Exeter homeowner says he trusted contractor; closing arguments set for Wednesday

WILKES-BARRE Closing arguments are scheduled to take place Wednesday in the trial of a contractor accused of cheating a first-time homeowner in renovating a house in Exeter.

Matt Stuka, 30, said he had no experience in renovating houses and trusted George Poplawski, 42, of Honesdale and formerly of Plains Township, to perform quality work to transform a single-family house on Harland Street into two apartments in 2012.

I told him I trusted him to get the job done, Stuka testified Tuesday before Luzerne County Judge Lesa Gelb on charges of theft, deceptive business practices and receiving advance payment for work not performed.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Ratchford said Poplawski took advantage of Stukas inexperience and failed to keep several promises to finish the renovations during the summer of 2012. Ratchford said Stuka was forced to pay nearly $43,000 out of pocket to hire a second contractor and an electrician to correct and finish Poplawskis work. Stuka said he paid Poplawski nearly $73,000 from February 2012 until October of that year when he told Poplawski to leave.

Poplawskis attorney, Joseph Sklarosky Sr., said Poplawski was completing one job as Stuka kept asking him to do more work in the house. The requests to do more work quickly piled up to 27 separate contracts during 2012, Sklarosky said.

Mr. Stuka kept adding contracts. George did all the work properly, Sklarosky said. Just as George finished one job, Mr. Stuka had another. (Stuka) was withholding payment to him.

Stuka told jurors Poplawski was to finish renovating the house by the end of June 2012. As the job was not finished, Poplawski promised the end of July 2012, then October 2012.

Sklarosky had Stuka go through all the contracts separately. For each contract, Stuka said he paid either one-third or half the cost with the remainder paid when each job was completed.

Sklarosky questioned Stuka why he would pay the balance if he didnt like the finished product.

Stuka said all he saw were wires, plumbing pipes and concrete when he paid Poplawski, not knowing if the work was meeting building codes.

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Exeter homeowner says he trusted contractor; closing arguments set for Wednesday