Man claims flooring company long on promises, short on paychecks - wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather & Sports

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A small business owner in need of help. He claims a New York real estate company stiffed him on more than $20,000 worth of flooring work done at a south end apartment complex. The owner of the that Louisville flooring business claims the New Yorkers have been long on promises, but short on paychecks.

There's room to rent at the Blue Diamond Apartments on Blue Lick Road. But it's no diamond in the rough for James Conner.

"They haven't paid me," Conner said.

Haven't paid him thousands of dollars for new carpets and flooring he installed in about three dozen units. The work started back in July 2012. Conner said he nearly walked off the job a month into the project after blue diamond racked up a $10,000 bill, then failed to make good on multiple promises to settle up.

"I said well don't you always pay your electric, your water bills and all that on time?" Conner explained. "And of course they just didn't have a response for that."

One of Blue Diamond's owners, Julian Blumenthal, agreed to give conner a $10,000 credit card payment. But only after he promised to continue his work re-flooring the rest of the units.

"You don't think an apartment complex this big is going to not pay you," Conner said.

But that's what happened. Again.

This time Conner said Blue Diamond racked up $20,746.95 worth of bills in services and late fees. Now, he says they won't respond to his repeated requests to get paid.

"I'd love to get paid," Conner said.

Pam Freeman, the property manager who hired Conner, was out of the office. The apartment complex is owned by a real estate group called Read Property LLC.

"I just found about it and I'm looking into the bills," said managing director Marvin Schnee. "But we don't intend to run away. We pay our money."

Schnee said all payments were handled by Blumenthal. But Blumenthal initially denied knowing James Conner or Blue Diamond Apartments before  phone call was disconnected.

After receiving a text telling Blumenthal of the credit card receipt with his name on it, and that Schnee said he was the one responsible for paying vendors, he changed his tune. Sending a  text message, promising Conner would be paid the $20,746.95 he is owed, "As soon as possible."

"I'd just like the money that's owed to me," Conner said.

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