For the third time, Amanda Sparks, the owner of A&L Sheds, has been arrested \u2014 this time, in Montgomery County, Texas.<\/p>\n
Authorities allege she scammed more than 100 people out of more than $1 million by promising to build sheds and tiny homes that were never delivered.<\/p>\n
Sparks’ previous arrests occurred in Gray and Harris counties, and now a $12 million civil judgment has been issued against her by the Harris County Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
"It\u2019s heartbreaking. It\u2019s very heartbreaking," victim Julia Marino told<\/a> KPRC 2 News Houston.<\/p>\n "My mother passed away just last month. If I had my $8,100, I could help with her funeral."<\/p>\n Sparks faces felony theft charges after a warrant was issued by Johnson County. According to investigators and victims, she allegedly collected large upfront payments \u2014 ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 \u2014 often in cash, from individuals and organizations expecting sheds or tiny homes. In many cases, contracts were signed, but no work ever began.<\/p>\n Victims include private citizens as well as vulnerable groups including a church, a domestic violence shelter and even a construction crew claiming it completed work in 2023 but was never paid.<\/p>\n Victim Charlotte Clifford, who says she paid $16,800 up front, recalled her experience to KPRC reporters<\/p>\n "She wrote out a contract \u2014 I’ve got the contract, all the paperwork at home \u2014 telling us when she was going to start our building. It never happened.\u201d<\/p>\n The fraud unraveled when more than 100 people came together via a Facebook group, where they compared notes and documented their stories, revealing a pattern of broken promises and missing funds. Their collective effort culminated in a complaint submitted to the Harris County Attorney\u2019s Office in late 2024.<\/p>\n Marino, an organizer behind the complaint, emphasized the importance of recordkeeping and speaking out.<\/p>\n "We\u2019re showing a paper trail because we\u2019re all in this together,\u201d she told KPRC News. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get a resolution on this. It’s just taking a little time.\u201d<\/p>\n The result of that work was a $12 million judgment signed at the end of March 2025, which could help victims recover some of their losses.<\/p>\n With housing costs on the rise, more people are turning to tiny homes as an affordable alternative. According to one report<\/a>, 73% of Americans would consider living in a tiny home.<\/p>\n However, this case highlights how the booming industry has presented an opportunity for scammers.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong> Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan \u2018works every single time\u2019 to kill debt, get rich in America<\/a> \u2014 and that \u2018anyone\u2019 can do it<\/p>\n If you’re planning to purchase a tiny home, here are some ways to protect yourself. The key is staying vigilant and doing your homework before committing.<\/p>\n Ensure your builder is licensed<\/a> and bonded. Ask for references, check online reviews and their rating with the Better Business Bureau<\/a>. Reputable builders should have a portfolio of completed projects and satisfied clients.<\/p>\n A legitimate builder should provide a detailed contract outlining timelines, materials, payment terms and guarantees.<\/p>\n Never pay the full amount before any work is done. A deposit, typically 10% to 25%, is reasonable, but further payments should be tied to completed work milestones. Your state may have limits on how much a contractor can ask for up front, check your local laws.<\/p>\n Escrow accounts<\/a> protect your money by only releasing funds when both parties meet agreed-upon terms. This is especially helpful for large transactions.<\/p>\n High-pressure sales tactics, vague or verbal-only agreements and refusal to show credentials or provide timelines can all be warning signs.<\/p>\n Save emails, receipts, signed contracts and messages. This can be helpful in disputes and legal actions, should it come to that.<\/p>\n This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the third time, Amanda Sparks, the owner of A&L Sheds, has been arrested \u2014 this time, in Montgomery County, Texas. Authorities allege she scammed more than 100 people out of more than $1 million by promising to build sheds and tiny homes that were never delivered. Sparks’ previous arrests occurred in Gray and Harris […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":21591,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moneywise"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21589"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21590,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21589\/revisions\/21590"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsdirect.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A web of victims and a $12 million judgment<\/h2>\n
Watch for red flags and protect yourself from builder scams<\/h2>\n
Verify builder licensing and references<\/h3>\n
Get a detailed contract<\/h3>\n
Avoid paying 100% up front<\/h3>\n
Use escrow services<\/h3>\n
Watch for red flags<\/h3>\n
Keep all documentation<\/h3>\n
What to read next<\/h2>\n
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