MINNEAPOLIS — A local painter is facing accusations and court claims from homeowners saying they paid him and he hasn't done the work.
After KARE 11's Lou Raguse began interviewing customers of Patrick LeCorre on Monday, he began paying them back the thousands of dollars he owed.
"What you're looking at is our kitchen without any drawer or doors," said Maria Gullickson from Dayton while showing her home to the television camera.
The Gullickson family looks like they're in the middle of a kitchen remodel, but more than a month in — the work still has barely started.
"So much frustration and just anxiety," said Chris Gullickson, explaining his family's emotions.
Chris and Maria hired LeCorre, 27, to paint their cabinets based on his Facebook Marketplace ads, which had good reviews.
LeCorre started the work but never finished, even after the Gullicksons say they paid him $3,000.
"Yeah, I mean, we saved a couple of months to be able to afford this," Chris said.
Chris and Maria now know they aren't alone.
"It was just a constant state of him saying he was going to show up, then we wouldn't hear from him for three or four days. Then he would call and say something about his vehicle," said Mike Silberg of Hugo.
KARE 11 has spoken with six other customers with near-identical stories. Three of them have filed claims in conciliation court against him.
According to one complaint, a Minneapolis couple paid LeCorre more than $7,000 for work that started last October. They say he still has their cabinet doors as well as a house key and garage door opener.
A couple in Plymouth demanded a refund after they finally got their unfinished cabinet doors back. They recorded themselves confronting LeCorre two weeks ago demanding a refund.
"You'll have that payment by 9pm, you have my word," LeCorre said on the video, although he didn't follow through with a refund at that time.
Other customers say LeCorre built trust with them by talking about his record-breaking football career at Edina.
The Gullicksons hope they can help prevent others from making the same mistake.
"The one outcome I would like to see is, is that he's stopped. I don't wanna see another family go through what we had to go through," Chris Gullickson said.
Late Monday, LeCorre contacted KARE 11's Lou Raguse to say he is in the process of paying back all of his former customers. KARE 11 confirmed with them that they have now received partial or full refunds.
LeCorre said he is no longer soliciting jobs and explains that he took on more jobs that he could handle, which is what led to the problems.