When you hire a contractor you trust they will do the work, not walk off with your money. In this case, no such luck. A Call 4 Action warning about con artist contractors trying to get your business.

Mark and Michelle Randgaard hired what they thought was a reputable contractor to finish their basement. "I wanted to see justice. I wanted to see the system work," said Mark.

Kenneth Hecker took their down payment but never did the job. "He was supposed to start on June 30th," said Michelle, "but the day came and went." Along with the Randgaard's dream of a basement.

"You think every thing's going to go as planned. There's a huge amount of trust there," said Mark. Hecker asked the Oconomowoc couple for a third of the money up front, claiming it would hold their spot. They gave him more than 26 thousand dollars. Michelle says, "in hindsight I think one of the alarm bells that went off, he asked for a deposit six weeks in advance of when he could start."

The Randgaards did their homework. They found Hecker through an online referral service, which included a background check. They also looked him up on the Wisconsin Court System. Michelle said, "so we thought we had done our due diligence." They also liked him.

Here's what the Randgaard's didn't know. Hecker was having trouble with another client; trouble that could land him behind bars.

Now Hecker's in court in Ozaukee County. He's facing criminal charges for unfinished work on a historical Cedarburg property."

Hecker was in a car accident and says that left him too sick work. In turn, he claims to have spent some of client's down payments on living expenses and then couldn't pay that money back. That's illegal. Hecker is now charged with a felony for one case.

"In this case consumers really did everything right," said Consumer Protection's Elmer Prenzlow. It's now about minimizing the damage. Even if a contractor's background check is clean, make sure sure you have a tight contract. If the contractor can't do the job, cancel the agreement in writing. Then send a certified letter demanding your money back, and always keep track of what you've paid out.

Prenzlow said, "it's the groundwork that has to be laid for a successful suit. To claim that the contractor has not kept their end of the bargain."

Hecker did find a way to pay back the Randgaards. A new contractor is now working on their basement. In Cedarburg another company is now handling the job, as the family waits for their money.

Hecker was charged with a misdemeanor in the Randgaard's case.