UPDATE: Casa Grande woman refunded $3K for unfinished flooring project

CASA GRANDE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- When we last visited Sarah Woelfel, her Casa Grande home wasn’t very comfy. She had moved out all her furniture and large appliances and been relocated to other areas.

“This is a little out of place right here, a fridge in your den?” 3 On Your Side’s Gary Harper asked. “Yea, so we decided to move the fridge into the den just because we needed cold food; we still needed food,” Sarah said.

Sarah had moved everything so she could install new flooring. She hired and paid a guy named Danial Lee, who runs DC Coatings, also known as Decorative Coatings. “How much money did you give him?” Harper asked. “$3,781,” she replied. “And all I got was a big headache!”

That’s because Lee and DC Coatings vanished with Sarah’s money and did zero work. After waiting three months to get her money back, Sarah finally contacted 3 On Your Side for help. I spoke with Lee on the phone, and he eventually returned $1,000 to Sarah, but then he went silent again.

So, 3 On Your Side found his Mesa home he rents valued at more than a half-million dollars and discovered his Tesla sitting in the driveway.

No one answered, but after leaving a business card, Lee called less than 10 minutes later, saying he wanted to return the remainder of Sarah’s money but that he was having a hard time financially. “Well, I’m looking at a $500,000 home that you rent and a Tesla sitting in your driveway, so things can’t be too bad for you,” Harper told him. “It is bad when I’m 65 days late on the Tesla, and I have less than a month to get out of the house,” Lee said.

He went on to say that he’ll return every penny he took from Sarah and apologized that the issue got so out of hand. “I have every intention of paying her back. If you could just give me time. I don’t know how much time you can give me, but I will pay her back,” he pleaded.

Well, following this conversation, Sarah says Lee sent her another $2,000 the very next day for a total of $3,000. “Do you think 3 On Your Side played a role in getting your money back?” Harper asked Sarah. “Absolutely,” she replied. “I think it definitely put the pressure on him and that this was a serious situation and he wasn’t going to get away with it.”

Sarah is still expected to receive the remaining $781. 3 On Your Side will stay on top of the matter and let you know what happens.

Editor’s Note: The headline of this article has been updated to correct the amount of Sarah Woelfel’s total refund.

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