NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — It was to be a dream renovation, but it has turned into nothing but a nightmare.
Since June of last year, Glen and Stephanie Liverman, have not been able to live inside their Norview home after they say a renovation started and was never completed.
Virignia Beach-based J&L Home Renovations was to install a new kitchen, bathroom and laundry room for a price of more than $82,000.
While the Livermans have paid out a majority of that money, all they can see inside their home are fresh studs, a new toilet, electrical wiring and outlet boxes.
What they haven’t seen or heard from in months are the contractors.
“The house is torn apart, clothes everywhere. It’s in bad condition,” said Stephanie Liverman, 59. “We are without a dollar to our name. Now we we want to know why did these people do us this way?”
The Livermans said they decided on the renovation to their 80-year-old home in 2023, following Glen’s retirement from Sentara.
“I’m very proud of him and I wanted to do something special for us,” said Liverman, who also worked for Sentara.
Stephanie said at that time, Google reviews of J&L Home Renovations didn’t show any red flags and initially, work began on the house.
However in Spring 2024, Stephanie was admitted to the hospital. By the time she discharged from a rehab center, the work had stopped.
“They had already torn down walls, they torn down the ceiling and the floors and we were like, they just left us,” Stephanie said. “Left us with nothing.”
Stephanie said she had used Glen’s pension to pay for the work. At the time of our interview she said she paid J & L roughly $78,000.
They have paid more than $4,000 to stay at a hotel receipts show. Now, they are staying with a friend.
“They took our money and ran and haven’t come back yet,” Stephanie said. “But during a hotel stay, we spoke with them, and we asked them ‘can you at least give us some of our money back?’ And they said, ‘no, you won’t need it. It’s just going to be two more weeks. We’ve been waiting for materials’.”
J&L Home Renovations, LLC was formed in 2019 by Jeff A. Brown according to records with the State Corporation Commission.
In October 2020, Brown purchased property at 125 Butternut Lane and set up and office according to city records.
However in December 2024, he sold the building for $345,000 more than he bought it for.
His business line is now disconnected and while the Virginia Beach Commissioner of the Revenue’s office states he still has an active business license until March, he has not applied for a renewal.
10 On Your Side tried to get in contact with Brown, 39, numerous ways. Nobody answered the door at his home in Little Neck.
A google review suggests the company has gone bankrupt, however no filing has been made in the companies name in bankruptcy court.
In small claims court however, there is various claims people from across Hampton Roads are looking for thousands of dollars from Brown and his company.
The Virginia Board of Contractors has also fined Brown three separate times following complaints.
Investigators determined J&L failed to comply with terms of written contracts, including letting customers know when work would start and end, pulling permits and sometimes they failed to use a written contract at all.
“J&L Home renovations needs to be stopped,” Stephanie said. “We want to go home. This is where we live, eat, breathe. We have enough room in that house where we can put foster children out there, they need a home. People that need home. We want to give back to. But we can’t give back like this.”
The board required to remedial education for J&L and even required reports back on their progress.