COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The Kaeberle family embarked on a home renovation journey in the spring of 2023, with hopes of transforming their deck into a year-round haven.
Eryn Kaeberle acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, “I knew going in it was a fixer upper.”
Dangers posed by the deck were evident, as Eryn explained, “It was separating from the house and places. The railing on it was extremely weak.”
Other issues awaited repair as well, including an unconnected air conditioning unit.
“The AC unit that was here and was never actually hooked up,” Eryn said.
That concern was later addressed and Eryn felt it was time to begin repairs on the family’s deck so she decided to take out a loan. The family interviewed contractors, receiving bids ranging from $35,000 to $120,000.
“He seemed a little sketchy. So we didn’t take his,” Eryn said about the $35,000 bid.
They ultimately chose Kevin Hewitt of North Idaho Mill Works, believing him to be the ideal candidate. “
We went with a guy named Kevin Hewitt, who owned, North Idaho Millworks and he had a very moderate bid. It was a very well presented, well thought out proposal for the deck,” Eryn said.
The Kaeberles made an initial payment on February 17, 2023, writing a $5,500 check to secure permits and architectural drawings. Their vision included a roof and windows for year-round use.
“By the time that we got the permits finished, we’d given him $35,000,” Eryn said.
However, the project faced delays, and Eryn said Hewitt claimed to be hospitalized.
“We felt bad for him and it sucked. It was probably scary and so we waited,” Eryn said.
With the project stalled, the family says they asked for their money back, but Hewitt insisted he could complete it by the end of the year. Then, on August 6, 2024, they received a message from Hewitt’s account, claiming to be from his fiancée.
“Didn’t give a name, just said, that he had been misdiagnosed and that he was in stage four of pancreatic cancer,” Eryn said.
The message indicated the deck work was no longer feasible.
“We’re so sorry, you know, give us our money back and we’ll get a different contractor,” Eryn said.
The next message was disheartening. The alleged fiancée said she didn’t “care,” because she was about lose the most amazing man.
Eryn, a Navy veteran, faced the reality of repaying a loan with no improvements to show. “I wouldn’t mind paying it and paying the interest on it if I had the deck that we had planned, but we don’t,” Eryn said.
Communication with Hewitt ceased.
“He doesn’t respond to messages. He doesn’t respond to phone calls,” Eryn said.
Our Help Me Team investigated North Idaho Mill Works, finding it was registered in March 2022 and dissolved in May 2024. The company switched ownership between Hewitt and Tyler Smith before Hewitt took full control.
Efforts to contact Hewitt were unsuccessful, but Eryn hired a lawyer to send a demand letter.
“He’s gotten no response. He’s blocked us from any social media access to him,” Eryn said.
The family remains in limbo, unsure of Hewitt’s whereabouts.
“We don’t know. We don’t know if he’s alive or dead, if he’s out there somewhere,” Eryn said.
By sharing their story, the Kaeberles aim to warn others about contractor fraud, hoping to protect their community from similar experiences.
