North Idaho contractor to pay restitution, but victims still upset

A former North Idaho contractor accused of bilking his customers out of tens of thousands of dollars agreed Tuesday to pay $116,000 in restitution as part of a plea agreement.

But the proposed payback schedule – a minimum of $100 per month – left victims angry. At that rate, it would take Myck T. Beard more than 1,000 years to pay off his debts, former customers said.

“Myck Beard knows full well he is making a mockery of the court, as he made a mockery of his victims in Kootenai County,” said Paige Lewis of Athol, who hired Beard in 2006 to build a home addition and patio on her property, but got stuck with liens from unpaid subcontractors.

Beard entered an Alford plea to a grand theft charge in Idaho’s 1st District Court, admitting no guilt but acknowledging that he could have been found guilty based on evidence presented in court. He declined to comment after the court appearance.

Beard ran Lake City Homebuilders before he filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and moved to Nevada. His clients said Beard took their money right up until he filed for bankruptcy but failed to finish the remodeling projects or pay subcontractors. Like Lewis, other customers ended up paying tens of thousands of dollars to remove liens that subcontractors filed against their property.

Beard’s former customers said the story of Lake City Builders is a cautionary tale for anyone who hires a contractor. In Idaho, contractors aren’t required to post performance bonds, which act as insurance if a contractor defaults on a project. As a result, homeowners have little recourse when their builder runs into financial trouble.

Lewis said she ultimately paid out $136,000 for a project that was supposed to cost $42,500.

“I had to refinance my house and deplete my savings,” she said. “I live on a fixed income and there are not enough years left in my life to recoup the loss.”

Dan Davis of Coeur d’Alene hired Beard to install a new driveway at his home and do interior remodeling. He said he paid Beard $10,000 upfront and another $10,000 advance after the driveway was poured. Beard didn’t do the interior remodeling, and the unpaid concrete contractor later filed an $8,000 lien against his house, said Davis, who doesn’t expect to get more than a “pittance” in restitution money.