says the project is 90 percent paid for, but only 50 percent of the work was completed before Scott stopped showing up.
“You know, he boasted that he was an honorable man. Integrity is tattooed on his chest. He should probably remove it,” Mader said.
And Mader is not the only victim. Blake Carbonato tells On Your Side that Unity Pools and Scott also abandoned his pool project. “I think he knows exactly what he’s doing,” Carbonato said.
According to Mader, he wrote checks totaling $223,000, but after 50 percent of his project was complete, he says Scott stopped showing up. “We met almost two dozen other families who had a similar experience to us.”
He is right. In fact, the Arizona Registry of Contractors revoked Unity Pools’ license after collecting 15 consumer complaints. And that’s just the homeowners who filed formal complaints.
Scott also has four pending lawsuits filed against him for his pool antics.
I went to Scott Gilbert’s home for answers, but he was reportedly not home. “It’s very important that he calls me because a lot of people say they paid him money to build pools and he never finished,” Harper told Scott’s wife. Is it recording me?” she asked about our camera. Harper replied, “Yes, we’re doing a news report. So it is very important that he calls me.
Well, five minutes later guess who called? Scott.
“You’re the man of integrity,” Harper told him. “You have it tattooed on your chest, but I don’t see any integrity. You took people’s money and didn’t get the job done.”
Scott had nothing to say and hung up. But On Your Side discovered he has already opened a new pool company called Swell Builders that is not licensed.
According to his website, potential customers must choose how much money they are willing to pay for Scott to build their pool.
Mader said, “Actually, you know, I had no idea about him. The man has all my money and I am at his mercy. And there he gathers people. I quickly take their money. Makes it look like things are progressing and rebounding. And before you know it, you’re stuck.
Homeowners who file a complaint with the Arizona Registry of Contractors can recover some, but not all, of their money from the agency’s Recovery Fund. However, the total amount allocated to a licensed company is limited and there are many applicants.
Scott and Unity Pools released the following statement to On Your Side:
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