State Moves to Revoke Licenses of 3 Who Built Troubled Condo Project

Officials of the state Department of Consumer Affairs said Friday that they are moving to revoke the licenses of three contractors accused of building an Agoura Hills condominium project on improperly shallow foundations.

An investigation completed this week indicated that contractors Terry Dillman, Greg Kathol and Bill Krall “deviated from the approved plans” when they built the 27-unit Westlake Villas town house project about 2 1/2 years ago, according to Warren A. Drayton, senior deputy with the department’s Contractors’ State License Board.

Drayton said spot checks of wall-supporting foundations at the condominiums found some to be only 17 inches deep instead of 24 inches as specified by blueprints. The inadequate foundations contributed to the buckling and cracking of walls, he said.

30 Days to Reply

The three builders will have 30 days to respond to the charges before a hearing is scheduled by an administrative law judge, Drayton said.

If the contractors’ licenses are revoked, they will be prohibited from obtaining new licenses until they pay the cost of foundation repairs at the Colodny Drive development, Drayton said. He estimated the cost of the work at $150,000.

The contractors could appeal any license-revocation order in Superior Court, he said.

Dillman and Kathol are San Diego-area residents. Krall is a Pasadena contractor, state officials said. The contractors have denied that their work was responsible for problems at the Agoura Hills complex.