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CSLB Press Release - 09/06/2006

Search Warrant Served at Sacramento Pool Company

Contractors State License Board seizes computers and business records from Aquarius


SACRAMENTO — A Search warrant was served today at Aquarius/Imperial Pools, 5280 Bradshaw Road, Sacramento (License #267176) as part of an ongoing investigation by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). 50 boxes of business records since January 2004, 15 computers and two computers servers were seized. Warrants were also served on Aquarius's bank (Bank of America, Folsom) to obtain financial records for the past two years. The CSLB has received complaints and inquiries from 50-60 homeowners who may have unfinished or faulty pool projects from Aquarius in Sacramento, Yolo, and El Dorado Counties.

The latest details in the case are:

  • Aquarius license #267176 expired on 8-31-06, so they are not authorized to do any construction;
  • Owners Richard Carnation & Kevin Towle made it apparent to CSLB investigators at a meeting on September 5 that they are not going to complete the projects they contracted for. They said they may assist consumers in identifying other contractors to finish the jobs, but the homeowners would be on their own to get the work done;
  • By not finishing the pools, the CSLB believes Aquarius is "abandoning" the projects;
  • The CSLB's investigation is ongoing. At this point investigators are trying to determine what happened to more than one million dollars homeowners paid to Aquarius for subcontractors and material suppliers, but never paid to them.

Other facts in the case:

  • Value of contracts effected - more than $1.3 million;
  • Number of subcontractors who have outstanding invoices: 13;
  • Number of Unfinished pools: 30
  • An industry group, the California Spa and Pool Industry Education Council http://www.calspec.org/, is working to build a coalition of other pool builders to step in and finish the Aquarius projects at cost, with no profit.

Homeowners who have a contract with Aquarius/Imperial Pools (License #267176), or who have had problems with the company and need help should contact Shelly Beard at (916) 255-4469. The CSLB advises homeowners to carefully check-out any pool company that is offering to complete their project.

The Contractors State License Board operates under the umbrella of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The CSLB licenses and regulates 302,000 contractors, and investigates more than 20,000 complaints annually. In fiscal year 2004-05, the CSLB helped consumers get more than $36 million in restitution.