Homeowners say fence-builder scammed them for thousands; AG investigating

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office is investigating after several Oklahoma City-area homeowners say they paid a fence company thousands of dollars only for no work to be done and their calls to go unanswered.

Several homeowners told News 4 they hired Chris Papasarantou, owner of Oklahoma City-based Ace Fence Company, to build them new fences, only for him to stop returning their calls.

“So he was actually working on my neighbor's house to build a fence,” Oklahoma City homeowner Trevor Fine said. “And I contacted him to quote me for my fence, and we came to agreement on the price.”

But five months and thousands of dollars later, Fine is still having to make do with his old, patchwork quilt of a fence.

His fence, which he paid to have replaced more than five months ago, is riddled with holes and rotting wood.

Fine hired Oklahoma City-based Ace Fence Company back in August to replace the fence.

He paid owner Chris Papasarantou $3600 as a deposit.  

Fine’s doorbell camera even recorded portions of his initial conversations with Papasarantou.

Papasarantou can be heard in the video promising Fine he’d be back the next Monday with materials to start the work—and that he would be easy to reach for any questions.

“Monday I’ll hit you up when we’re heading over here,” Papasarantou told him. “We do know what we’re doing… I’m real good at communication.”

But Fine says those initial promises couldn’t have been further from what actually would happen.

“So as soon as I paid him, he ghosted us for two weeks,” Fine said. “We didn't have any communication.”

Fine tried calling and texting Papasarantou, getting occasional responses with excuses.

“It was just like one excuse after another,” he said.

Months went by without a single word. Fine eventually filed a small claims lawsuit to get his money back. With his issue in the public record, he started getting messages.

“People have reached out to me on Facebook…and yeah I'm not alone in this,” Fine said. “There's a lot of people that have been worked over by Chris.”

Court records show several other customers, including Fine’s next-door neighbor, have sued or are suing Papasarantou.

News 4 got in touch with few of them. Off-camera, they told News 4 they also paid Papasarantou thousands, only for work to never be done.

News 4 tried calling Papasorantou but got no answer.

News 4 went to the home where Oklahoma County sheriff’s deputies found Papasarantou when they served him with Fine’s lawsuit.

Noone answered the door.

News 4 even tried to find him at the Oklahoma County Courthouse Monday morning, where he was  scheduled to appear as defendant in hearings for two lawsuits, including Fine’s. He didn’t show up to either hearing.

With Papasarantou a no-show, the judge ruled in Fine’s favor.

Now, Fine is just waiting to get his money back.

“I took it for granted,” Fine said. “He was out in my backyard already doing the work. I had no idea that he was just going to take the money and run.”

Fine said he reported Papasarantou to the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office.

The AG’s office confirmed to News 4 they have an active investigation ongoing.