The House That Shouldn’t Have Been Demolished

Mikki Paradis and co-host Jessica Abreu introduce the Chicks in Construction podcast, explaining their mission to help homeowners understand what’s normal, spot red flags, and avoid contractor scams by sharing “Homeowner Horror Stories” submitted at chicksinconstruction.com. They discuss how construction failures often come from chained mistakes and share a shocking Atlanta, Georgia incident where a private demolition crew tore down the wrong inherited family home while the owner was on vacation, then left; the City of Atlanta issued a correction notice requiring the owner to clean up rubble and warning of fines despite the work being unpermitted and unauthorized. They note similar Atlanta cases, compare homeowner protections across states, and invite listeners to submit stories and follow the show on social media.

00:00 Cold Open Banter

00:20 Podcast Mission

03:14 Submitting Horror Stories

05:16 Cups Hydration Heat

05:54 NC Weather Whiplash

07:44 Running Zombies Alaska

12:51 Neighborhood Demo Problem

15:40 Why Trees Matter

16:33 House Shouldnt Demolish

18:13 Wrong House Shock

19:51 How Crews Miss Addresses

21:02 Drywall Wrong House Story

23:16 Safeguards That Failed

23:48 Irreplaceable Memories Lost

25:59 Contractor City Fallout

29:04 Atlanta Pattern Of Demos

35:13 Homeowner Protections Gap

39:22 Share Your Story Outro

Creators and Guests

Host

Jessica Abreu

As a social media expert, Jessica has a knack for identifying what makes each business unique and translating that into powerful, engaging content that resonates with clients and customers. From crafting tailored strategies and managing accounts to recording on-site content and boosting engagement, Jessica and her team handle it all so their clients can focus on what they do best.

Host

Mikki Paradis

President & CEO at PDI Drywall Inc. Mikki founded her first construction company, PDI Drywall Inc, in 2005 while she was still a student at NC State. After growing PDI into a multimillion dollar company, she has become an accomplished entrepreneur, speaker, and advocate for innovation in business and leadership. With a passion for empowering others, she has built a reputation as a forward-thinking professional dedicated to driving growth and fostering meaningful connections. Known for her dynamic energy and ability to inspire, Mikki is deeply committed to creating positive change in her industry and beyond. Whether through her entrepreneurial ventures or speaking engagements, she consistently challenges the status quo and encourages others to reach their full potential.

What is Chicks in Construction?

You plan your renovation with excitement, trust your contractor, and hope for the best...until things start going sideways. That’s when most homeowners realize they didn’t know what they didn’t know.

From permits that were never pulled to “contractors” who ghost after demo day, the construction world can feel like a maze of hidden costs and shady shortcuts. Too many homeowners end up confused, overwhelmed, and out of a lot of money.

The Chicks in Construction Podcast is here to change that. Hosted by Mikki Paradis, a licensed general contractor with 20+ years of experience, and Jess Abreu, a homeowner turned construction content creator, this show breaks down real renovation horror stories and teaches you how to protect your time, money, and home.

After building a multimillion-dollar drywall business and helping countless homeowners recover from construction nightmares, Mikki is on a mission to make sure you go into your next project informed, not blindsided. And Jess brings the perspective of someone who’s been in your shoes and now knows exactly what questions to ask.

Submit Your Construction Horror Story: https://chicksinconstruction.com/

52 - Chicks in Construction
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Mikki: [00:00:00] Everything inside, every memory, every photograph, every piece of family history was destroyed with it.

I immediately thought- If you demolished my house and my dogs were in it, I'm l- I'm going Old Testament. I am wiping out your entire bloodline. Like, I don't even care if it was an accident. All of a suddenly, there's no more whatever your last name is. Like, if you demolish my house and you hurt my dogs, I am coming for you Old Testament style. Mm-hmm. Well, hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Chicks in Construction. I'm your host, Mickey Paradise, and this is my amazing co-host.

Jessica: Hi, I'm Jessica Apru.

Mikki: And listen, our podcast is here for you, the homeowner, to learn about the shenanigans- Mm-hmm

that contractors be contracting. We want you guys to know what is normal and what is not normal. I have been in construction for 21 years this year. Yes. And that's not counting my years of [00:01:00] internship. Mm-hmm. That's just, like, since I've owned my own business. And one of the things that really s- started to kind of wear me down, which led to me getting my general contractor's license, was the amount of people that get scammed- Mm-hmm

and have these really horrible experiences with contractors. And part of that is because nobody's talking about these scams. So we started a podcast just as a way to, like, educate people. We just wanted people to know, like, "Hey, th- this is not normal." Because it's one of those things where it's like you don't know what you don't know- Right

until somebody tells you, like, "Oh, that's not normal." Or you don't know what you don't know until you get screwed over by a contractor and now, you know, you're out $250,000 and you're not getting that back. Nope. So we kind of just thought, like, "Hey, let's, let's just talk about it." People can write in, share their stories with us.

We can read those stories to share it with other, other potential homeowners so that they can avoid having the same experience. What we didn't know is [00:02:00] that literally this is the on- podcast one of one. Like, there is no other podcast out there- Mm-hmm ... that is sharing these, this information, that is sharing these stories, that is kind of putting this information out there, which I'm not gonna lie to you, I probably should have, I probably should have done that research.

But I just thought it was a great idea. Yeah. And like, hey, let's help homeowners avoid getting scammed. Because after 21 plus years in construction, the amount of stories that I have heard- Mm-hmm ... from friends and family or just, like, strangers on the street, when they find out that you're in construction, they're like, "You're never gonna believe this story."

And I'm like, "I bet I will." "I bet it was Chuck in his truck, wasn't it? It was Chuck, wasn't it?" I was t- s- telling Joe last time that, we were s- we were saying something about Chuck in a truck and I was like, "Ironically, I don't know a single Chuck." I summonsed the universe to present- To bring you ... me with a Chuck.

You met a Chuck? And he's actually a delight. He is not Chuck in

Jessica: a truck?

Mikki: He's, he's not the Chuck in a truck. [00:03:00] He's just a Chuck. And he's really, he's an insurance guy and he's- Yeah ... really nice. And he's, like, he was like, "Oh, I watched your podcast." And I was like, "Tell me more." But not all Chucks are apparently Chucks in trucks.

But we want you guys to know- What is a normal ask from a contractor and what isn't? And what are red flags, and what are things that should get the spidey senses going? Mm-hmm. Because we don't want you to have these same stories. No. Now, if you do have a story, we collect what we call Homeowner Horror Stories, which is just, you write in.

You go to our website at chicksinconstruction.com, and you write in about what happened, the experience you had. The more detail, the better. Um, we've been... Thank you guys all for writing in, the ones who have. Um, but if I could give you a little instruction, the more details, the better. Like, we really wanna know about what they're, what the kind of deposit they were asking.

We wanna know, did you have a contract? Mm-hmm. If you did, what was in it? Did you check on their insurance? Like, that [00:04:00] stuff is really helpful because it kinda helps us put the pieces together- Yes ... when we're sharing the stories with other people. But we love a good Homeowner Horror Story. Not like love it, we just, we love to share it with other people so we can hopefully impact other people not having the same experience.

I'm not gonna lie to you either, I do love the tea. I- Mm. When, when we get a Homeowner Horror Story and it's super juicy, it's like getting a little good, it's a little good little bit of gossip. You're just like- Yeah ... "Mm." It's like you're at the salon. You're hearing all the tea. I'm here for it. I'm here for it.

I also enjoy the idea of airing out someone's dirty laundry. Okay? I am a vengeful, vengeful woman. I am... Yeah, I'm just, it's biblical. So if somebody has messed you over, just done, done you dirty, I wanna tell your story. Well, Jess is probably gonna tell it. We're, or sometimes we tell it together. But Homeowner Horror Stories, Jess mostly reads and then I react.[00:05:00]

I wanna react for you. I wanna be ridiculous and extra and all the things. I wanna just like, it's like therapy. So listen, if you need that kind of therapy, we're here for you, okay? Just go to chicksinconstruction.com. Share your story, and we will read it out loud so that you feel vindicated in some small way.

You know, it's therapy in a sense. It is. It's great. Not a doctor. So, um, yes, that is the point of the podcast. Also, I've got my Chicks in Construction cup. Yeah, me too. Um, 'cause I, I remembered to bring it this time, but I did realize that my sipping interrupts the podcast.

Jessica: You have to sip while you're not speaking

Mikki: I, apparently.

But listen, when I be talking- ... she gets dry, so it creates a problem. The la- the last podcast that I watched, I watch all of our podcasts, I w- it was the first day we had the cups, and I was like, "Oh, I'm, I'm not doing my best with that cup." So I'm trying to be more s-

Jessica: You just

Mikki: keep drinking ... strategic in [00:06:00] my, my sips.

But listen, guys, stay hydrated, 'cause it's hotter than hell outside.

Jessica: Mm. Yeah.

Mikki: We're in North Carolina. I don't know where you're at. Um, but North Carolina currently feels like the surface of the sun. Which is real interesting, because we went through a drought for, like, ever. So we were in, like, a... We, we don't normally have spring droughts.

Mm. I know you don't know this much about North Carolina weather, 'cause Jessie- Nope ... is from up north. But North Carolina doesn't really have spring droughts. North Carolina, the, the May flowers bring something- No, April showers bring May ... April showers bring May flowers. Mm-hmm. Whatever it is. Feel like that was invented in the South, in, in North Carolina.

We be, we, it's, it's moist, if you will, in the spring. This spring? Dry as a bone. Dry as a, as a deserted creek bed. Mm-hmm. It was, we literally were on uh, water restrictions. Yeah Like, you could only water your grass, which listen, I'm not doing that any day of the week. But on like, depending on your address being even or odd, there were certain days where you could like water your grass or wash your car.

And I don't do any of that, so I was [00:07:00] fine with it. But the, it was dry. Then we get the, the Mother Nature be coming for us.

Jessica: Mm-hmm.

Mikki: She's like, "Oh, you're complaining about it being dry? Hold on a second. Hold on a second."

Jessica: Hold my beer.

Mikki: Hold my beer. Let me give you all the moisture that you haven't had for the past couple of months in one week.

So when you go outside, you could eat the air. Like it is

Jessica: so- It is so humid ...

Mikki: she's sick. It is so humid. We got a ton of rain, which is great, 'cause we needed it. But my God, today it is humid. Yeah. Like, my sweat stash, oh, she is on fire today, and this whole week. Like, every time I walk outside, it's just like sweat right here.

It's such a sexy look. I'm like, "Look at me. I'm, I'm glistening, just right here." Why, why above my lip is the sweatiest part? I don't know. Listen- That's so weird ... is that too much information? Yes, it is. But did I do it? I did. You

Jessica: did. I also

Mikki: did.

Jessica: Yeah. I went there. I tried to go running this week, and that was a mistake.

Mikki: Oh, my God. Jess, [00:08:00] y'all, Jess is wild. It was like- Mm ... like heat advisory hot, and what's Jess doing? Running. She's like Forrest Gump. Running. "I be running."

Jessica: I didn't even look to see what it was. I got... In my house, I was cold. I was in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, because- You're like, "It's great to run

Mikki: outside"

Jessica: it's the freaking Arctic. And- Arctic. And I looked outside, and it was in between rainstorms, so I was like, "Okay, perfect." Yeah. A little sun coming out- But- ... but it's still a little cloudy.

Mikki: Yeah,

Jessica: yeah. So I threw on my running gear, and I went outside, and I started running. And I was like, "This was a mistake."

Mikki: Just the running was a mistake.

Jessica: Well.

Mikki: Jess loves to run, though. She's, she's... Listen, when the zombies come, Jess is gonna be ready. What, I'm gonna immediately get my brain eaten.

Jessica: Yeah.

Mikki: Immediately.

Jessica: Well, like, maybe not, because you just have to not be the slowest.

Mikki: Oh, that's true.

Jessica: So as long as you can get in front of somebody- Yeah, yeah

slower than you.

Mikki: And listen, I'm evil. I will throw somebody- ... in front of a zombie to save my own life. I'm not [00:09:00] gonna lie.

Jessica: Yeah.

Mikki: I mean, it's never happened yet.

Jessica: But-

Mikki: Knocking on wood. There's still time. But yes, it is,

Jessica: it is quite, quite

Mikki: hot outside. Yeah. It's

Jessica: disgusting.

Mikki: Um, my best friends, they went to Alaska last week, and said that it was freaking freezing.

But it was probably Alaska hot, but it was, for them, very cold- Mm-hmm ... 'cause they came from here, from the South. Um, I learned about something. This is tied to zombies. There's something called zombie fire Right, this is what they told me.

Jessica: Okay.

Mikki: Apparently, w- if, if a fire gets caught in between the permafrost- Yeah

which, listen, I don't know enough about that, it will just hang out there.

Jessica: Mm-hmm, until it fr- And at- Defrosts ...

Mikki: as it defrosts, it will pop up in other places. So you could have a fire here, and it goes under the permafrost, and it's like, "Oh, I'm just a little fire in the permafrost." And it will spread until, to, to a place that is [00:10:00] defrosted and just pop up, fire.

L- I can't. No. Absolutely not. I, there's too much happening in Alaska. There's too much happening in Alaska. There's bears. There's moose. There's apparently aliens. Now we got zombie fires. I can't. I cannot. There's also snow and very cold. No. This, this is not, it's not for me. Like- No ... oh, and then the entire time they were there, the sun never went down.

So they were, like, all messed up. Like, their circadian rhythm or whatever- Oh ... the sleepy time rhythm- Yeah, yeah ... was jacked because, like, the sun never went down. So they, they had sent us a picture, and for them it was, like, 11:00 PM, and it w- looked like it was 3:00 sun. And I was like, "No. Also, no." No. No. That you have to be a different kind of human- To deal with that

to be like, "Yeah, this is what I want." 'Cause, like, also, apparently, these are things, like, TV's taught me, but they've reinforced it, [00:11:00] wintertime, sun doesn't come up. It's just dark the-

Jessica: Yes,

Mikki: I knew that. That's... No. Also, no.

Jessica: Mm-hmm.

Mikki: No.

Jessica: Not the whole t- n- not in the entire state of Alaska. There are just certain areas where-

Mikki: Okay, it's worse than others?

Jessica: Yes, because the-

Mikki: Oh, yeah ...

Jessica: sun tilts She was a science

Mikki: teacher.

Jessica: I used to be a science

Mikki: teacher.

Jessica: She knows shit. And so in summer, it's not necessarily that we're closer or further from the sun, it's the way that the Earth tilts. So it just tilts back so that this part of Alaska here isn't getting that sun.

Mikki: Rude.

Jessica: But this part of Alaska's getting it all.

Mikki: I'm just, I'm just saying, the Earth and its tilt is just disrespectful. Yeah,

Jessica: so. That's

Mikki: all.

Jessica: It's just, it's rude.

Mikki: Mm-hmm. And I'm not... It's, when they were telling me the stories, I was like, "Absolutely not."

Jessica: Like, I would love to go visit somewhere, not for, like, an extended period of time, but just, like, for a day.

Wouldn't it be cool to be up, just, like, and just not- If- ... have any darkness ...

Mikki: if I could teleport and I didn't have to take a 22-hour flight situation- Mm-hmm ... maybe [00:12:00] I'd check it out for a day if I could just be like, you know, like the genie thing, like she's like this, like, "Me." It

Jessica: took 22 hours to get there?

Mikki: Yes.

Jessica: 22 hours, I'm going to Australia.

Mikki: 100%.

Jessica: Not going to Alaska.

Mikki: Japan, Bali, like, name it. It's not Alaska. And to be fair, I think it was, like, their flight sit- I don't know what the d- if you were, like, taking one or two flights, but they had to take four flights. Absolutely not. Absolutely... If I'm taking four flights, I better be getting off in a place- Like, maybe a different country

where the seashells are sea-shelling. And that was so funny. So, like, they went to Fairbanks, and I was like, "Oh, there's a bay there." I was like, "Did you see any seashells?" And she was like, "No, Mickie, there's not seashells." I was like, "Well, I'm never going there." It's too

Jessica: cold there for seashells.

Mikki: Listen, I, I'll seashell.

I'll shell no matter the temp. I'll do it. I'm here for a seashell, but if there's no seashells, I'm not going. So I'm gonna say 22 hours, I better, it better be Bora Bora when I get off that flight.

Jessica: [00:13:00] Right. Yeah, I'm not doing

Mikki: that. So yeah, no. So listen, guys, we have a, we have a story for you today that, uh, I'm not gonna lie to your beautiful faces- It's a little horrific

is horrific, and, and mostly because I live in a neighborhood where they keep demolishing the houses. So, like, right hand to God, last week, I went on a tangent, a tangent on the socials, not the ones you guys can see. It was my private socials because, listen, I'm not for everybody. Jess is like, "It's true.

She's not. She's really not," and that's fair Um, because w- I live in this, I live in a nice established neighborhood. Like it, it's nothing fancy. Well, it wasn't when I bought it. Um, it

Jessica: just- It's an adorable It, it- It's a regular working class- Yeah,

Mikki: regular working class neighborhood. Mm-hmm. Just where like, where regular people live.

I don't know. Mm-hmm. But the lots are big. So like my lot is over a half acre, and it's a pretty desired, d- desirable area. Mm-hmm. And it doesn't have, and this is the key, it doesn't have an HOA [00:14:00] Because it doesn't have an HOA, a builder can come in, buy the house, demolish it, clear- cut the lot, clear-cut it, take all the trees down, and build two or three of these McMansions.

And then all of a suddenly I don't live in a working class neighborhood anymore. All my neighbors are millionaires. And I'm not saying all millionaires are assholes, but I am gonna say that they're a little out of touch. Like I had this one neighbor, and listen, she was not a rude person. She was not a bad neighbor.

She wasn't a horrible person. But was she out of touch? Absolutely. She comes up to me one day and she says, "You know, Mickey, if you just spent like 30 or $40,000 on your yard it would be gorgeous."

Jessica: 30 or 40,000. That's all?

Mikki: That- Some

Jessica: little pocket change ...

Mikki: just a mere 30 or $40,000.

Jessica: Be like, "I have four dogs, ma'am."

Mikki: I looked at her and I was like, "Nina, with all due respect, if I had 30 or $40,000 [00:15:00] the literal last thing I'm spending that money on is my yard so you have something nicer to look at." Mm. Like 0%. No. It is about values, and what do I value? Vacation. Mm-hmm. Not my yard. If I had that kind of money to burn-

Jessica: I'm out

Mikki: uh, Bora Bora is where- ... I would get off. I'd be, I'd be in one of them huts over the water with the glass floor just laying, looking at the fish for three weeks because I could afford that with $40,000. It would never be put into my yard.

Jessica: I can't even. I don't understand the fascination with yards.

Mikki: I, you know-

Jessica: I just, I don't have that gene.

I don't-

Mikki: Yeah, I don't

Jessica: either ... I don't care if it's- 0% ... the grass is green.

Mikki: No. I bought my house specifically because it was 99% trees. Mm-hmm. So, like, when we, when we were s- house shopping and we pulled into that lot, [00:16:00] I didn't even need to go inside. I was like, "Call the realtor. We're making an offer." Didn't need to see the inside of the house.

Why? 'Cause I knew I could change the inside of the house. Mm-hmm. The outside was perfect. There was two patches of grass that needed to be mowed. I was like, "It's a chef's kiss." I also love trees. Mm-hmm. So, like, the more trees, the better. They keep our house cooler in the summertime, and they help our house get more sun in the wintertime.

Now, I, listen, yeah, has a tree or two fallen and caused a lot of problems? Sure it has. But also, my electricity bill's a lot lower. So, I don't know. Listen, I like trees. I also, I like to breathe. There's also that.

Jessica: Mm.

Mikki: So, I'm just saying. I'm just saying. So, with that said, I live in this neighborhood- Where now they're building all these mini mansions, and two we- a week ago, the builders have bought f- four or five houses-

in our neighborhood.

Jessica: Four or five?

Mikki: And they are just demolishing [00:17:00] them. And so what's, what's, I learned this, they demolish them really quickly and will just leave the lot empty because they, if the house is there, they have to pay property taxes on it.

Jessica: Right.

Mikki: So they buy the house, and it just gets demoed.

And these aren't good houses. Like, they're not shacks. Yeah. They're not trash.

Jessica: And they were built before they used toothpicks and splinters-

Mikki: Exactly ... to make a

Jessica: house.

Mikki: The framing alone in this house is like, it, the, it's qual- it's framing that you can't get anymore. No. Like, they don't dry lumber out the way they used to.

So I was driving, I think I was going to the gym- Mm ... which is a very rare occasion for me, um, and I noticed this house. They had... It was just com- it had been completely demolished. Like, they're not trying to save anything. They're not trying to, like, have somebody come and take out the windows or have s- Like, they're just filling the landfills.

Ugh. So the idea of houses being demolished in any setting is, uh, I'm not gonna lie, wildly triggering.

Jessica: Mm.

Mikki: And this one, this one, [00:18:00] the epis- the title of this episode is The House That Shouldn't Have Been Demolished.

Jessica: Shouldn't. Should- Should not ...

Mikki: just sit with that. And that, literally I'm reading this going, what?

Jessica: They need to put up a sign in front of

Mikki: your- Like, if you demolish my house- "Do not demolish" ... I'm coming for your whole family. Like, I just can't even imagine. Mm-mm. I cannot even imagine just coming home and, like, your house is just not there anymore. It's gone. Which sadly is exactly what happened. This is the wrong house demolition disaster.

So imagine pulling up to your family home and realizing it's gone, not damaged, not vandalized, literally gone, reduced to rubble because a contractor demolished the wrong house. I, this is so real to me. Like, it's living in my chest. Everything inside, every memory, every photograph, every piece of family [00:19:00] history was destroyed with it.

I immediately thought- If you demolished my house and my dogs were in it, I'm l- I'm going Old Testament. I am wiping out your entire bloodline. Like, I don't even care if it was an accident. All of a suddenly, there's no more whatever your last name is. Like, if you demolish my house and you hurt my dogs, I am coming for you Old Testament style.

Mm-hmm. Eye for an eye style. So I'm just, y'all been warned. Don't come for my house. Do

Jessica: not demolish Mickey's house.

Mikki: Not with my babies in it. I mean, not ever, but also- No ... not with my babies in it.

Jessica: So today's story honestly feels unbelievable. It does. Because this isn't fraud- Ah ... in the traditional sense.

This is a catastrophic negligence.

Mikki: I literally am just like, what? I think

Jessica: I understand how this happened.

Mikki: This is real? Like, so- I don't even know ... this happened in Atlanta, Georgia. Mm. Which I literally, I'm like, what are we doing?

Jessica: Ugh, I was just there.

Mikki: Oh, were you? Oh yeah, you were.

Jessica: Yeah, not long ago.

Mikki: She sh- she loves, she w- she [00:20:00] loves going on little trips.

It's, and take her little family. So the homeowner, um, inherited this property from family. The house wasn't, uh, just real estate, it was history. It was full of memories and connections to loved ones. And then one day, a demolition, demolition crew arrived at the wrong address. According to reports, the crew began tearing down the home without verifying critical details, like the address.

Like, this isn't how Amazon actually deli- acc- accidentally delivered your package to your neighbor's house. The demolition crew did not verify their address, which

Jessica: I- Was it, like, next door?

Mikki: We haven't gotten to that. Interesting. I'm not sure yet. Yeah. But let me just, like, like, I cannot even... Part of why this is, like, so real for me is, like, this is con- construction people are, the details and the devil, they don't care where the devil is.

If it's in the details or not, they don't care. They're not paying attention. [00:21:00] Mm. So like, could I 100% see my guys demolishing the wrong house? Yes. Thank God we don't do that, because I could 100, I had, this is a true story. I had, my hangers hung the drywall in the wrong house once. So we were doing a house for Habitat.

Um, and there was like a couple houses on the h- on the street that were, um, like in drywall phase.

Jessica: Okay.

Mikki: And I g- I get a call from some builder I don't work for, and he's like, "Hey, um, I don't know if you're giving me a gift, but your drywall hangers just came and, and hung the drywall in my house." I was like, "Come again?"

That's

Jessica: when we were- Like, can you just go do the one- Yeah ... two doors down? That's like- Because that way we're, then we're even Stevens. That's

Mikki: exactly what happened. Did it? Yes. [00:22:00] I love it. I was like, "Can you just have your crew..." And they were like the same layout and everything. I was like, "Can you just have your crew go hang my house and we'll call it even?"

Jessica: It's for Habitat for Humanity, neighbor. Please do us a solid. Did you mer- I would, like, did you like- Oh my God ... lose your mind? I can only imagine that vein be popping.

Mikki: Oh, it was 100%. I'm surprised that there's not a hole in my forehead from it. I was like, "What are you doing here?" And so I call my hangar, and like, this hangar was the first hangar I'd ever worked with like...

He'd worked for me forever. His name was Caesar. I was like, "Caesar," and he goes, "What do you want from me? There was drywall in it." I was like, "I want you to check the address." And to be fair, especially in a, like, a new construction home-

Jessica: It's not, addresses on them ...

Mikki: they don't necessarily have the address on there yet.

Mm-hmm. 'Cause like, it depends on, like, what process the paint is in. So if the exterior hasn't been painted and they don't have the addresses, you have to look at the permit box. So it's not surprising to me at all. They're t- they can't be bothered to [00:23:00] look at the permitting box. If you tell them-

Jessica: Their GPS said, "Here you are.

You're here."

Mikki: Yeah, GPS said, "And there's drywall that hasn't been hung. Obviously, this is where we belong." And I was like, oh my God, like, this... So when I tell you that this could really happen th- in real life as it did in the story- Oh ... but like it could happen to anybody- Mm ... I'm not, I'm not kidding you. So,

Jessica: I can't. I-

Mikki: It's not. So the question that everybody asked is, "How does this even happen?" Because demolition isn't supposed to happen casually. They're supposed to do permits, uh, verification processes, address c- confirmations, utility coordination, and somehow those safeguards failed. So like, imagine they're just tearing into a house that has full power, like

Jessica: Yeah, like, and what- How

Mikki: no one got wildly electrocuted

Jessica: they get electrocuted or a fire started or a flood-

Mikki: It's beyond me ... '

Jessica: cause

Mikki: like the water. Yes. Like, I just literally can't. Oh my God. [00:24:00] So the homeowner reportedly lost personal belongings, sentimental family items, and irreplaceable memories, and emotionally, that's the part that money can't fix.

Jessica: Yeah, 'cause you can rebuild a home, but like, all the family memories that are in there and, like, I make, I mean, I make photo books-

Mikki: Oh, yeah

Jessica: of every single

Mikki: trip. Jess, Jess moms hard. Like, she moms hard.

Jessica: And like, if, if there was a fire, I 100%, after my kids are safe-

Mikki: Yeah.

Jessica: Af- after the babies are safe ... after the babies are safe, and my husband.

Mikki: Was he on the shit list lately? I'm just saying- Yeah ... Brad, you better watch yourself.

Jessica: He's fine. He'd be, he'll be out there first anyway with the kids.

Um, I'm going to get-

Mikki: He'll be like, "Jess, get the photo books. I got the kids."

Jessica: Yeah. Yeah. 'Cause I'm going to take those, 'cause those have all of our- Yeah ... our memories. And like, I don't really have other- Heirlooms. Yeah. But I know that there are families that have so many- Oh, yeah ... heirlooms that they-

Mikki: Yeah

Jessica: keep. We were poor, [00:25:00] so.

Mikki: Well, like, I have things. Like, I'm not super sentimental about, like, f- I do have some photo books. Like, I, I discovered one the other day about my mastiff Daisy, who was honestly the best dog. Bless you.

Jessica: Thank you.

Mikki: Daisy was the best dog ever, and I was, like, cleaning something out and I came across a photo album I made of her.

Oh. And I was like, "Daisy." Same. But I have... So my older sister passed away when I was 14, and I have... That was a, a million years ago. So, like, as you get old, get older and, like, time goes by and you move different places, like, you lose things, I have this little box of, like, stuff for my sis- for my sister. Yeah.

And, like, if that stuff was destroyed, I don't, like, you literally cannot replace that. She is gone. Mm-hmm. So it's, like, I could really see how devastating this would be, um, not just on the fact that, like, all of your belongings are gone, but, like, things that c- are truly irreplaceable, and just what are you, you just have to live without them now.

Like, there's [00:26:00] just no way to get them back. Yeah. So it's like th- this is alarming on a lot of levels, partially because, like, I, honestly, I feel like it could happen more than it does. So what was the contractor's response? So after the mistake became public, questions exploded. Who approved the demolition?

What was, what, was the permit wrong? Did the crew verify the address? Did anybody double-check the property?

Jessica: Um, 100% no. Yeah.

Mikki: It seems like the answer- I'm gonna go with no ... to that is no to all of those. Probably

Jessica: not.

Mikki: But that's where the story becomes incredibly important for homeowners. Um, and this is where, like, failures stack up.

Mm-hmm. So construction disasters usually aren't one mistake, which we have talked about many times. It's a chain of failures. Someone assumes someone else checked. You know, just like my hanger assumed because there was drywall that hadn't been hunged. Mm-hmm. Okay. Hunged. [00:27:00] Hung. Okay, this means this is the house that I'm supposed to be at.

Not necessarily. Someone assumes somebody else checked, someone skips verification, someone rushes, and suddenly a family home is gone forever. Like, I can't even imagine. I don't, it's hard to say, like, red flags. What are the red flags? You didn't hire anybody to tear your house down.

Jessica: So, yeah, so, like, I, where, where was this story from?

Atlanta? So it was

Mikki: from, it was in Atlanta, Georgia.

Yeah. To be perfectly honest, I have been slacking on my research a little bit. I have been doing so much stuff for work that it has been harder to, like, do the in-depth, um, research, so Jess is gonna jump on that really quick.

But I don't, I don't think it's fair. Like, there's, there's no red flags. Somebody tore your house down. Mm-hmm. You went to work, your house was there. You came back, your house was gone. From what I [00:28:00] understand, nobody, they weren't, like, actively living in the house.

Jessica: So she was on vacation. Okay. She was on vacation, and it was a private construction crew had mistakenly demolished her longtime family home.

The workers did admit to being at the wrong address. They packed up their equipment and left.

Mikki: Oh my God.

Jessica: Um, the demolition company, um, though they reportedly failed to contact the homeowner following the incident, the city, to add insult to injur- inj- injury, the City of Atlanta's Department of City Planning issued a citation and a stop work order to-

hos- to the woman, threatening her with fines for the mess and ordering her to clean up the rubble and secure permits for the demolition that she didn't even authorize.

Mikki: Oh my God. Mm-mm. This just [00:29:00] keeps getting worse.

Jessica: Other similar incidents. God. This mirrors a couple of other well-publicized incidents in Atlanta.

People in Atlanta, put signs on your houses, "Do not

Mikki: demo my house." You tear my house down old school. We're taking it back to the First Testament.

Jessica: In 2023, a man sued the city after city code enforcement accidentally sent demolition notices to the wrong addresses, resulting in the city tearing down his century-old home.

In 2025, another southwest Atlanta property owner stopped a city crew from demolishing his newly built home after they claimed his permit had expired. How do you demo a home For, listen, I know Atlanta is, is different,

Mikki: but I'm, what? I am at a complete and total loss of words. So this, the city's like, "Your, your permit expired.

We're demo- we're de-

Jessica: Demolishing your [00:30:00] home.

Mikki: There was, so there was a situation in Durham here where a, a general contractor built two properties that they did not do, like, a perc test, like, to, to see if they could put in a septic. Mm-hmm. Like, if it was suitable s- for septic. He just, like, built the houses and were like, "I'm sure it'll be fine."

Mm-hmm. So turns out the soil was not suitable for, for septic, so he could not get a septic permit. So he built these two fully, like, livable houses except for they did not have water.

Jessica: Oh.

Mikki: So do you know how long it took th- that, those properties to get demolished? 10 years.

Jessica: Holy crap.

Mikki: So it took them 10 years, and it was mostly because the people in the neighborhood are, like surrounding them, were complaining because, like, vi- uh, vigrants, migrants were living, like, like breaking into the houses and living there, and it was creating, like, a safety issue.

Honestly, if that hadn't happened, they probably, those houses would probably still be there. So, like, the fact that the city was like, "Oh, your permit's expired. We're tearing your house down," [00:31:00] what are you talking about right now?

Jessica: Yeah. So she didn't live in the house. Yeah. The house had been boarded up for 15 years.

Mikki: Okay. That, that's what it was giving with the, what I was reading, that it wasn't like they occupied it. Yeah. But there was, like, things in it, and it

Jessica: was not occupied. But she had kept it, she kept it covered, the grass cut, the yard cleaned up, and the taxes paid. She says she had happy memories of the home, describing it as a fun place where the family ha- had a lot of good times.

Mikki: Oh my gosh.

Jessica: In particular, it reminded her of her husband, who had died years ago. Oh. She's like, "It's hard to believe- That's terrible ... somebody just thinks they've got the right to come out and tear something up and then just walk away," she said, claiming the contractors did not apologize for their error or mistake or make a timely offer to fix their mistake.

When they, when the news station contacted the Atlanta-based contractor, they said they were investigating the matter and working to rectify it. Um, [00:32:00] so yeah. Oh. And then, like, the city

Mikki: did- Y'all, I'm, like, trying to calm my blood pressure down right now ...

Jessica: the city did send a citation, um- To her? To her

Mikki: I can't

Jessica: Yeah, the correction notice affords the property owner the opportunity to bring the property into compliance.

No citation has been issued to date. The structure on the property was demolished without a permit, which is a violation of city code. The property owner is responsible for their property and for any violations that occur pertaining to the property.

Mikki: Okay. But- Yep. Mm-hmm ... so

Jessica: first they trespassed. Mm-hmm.

Mikki: So one, I'm calling... I'm gonna have you arrested. You've trespassed on my property, and you did, I would call this grand larceny or what, like, whatever the, the legal term for, like- Mm-hmm ... that level of va- v- vandal, it's like vandalization. Like they demolished your house. Like, how is this [00:33:00] not... They were, the, the contractor was arrested for trespassing and demolishing- Yeah

their home without her permission. Like, I literally, can you even imagine? I cannot. I literally cannot imagine.

Jessica: I, I cannot. But, like, the city did say, like, it's, you have to clean it up. Like, and so I'm assuming that she's going to go, and it's a civil matter. It's, they, they want nothing to do with it.

They're like, "Mm-mm."

Mikki: Ugh. "Don't come to us." Tell

Jessica: me that's

Mikki: not giving Jake Mulbach and everything that happened with him in Chatham County.

Jessica: Yeah. It's cra- Ugh ... I'm gonna look up another news station, see what they have to say.

Mikki: I literally cannot.

Jessica: But yeah. But, like, I mean, there's just no, there are no red flags there 'cause, like, you didn't hire anybody.

Mikki: I can't even imagine what it would be like to, one, have your home complete- completely demolished- No ... without your consent. But then to, two, turn around, the city get on you, and i- issue ci- citations to you that, that-

Jessica: Well, apparently they didn't ev- issue a citation. She has been [00:34:00] told, she's been given a correction notice that she has to comply and clean up this mess, otherwise she will get a citation.

Mikki: Oh, okay. Mm-hmm. So if you don't clean up the house that was demolished- Yes ... without your consent, you'll get a citation.

Jessica: Yes. The demolition of property without the owner's consent or knowledge is not a matter for the City of Atlanta. This is considered a civil matter between the property owner and the alleged responsible party, is what the City of Atlanta is, is saying for this poor woman.

Mikki: Y'all, I'm gonna tell you what it would be. Let me tell you right now what it would be. It'd be a criminal matter. Mm. Because there would be a body involved in what happened there. Like, that is absolutely insane. And listen, we're sharing it with, this story with you not because there's anything that you can do about it.

It's just wild. Because unfortunately there is not. We're sharing it with you because it is an absolutely [00:35:00] wild story, and it is really, really sad that there are so few protections for homeowners. So this is something that we have started to notice in a lot of states, especially because there are some states where they really do take consumer protections and homeowner protections very seriously.

Mm-hmm. We did a story a couple episodes ago about a lady in Denver, and these c- these contractors completely screwed up their house. They were out of their house for, like, two years. It was a really bad situation, and all of the local, the responsible local contractors in Denver came together and helped put her house back together at no cost to her.

That is a state that cares very deeply about homeowner protections- Mm-hmm ... that they have a lot of laws that protect homeowners from situations like that. But there are a lot of states that are like, "Oh, oh, no, it's not... Don't know what to tell you."

Jessica: Nope.

Mikki: North Carolina is one of them. We have [00:36:00] shared so many stories of general contractors taking wild advantage of people, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they are still out here on these streets.

There have been n- absolutely no consequences. They were not... There was no criminal investigation. Absolutely nothing. Now, there have been stories that we have shared with you guys in other states where there was, people were charged, people went to jail, but there are a lot of states out there that there is absolutely no protections for you as the homeowner, that contractors can just literally tear your house down, and it is now your financial responsibility to clean up the mess.

Like, that is absolutely insane. So it's one of those things where, is there anything you can do about somebody just, like, sh- showing up and your house has been demolished? No. But it's important to know what w- th- depending on the state that you're in, how much consumer protection really exists for you.

And [00:37:00] I think the more that we've been doing the podcast and the stories that we're kinda getting from all over the country, you really see that there are certain states that have laws in place. Like, South Carolina is a state that has a lot of laws in place that if you, if a general contractor or a contractor screws you over and steals from you, there's a lot of different criminal charges that can be brought against them, and in many cases are brought against them.

North Carolina is not one of those states. If, if s- a hund- we're talking about... Now, now, don't get it twisted. If you go into a Walmart and you steal a $5 candy bar- Mm-hmm ... you can be prosecuted. But if you as a general contractor steal $300,000 from a, from a homeowner, you never build their house, yeah, no, that's a civil matter.

What? What are we even talking about? It is absolutely insane. So I think it's really important for you guys to [00:38:00] understand definitely the state that you live in. Apparently Atlanta is pretty wild for people just tearing down people's houses.

Jessica: It's crazy.

Mikki: That is absolutely insane.

Jessica: Well, they also did, like, the city did it to a guy.

Mikki: Wow.

Jessica: Um, they demoed his house, and then- First the city demoed his house. Now they are trying to foreclose on the property to pay the $68,000 in demolition costs. What? That happened in 2023 too.

Mikki: Atlanta is beyond burning it down. Through 2023, they were having a, they were having a year. Wow. Y- wow. That... So listen, if you're thinking about moving to Atlanta,

Jessica: Get some protections

Mikki: on your house

take it into, take it into consideration that they could just tear your house down and then make you pay for it. I can't even imagine that. I can't even imagine that. So I know this wasn't the most juicy story, but we, when I saw house demolished without somebody's consent, I was like, "We're sharing that story on the podcast."

That's

Jessica: crazy.

Mikki: So if you have a [00:39:00] great story, we would love it if you would share it with us. You can go to chicksinconstruction.com, and just scroll down. There's a little form where you can just share your story. Jess will never say your real name because she's just- Will not ... not about that life.

Jessica: Mm-mm.

Mikki: And we will share it with you so that other people can learn from your mistake because learning the hard way is, in fact, overrated.

Overrated. So Jess, where can they find us on the socials?

Jessica: On Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, it's @ChicksInConstructionPodcast. On TikTok, it's @ChicksInConstruction.

Mikki: All right, guys. We will see you on the next one. Bye. Bye.