Aliya Brown of Orlando just wanted a pool in her backyard and thought she had hired a reputable contractor. Almost three years later, the job is unfinished, the contractor is not returning her messages, and she’s now facing code enforcement fines that are more than double what she paid for the work. “The holes are from other cracked tiles that were pulled up,” said Brown as she showed WESH 2 Investigates the pool deck that she considers so unsafe, she won’t let her kids play anywhere near it in the backyard. She paid roughly $45,000 up front for the $52,000 total job in January of 2023. But today, it’s just a hole in the ground, that’s partly filled with rainwater and breeding mosquitoes. Brown told WESH 2 Investigates she believes she’s owed a full refund so she can pay another contractor to complete the project. But Brown said she doesn’t think she’ll ever see the money again. The contractor she paid is Anson Avery Gallaway. According to records with the Florida Division of Corporations, he’s the owner of Cat 5 Home Center and Cat 5 Prefab Homes. One of the company’s names is on the contract for the pool construction job. WESH 2 tried to ask him questions in September, but when we began to inquire about Brown’s pool job, Gallaway said, “No.” He directed our questions to one of his attorneys. Gallaway may not be saying much because he’s charged with a misdemeanor in Volusia County, “engaging in contracting without certification.” The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) headed that investigation, alleging unlicensed contracting activity. A Deltona homeowner paid Gallaway $40,000 for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on her property that is not finished. DBPR has also notified Brown and another homeowner in Orange County, who paid Gallaway for an accessory dwelling unit that was never built, that they have found probable cause to continue to investigate Gallaway’s business practices. Brown added, “You know I consider myself a trustworthy person, and some people just operate untrustworthy, and that’s just their character.” She’s learning a hard lesson about the fallout from contractors who collect money and abandon projects. She’s facing a bigger financial mess because of the condition of her property. It’s a property that had fallen into disrepair, with fencing that had to be put back up, gates replaced, debris in the yard from construction, including yards and yards of piping. Brown is now facing fines, and the county has put a lien on the property until Brown pays those fines. She received the “order imposing an administrative fine” in July for her “swimming pool” not being “maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, and in good repair.” To date, she owes more than $108,000 in code enforcement fines. She added, “I just basically threw money out the window, and it’s caused more problems, and I’m just trying to do the right thing to be on the right page.” Brown is searching for a new contractor to pull permits to finish the job. Well aware of what led to Brown’s property’s condition and her dispute with Gallaway, the county told WESH 2 Investigates, “The county is mindful of the homeowner’s situation and will work with the homeowner to reduce fines once the property is brought into compliance.”She hopes to resolve the code enforcement case by the end of the year.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

Aliya Brown of Orlando just wanted a pool in her backyard and thought she had hired a reputable contractor.

Almost three years later, the job is unfinished, the contractor is not returning her messages, and she’s now facing code enforcement fines that are more than double what she paid for the work.

“The holes are from other cracked tiles that were pulled up,” said Brown as she showed WESH 2 Investigates the pool deck that she considers so unsafe, she won’t let her kids play anywhere near it in the backyard.

She paid roughly $45,000 up front for the $52,000 total job in January of 2023. But today, it’s just a hole in the ground, that’s partly filled with rainwater and breeding mosquitoes.

Brown told WESH 2 Investigates she believes she’s owed a full refund so she can pay another contractor to complete the project. But Brown said she doesn’t think she’ll ever see the money again.

The contractor she paid is Anson Avery Gallaway.

According to records with the Florida Division of Corporations, he’s the owner of Cat 5 Home Center and Cat 5 Prefab Homes.

One of the company’s names is on the contract for the pool construction job.

WESH 2 tried to ask him questions in September, but when we began to inquire about Brown’s pool job, Gallaway said, “No.”

He directed our questions to one of his attorneys.

Gallaway may not be saying much because he’s charged with a misdemeanor in Volusia County, “engaging in contracting without certification.”

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) headed that investigation, alleging unlicensed contracting activity.

A Deltona homeowner paid Gallaway $40,000 for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on her property that is not finished.

DBPR has also notified Brown and another homeowner in Orange County, who paid Gallaway for an accessory dwelling unit that was never built, that they have found probable cause to continue to investigate Gallaway’s business practices.

Brown added, “You know I consider myself a trustworthy person, and some people just operate untrustworthy, and that’s just their character.”

She’s learning a hard lesson about the fallout from contractors who collect money and abandon projects. She’s facing a bigger financial mess because of the condition of her property.

It’s a property that had fallen into disrepair, with fencing that had to be put back up, gates replaced, debris in the yard from construction, including yards and yards of piping.

Brown is now facing fines, and the county has put a lien on the property until Brown pays those fines.

She received the “order imposing an administrative fine” in July for her “swimming pool” not being “maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, and in good repair.” To date, she owes more than $108,000 in code enforcement fines.

She added, “I just basically threw money out the window, and it’s caused more problems, and I’m just trying to do the right thing to be on the right page.” Brown is searching for a new contractor to pull permits to finish the job.

Well aware of what led to Brown’s property’s condition and her dispute with Gallaway, the county told WESH 2 Investigates, “The county is mindful of the homeowner’s situation and will work with the homeowner to reduce fines once the property is brought into compliance.”

She hopes to resolve the code enforcement case by the end of the year.