Couple loses everything from fire and fraud

A Northern Michigan couple is trying to pick up the pieces and start over for the third time.

By Jenn Carlson
Posted: Monday, January 07, 2008 at 6:33 p.m.

Scott and Monica Wendt say they thought their nightmare was over after they found someone to rebuild their Cheboygan

County home that had been destroyed by fire, but actually that was just the beginning.

The Wendt's never believed everything they had could be taken from them twice in a matter of months, once by fire and

again, they say, by greed.

"In the course of the contractor rebuilding our home," says Scott, "over half of our insurance money, about $70,600, was stolen from us by the contractor."

Even more in debt than ever, the Wendt's had to hire another contractor to come and finish the job, but realized there was much more work to be done than they thought.

"We found things such as smoke damage, insulation still in the walls with new drywall thrown over it, we found burnt lumber used through the house, and we have over three pages of major code violations, says Scott,  "He used indoor nails, they rusted right off, destroyed the siding and fell off the house, we had water coming in all over the place.  There isn't a week that goes by that we don't find new things or find a new problem."

It's two years later and the couple is still struggling, wondering how this ever happened to them.

"Why?" Scott asks, "it's real simple, why chose a young farm couple who lost everything in a fire to steal from.  Why?  In the sentencing hearing the judge asked Mr. Price several times if he had anything to say for himself and he declined."

The Wendt's say they are now facing foreclosure on their home because of outstanding bills to other subcontractors Price hired.

They wanted to share their story with the hopes of helping others who may be in a similar situation.

Wayne Price was sentenced at the end of December to nine months in jail, three years probation and ordered to pay restitution of $70,000.  He has repaid five thousand so far.