MAHONING VALLEY Inspector files charge against contractor

The contractor says he'll fight the charge in court.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Youngstown plumbing and home improvement contractor is charged with failing to comply with an order of the city's chief building inspector.
Christopher Taneyhill, the inspector, filed the charge Monday in municipal court against James Durkin, doing business as Better Plumbers & amp; Home Improvement, Canfield Road, Youngstown. If convicted, he could face a fine of up to $1,000 a day and up to five days in jail per violation.
Durkin denied the charge, saying the situation stems from his felony conviction for cocaine possession from a few years ago. He plans to plead innocent when he appears in court.
"I've done everything that the city of Warren, the state of Ohio has asked me to do," Durkin said.
He called it discrimination, saying he obtained a plumber's license from the state that was then revoked because of his conviction.
Durkin was contracted in October 2003 to build a double garage for Brad and Mary Black of Vine Avenue Northeast.
The couple paid $22,500 of the $30,000 cost of the work up front.
The building permit was issued in April and was to expire later this month.
Inspector's order
In June, Taneyhill ordered the company not to do any other work in the city until the Vine Avenue job was completed and approved.
In August, Taneyhill sent a letter to Durkin saying that his contractor's registration has been revoked because the Vine Avenue work wasn't completed and there had been many complaints from the owners about workmanship. The building permit also was revoked and Durkin was ordered to return the money to the Blacks.
Taneyhill said the Better Business Bureau has received several complaints against the company.
Last month, Taneyhill filed a police report saying that the company was working on a Marwood Street house without the required permit.
Durkin said he tried to obtain a building permit from the city several times before one was granted.
"It's all this red tape, red tape, red tape," Durkin said.
He said he wasn't doing the work at the Marwood home.
"A crew went out there," he said. "I didn't authorize it."
He acknowledged a problem with the concrete for the garage but says he fixed it.
"Everything he [Taneyhill] says I didn't do, I did," Durkin said.
denise_dick@vindy.com