Suffolk County homeowners say contractor took tens of thousands, left jobs unfinished
Customers say they hired Gurpreet Singh, who also goes by Harry, and his Mount Sinai-based company, BuildRite Pro.
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Three Suffolk County homeowners say they lost tens of thousands of dollars and were left with unfinished home improvement projects after hiring a contractor they accuse of taking their money and abandoning the work.
Among them is West Babylon resident Monon Brown, who says she drained her retirement savings to finance a kitchen renovation that never came close to completion.
"I pulled out my whole 401k," Brown said.
Brown said she hired Gurpreet Singh, who also goes by Harry, and his Mount Sinai-based company, BuildRite Pro, to remodel her kitchen. According to Brown, she paid Singh an initial deposit of $25,000 and later provided an additional $25,000 for the project.
While a new tile floor was installed, she said the work eventually came to a standstill.
"I have no stove, no fridge, no nothing," Brown said. "He started ghosting me."
Two other Suffolk County homeowners report similar experiences.
Customers in Sound Beach and Manorville told News 12 they also hired BuildRite Pro for home improvement projects and handed over tens of thousands of dollars for work they say was either poorly completed or never finished at all.
"He accepted the cash. And he was going to do a job. But look, there is no job that has been done," said customer Marlene.
Another homeowner, Elaine Robles, said Singh received $15,000 in cash from her and described him as "a scammer."
News 12 attempted to locate Singh at his Mount Sinai residence, but he was not there. A visit to the company's listed business address revealed what appeared to be a mailbox inside a UPS Store rather than a traditional business location.
After eventually reaching Singh by text message, he disputed claims that he had cut off communication with customers. Singh said he had been hospitalized and intended to return to complete the projects. However, when customers requested refunds, Singh said the money had already been spent.
Records show Singh's name appears on Suffolk County's contractor "Wall of Shame." According to county officials, he was cited for operating as an unlicensed plumber.
News 12 also found that Singh's company has operated under different names over the years. It was previously known as Bawa Construction Group, which holds an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau.
All three homeowners said they were ultimately forced to hire other contractors to finish the work and, in some cases, repair problems they say BuildRite Pro caused.
"I need to be compensated back for the money I shelled out," Robles said.
"He should fess up," Marlene added.
Brown was even more direct.
"I believe he's a criminal. He needs to be jailed for this," she said.
Multiple complaints have been filed with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office regarding the company. A spokesperson for the DA's office said they can neither confirm nor deny whether any investigation is underway.
Two former customers say they have filed lawsuits against BuildRite Pro.
