Business ProfileforGonzales Home Remodeling

On March 30, 2023 ******************************* agreed to rebuild my deck for a total of $7, ******. He had a typed contract. It stated I must pay a $700.00 retainer fee to guarantee I would use only his business for the project. I asked how would I be protected if he failed to do the project. He stated he would refund/return the $700.00. Therefore, I wrote a check for $700.00 and he asked for it to be payable to him instead of business name. I wrote business name on bottom of check, instead and made it payable to him. The start date was agreed April 18, 2023. He stated he would start before that date if the weather permitted, but later stated he would be going out of town the week before April 18, 2023. May 3, 2023 via telephone, he stated he would start the following day on May 4, 2023 and I agreed. I agreed to talk further after finishing errands on May 3, 2023. I called him later that evening of May 3, 2023 in which he stated he would return the call due to being busy, but he did not call. Later the next morning, I realized he had left a voice mail before I called him back, stating he was canceling the appointment. I was disappointed by the voicemail and confused so I contacted him via text. I stated we agreed that we both were ready to start on May 4, 2023. I was actually ready before this date, especially since I had paid him $700.00 retainer fee. He voided the contract by canceling the project and stated he would refund/return the $700.00 retainer fee by cashier's check. It was also texted by him that he would return $700.00 fee on May 4, 2023. We agreed to May 6, 2023 for him to come to my home with the refunded $700.00. He stated he had to cancel, after I contacted him. On May 9, 2023 he agreed to meet my dad and I after 6:00p.m.,at my home to return the money, but he canceled, again, after being contacted. He has not returned the money as of May 11, 2023 and has come up with varying excuses such as he's busy, he can't get to the bank, etc.