Matthew Zawadowski of Hamden has fought for years for the money he says is owed to him. A dispute with a home builder over his plan for a new home has taken up much of his adult life.
Zawadowski, 40, said it's a mystery why the process has taken so long.
"The way I look at it is he took $30,000 of my money and he's had it for over ten years," Zawadowski said.
A younger Zawadowski in 1999 put a deposit down on what he wanted to be his dream home in Wallingford. The construction started. But he said the builder, Ravenswood Company, LLC, was not building it to his specifications.
"I felt like I should be returned on my deposit because, as you could see, there was no trees that were buffering the lot," said Zawadowski as he showed NBC Connecticut the house in question twelve years later.
Zawadowski never moved into the house. The builder later sold the home to someone else for nearly $20,000 more than what Zawadowski agreed to pay.
Instead, Zawadowski entered arbitration with Ravenswood.
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The arbitrator ruled in Zawadowski's favor, saying "the wooded nature of the lot was integral to what Matthew was buying." Several years later, in 2008, a superior court judge confirmed that ruling.
Zawadowski received a $26,000 judgment, after the builder's own expenses were considered.
But winning a judgment doesn't always result in a quick payout. It wasn't until May, 2011 that developer Dean Fiske signed a promissory note agreeing to $50 monthly payments.
"I think it's appalling," Zawadowski said. "I didn't give him his deposit in a $50 increment."
Fiske told NBC Connecticut it was fair to get Matthew something.
Zawadoski will be in his mid-80s by the time he's paid in full.
Fiske said Ravenswood Company, LLC has not built a home in ten years. But during that time, Fiske's other companies have built other homes.
Still, Fiske said the dispute had been worked out. He blamed the mess on a rocky housing market and said he, too, is waiting on judgments others owe him.
Consumers disputing with builders should know there's money available that can help.
"We can help them out up to $30,000 through the Guarantee Fund," said Department of Consumer Protection commissioner Bill Rubenstein.
The Guarantee Fund is paid for by the builders and contractors who are registered with the state. Consumers can only access it if they are dealing with a registered builder or contractor.
But Rubenstein said there is no substitute for a consumer who does their homework.
"Once you determine that a contractor is registered, consumers also need to determine whether or not the contractor is adequately reputable and adequately skilled," Rubenstein said.
Consumers are urged to ask for references and talk to other customers.
Zawadowski was not able to take advantage of the Guarantee Fund. It became active in the months after his dispute with the builder began.
