Galveston woman claims plumbers skipped out before completing work

GALVESTON - Galveston resident Ofelia Yanez is suing two local plumbers she claimed "vanished" before completing their projects at her business.

According to the lawsuit filed April 25 in Galveston County District Court, Yanez paid Houston resident Juan Gamez, doing business as Correct Plumbing, and Santa Fe local Mitchell Warren each thousands of dollars to perform services at a laundromat and a sandwich shop she owned, but neither finished their work.

Yanez first hired Gamez, with whom she entered two contracts.

According to the suit, the plaintiff made the first of three payments to Gamez in the amount of $9,500 under the agreement for the laundromat and fully paid him $6,000 in connection to the one for the sandwich shop.

Gamez accepted the payments and proceeded to work, but he completed a minimal amount and left, the original petition says.

Yanez then brought in Warren at the cost of $12,400.

Like Gamez before, Warren did little and abandoned the project, the suit states.

Yanez asserts the respondents did not perform the tasks in a good and workmanlike manner and was forced to hire a third plumber.

Consequently, she seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Attorney David Buergler of Galveston is representing the plaintiff.

Galveston County 405th District Court Judge Wayne Mallia is presiding over the case.

Case No. 12-cv-1120