Eaton Fire victims share warning after losing thousands to alleged unlicensed contractor

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- With thousands of homes lost during the January wildfires, some homeowners raced to start rebuilding.

But two homeowners in Altadena said they moved too fast and ended up sending tens of thousands of dollars to a man they later found out is not a licensed contractor. As the California Department of Consumer Affairs investigates, the homeowners are suing the contractor and have a warning for all.

Shelley Mallchock and her husband David get emotional when it comes to seeing their lot scraped clean, but an even bigger source of stress started after the Eaton Fire scorched their home.

David said he started looking for a contractor about three to four days after the fire. So less than a month after losing nearly everything, the couple signed a contract with Erik Uribe from Building Solution Consulting, LLC.

According to the contract, the guaranteed cost of construction on the Mallchocks' new home would not exceed $350 per square foot. David thought that was a deal.

"He presented himself as a builder, contractor, with everything under one roof," he said. "He would do everything."

David was impressed and referred Uribe to his neighbor across the street, Richard Shoop, whose home was also a total loss. Both homeowners said they each paid Uribe $33,678 as a retainer.

"We went ahead and paid the retainer, and then after that, things slowed down," said Shoop.

David said so far, no work has been done.

"We got an initial set of plans," said David.

But in a lawsuit filed against Uribe, the Mallchocks said those plans bore the stamp of a civil engineer's license, which expired on September 30, 2021.

"I thought I was in trouble," said David when asked what he thought when he saw the expired date stamp.

The Mallchocks and Shoop, who is also suing Uribe, said they confirmed they were in trouble when they realized who they hired was not a licensed contractor.

In their lawsuits, they allege Uribe told them he would be "absorbing" a license from another entity called Santos and Santos Construction. But state records show the license for that company's contractor expired on December 26, 2024 due to "death of the contractor."

When asked if he ever got the $33,000 back, David said he's "hopeful" but "doesn't think so."

7 On Your Side Investigates attempted to ask Uribe himself is he's going to return the money. We went to an apartment building listed as his address and called the unit listed under a "Uribe," but were told he no longer lives there.

Shortly after, his attorney called us and pointed us to two countersuits. Uribe's attorney said neither he nor his client will speak to 7 On Your Side Investigates on camera and that the suits speak for themselves.

In those suits, Uribe says each of the two Altadena lot owners owe him $43,000 for "labor, services and materials," and has filed liens on both the Shoop and the Mallchock properties.

"I still can't believe he did that," said Shelley.

Kipp Mueller, who is on the legal team for the Altadena lot owners, spoke to 7 On Your Side Investigates about the case.

"People are going to try to rush you to make a decision and say, 'You've got to do it now. There's tariffs coming. There is shortage of labor and materials. I've got your back,'" he said. "Do your very best to take a step back and realize, you're not in an absolute rush."

David says that's a lesson he learned the hard way.

"The mental strain and trauma has been great," he said. "He's taken nine months, approximately, of our life where we thought we were going rapidly, and we're going to be first in line and would have a foundation poured by now. Now, we're at the back of the line."

Shoop has filed a complaint against Uribe with the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), which is a part of the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

The CSLB sent 7 On Your Side Investigates a statement, saying, "It is a felony to contract without a license in a declared disaster area. CSLB is aware of this complaint concerning Erik Uribe. The investigation is ongoing."

The statement goes on to say the CSLB has no record of an applicant or licensee under the name of Erik Uribe.

So how do you make sure you don't hire an unlicensed contractor? The state makes it easy to check.

Ask for the contractor's license number, and look it up the "Check A License" section of the CSLB's website. Also, be sure to ask for references and request to see work they have previously done so you can see it with your own eyes.