Apparently this homeowner is not aware that according to construction laws in many states, if a contractor/construction company doesn't make payments to subcontractors for goods or services on a construction project, the subs can file liens against the property owner for the amount of the goods or services. Generally those liens are filed with the courts in the counties where the work is being done, and often an owner can check online as the construction is done whether or not liens have been filed against him/her. And the property owner is liable for those debts, regardless of when they moved into the completed dwelling. A very important thing to check, before you give that final check to a contractor, make sure you get release of lien notices for all the subcontractors who may have filed liens. And if in this case the builder said they'd pay a lien, they should have provided this homeowner with a release of lien.
Kinda points out the problems of long-distance construction projects, and it sounds to me as though this homeowner didn't do his/her homework about the area he was building in, and is trying to blame the builder. Any local online newspaper (which I'd certainly look at, in addition to other resources that let me learn more about an area where I'm having a house built) will inform readers about local water restrictions. Now, I have to agree that it IS kind of stupid for builders to lay sod down when they know that it's not going to be watered, and I'd have thought a conscientious foreman might inform the homeowners that they needed to do something about that, or make some arrangements. As for water restrictions, some counties with these restrictions will allow daily watering of new sod enough to let it get established, this homeowner could have gotten that all checked out.
Of course that contractor who "lent" his license to another, unlicensed contractor is just as guilty as the unlicensed contractor who used it. Both parties are criminally liable. What gall this guy has claiming your shutter problems are not his fault!
