CAVE CREEK – The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) confirmed on Monday it was investigating the fraudulent use of Desert Foothills Plumbing’s contractor’s license by Peter Spittler, who is currently operating Outlaw Annie’s, formerly known as Hogs N’ Horses, in order to obtain a permit from the town to extend a gas line.
According to Building Official Mike Baxley, Spittler inquired at town hall to find out if he needed a permit.
On Jan. 18, after being told he did need to obtain a permit, Spittler spoke with Chris Ehle at Desert Foothills Plumbing and told her he had someone to do the work but needed a licensed plumber.
Ehle said she helped Spittler fill out the permit and told him once he obtained the permit to call her and she would send her plumber out right away to verify the work was completed properly and to pressure test the line.
Several days went by but Ehle never heard back from Spittler.
Ehle called town hall only to learn Spittler did in fact submit the permit application using Desert Foothills Plumbing’s license number on Jan. 18, had already paid the $83 plan review and permit fee, called for an inspection and passed inspection.
The permit was closed out on Jan. 19.
According to the permit file, Spittler applied for the permit on behalf of Buffalo Express LLC, owned by Collin “T.C.” Thorstenson, using Thorstenson’s residential address on Yucca Road, stating Desert Foothills Plumbing and their license number as the contractor performing the work.
According to Building Official Mike Baxley, since the permit was already closed out there wasn’t anything the town could do so he suggested Ehle file a complaint with the ROC, which she did.
On Feb. 2, Alex Figueroa, investigator for the ROC, met with Patty Pollnow at Outlaw Annie’s, Baxley at town hall and Chris at Desert Foothills Plumbing.
Later that morning, records indicate Pollnow, who is also employed by the town, emailed a copy of the permit to herself from her town email address to her personal email address on Yahoo.com and from there emailed a copy of the permit file to Figueroa.
On Monday, Baxley told Sonoran News that after Figueroa was in town investigating, Ronald Turrell, a local dual licensed residential and small commercial general contractor, came in to town hall to say he performed the work on the gas line at Outlaw Annie’s and asked to transfer the permit to his name and license number.
This begs the question: If Turrell was the licensed contractor for the job, why wasn’t his license number used instead of Desert Foothills Plumbing?
There’s also one other problem with this scenario; ROC regulations require general contractors to subcontract out plumbing work to duly licensed plumbing contractors.
The ROC would only confirm their office is currently investigating the matter and could not provide additional information.
