KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Consumer Investigator David Quinlan obtained a number of court documents and complaints against former contractor Bill Koepp.

They say pretty much the same thing. He was hired and paid to work on homes, but the jobs never got done.

Now the state’s Labor and Industries department is investigating, but it may be too little too late for one family who says they’ve lost everything.

Darlene Begley can’t find it in her heard to sing as much as she used to. Her heart was broken when the place she fell in love with slowly slipped away.

“This was our dream, to retire out here,” said Begley.

At first, everything was perfect: A charming house, a breathtaking view and an endless amount of possibilities.

"We have never owned a home. This was our first home to ever own," said Begley.

But an early-winter storm put their dream on hold.

Darlene and her husband Danny turned to contractor Bill Koepp for help.

“I’ve known this kid since he was in diapers and I thought I could trust him,” said Begley.

At the time, Koepp worked as a licensed and bonded contractor for Standing Tall Construction.

The Begley’s hired him to repair and remodel their home. So Koepp picked up his hammer and nails and went to work on the roof, floors, bedrooms, driveway and bathrooms.

“He required money half of the money up-front for this project. He kept coming back for money. I trusted him,” Darlene said.

Ten months and nearly $70,000 later, the Begley’s dream home turned into a nightmare.

“Nothing is complete,” Begley said. “Everything is torn up.”

Koepp would start on projects but never finished them. Eventually he stopped showing up all together.

“We battled the cold and rain this year,” said Begley.

Home inspectors were called in to assess the damage, agreeing to examine the Begley’s house free of charge.

“There are just a number of spots where the water can come in,” said an inspector. “We found a lot of unprofessional construction work.”

There are open holes in the roof. The floors are warped. The doors don’t fit. There are wires exposed and the walls are unfinished. The list goes on and on.

“The vast majority of these things this contractor was doing should not have been permitted,” said an inspector.

“Koepp declined an on-camera interview, but he did tell KIRO he’s willing to fix what he started. The Begley’s say, “No way.” They don’t want him on the property. The damage is already done.

Koepp told KIRO 7 that the reason he never finished the work was because he was sick and said he wouldn’t return to the job because Danny Begley threatened his life.

So, who is Bill Koepp? Our investigation found a string of failed businesses and unfinished jobs. Koepp and Sons: License suspended. Standing Tall Construction: License suspended. Bracen Enterprises: Never was registered with the state.

And then there’s a long list of consumer complaints alleging losses of tens of thousands of dollars. There were jobs in Hoodsport, Yelm, Winlock, Olympia and Elma.

“Our primary goal is to stop deceptive behavior,” said Kristin Alexander with the Attorney General’s office.

According to the Washington Attorney General’s office, they say inevitably, it all falls back on the consumer. If the Begley’s had checked Koepp’s background, it would have likely raised a big red flag.

“The main problem is people aren’t doing their research first. They are hiring a contractor because they think they are a great guy or have a good advertisement. Whatever the reason, they are being lured into doing business without doing their homework first.” said Alexander.

State records show that there are 10 lawsuits against Koepp including two judgments.

“Where do I go from here? What’s going to happen next? How am I going to pull it together?” said Begley.

Now Darlene and Danny are singing the blues. They are out of money, out of answers and out of dreams.

“I feel like we are at the mercy of whatever,” said Begley.

According to the Washington State Attorney General’s office, consumer complaints against contractors rank near the top. With that in mind, here are some things to watch out for. Be leery of lifetime guarantees and extremely low bids.

Also, it’s never a good idea to give up all the money up front for a project; 15 to 20 percent is usually sufficient.

It’s advice the Begley’s tell us they wished they’d followed.