“The last five, six, going on six and a half months — nothing has been done,” Richard told FOX 10 Phoenix. “They’d come in and do little things here and there.”
By the time Holtzman Construction pulled its license and shut its doors, the Finleys had paid $622,000 of the $900,000 contract — with only $135,000 worth of work completed, FOX 10 reports.
The couple’s home sits unfinished, with skylights missing, plastic sheeting over exposed sections, 25% of the wiring done, 25% of the plumbing done and no laundry facilities for more than five months.
The company’s owner, Brandon Holtzman, came to their home on August 19, after the couple emailed concerns, and promised progress. It never came. “Looking back, it feels like we were placated, honestly,” Amanda said. “We were told what we wanted to hear,” Richard added.
Since then, communication has gone silent. FOX 10’s calls to a number associated with Holtzman went to voicemail. An internal company email to employees referenced “the company’s bankruptcy filing and permanent business closure.” A visit to the company’s physical location on Sept. 28 found no one there. And a Moneywise request for comment from the company has not received a response as of publication time.
Subcontractors are also victims
The Finleys aren’t alone. Owners of A&M Electric, a subcontractor that worked on multiple Holtzman jobs, told FOX 10 they’re owed $36,657 across roughly 12 unaccounted jobs.
“It’s of course disheartening that there are people out there that actually do this,” said owners Eric McClay and Sarah Amato.
For a small business, the loss is existential: “We’ve been in business nine years, and for everybody that’s run a small business, that’s a feat by itself. We want to thank the folks that have supported us and our employees, and we hope we’ll be here in the future,” McClay stated.
FOX 10 found data from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (RoC) shows more than 150 complaints filed against Holtzman companies since 2010, with 45 filed since 2024 against Holtzman Construction alone. As of September 29, the RoC’s website lists both Holtzman Construction and Remodeling as inactive.
A statement from Joel Sannes of Udall Shumway, a bankruptcy attorney, described the situation as the result of “a unique and unexpected challenge to their business” and said the company is “exploring all options to respond.” The state attorney general’s office declined to confirm to FOX 10 whether Holtzman is under investigation.
