Multitaskr ADU Scam — How a Chula Vista Company Left 100+ Homeowners with Nothing (2026)

The website looked professional. The financing pitch was smooth — 100% covered, no payments for a year while they built your ADU. The sales team answered every question. Then you signed the contract, the loan hit your credit report, and the calls stopped. That was the Multitaskr ADU scam — the experience of more than 100 Southern California homeowners who handed over at least $15 million for ADU construction that never happened. Some estimates place total losses as high as $48 million.

What makes the Multitaskr case different from other ADU contractor failures is the financing structure. The company didn’t just collect deposits and disappear. It arranged construction loans through a network of lenders, taken out under homeowners’ names, for work that never happened. Homeowners didn’t just lose money they paid — they owed money they’d been loaned. This is one of four case studies in our ADU Contractor Scams in California series.

Multitaskr Construction, Inc. was formed in Chula Vista in 2020 and held CSLB License #1074209, a Class B General Building Contractor license. The company promoted itself as an all-in-one ADU builder — design, permits, financing, and construction bundled into a single package. It had professional branding, a polished website at gomultitaskr.com, social media accounts, a physical office, and a sales team that aggressively signed contracts across Southern California.

The pitch was appealing: 100 percent financing with no payments required for a year while Multitaskr built the ADU. The company arranged construction loans through a group of partner lenders, and the money was disbursed directly to Multitaskr. On paper, the homeowner had a loan and a contractor building their ADU. In practice, the money went to Multitaskr and the ADU was never built.

In fall 2024, the company abruptly shut its doors. The Chula Vista office closed. Phone lines went dead. More than 100 homeowners across Southern California discovered that their projects were abandoned, incomplete, or had never been started — and that they still owed money to lenders for the construction loans Multitaskr had arranged.

The average claim against Multitaskr to build a single ADU exceeded $200,000. Across all affected homeowners, at least $15 million was taken. HPP CARES, a Long Beach-based nonprofit assisting victims, estimates the total could reach $48 million when including homeowners not yet part of the active lawsuits.

Period	What Happened
2020	Multitaskr Construction, Inc. forms in Chula Vista. Obtains CSLB License #1074209 (Class B, General Building Contractor). Begins marketing ADU construction with bundled financing.
2021–2023	Aggressive sales across Southern California. Signs 100+ contracts. Arranges construction loans through partner lenders under homeowners’ names. Collects loan disbursements. Few projects reach completion.
Early 2024	Complaints pile up at CSLB. Homeowners report projects abandoned mid-construction or never started. NBC 7 San Diego begins investigating. CSLB suspends the license after more than a dozen formal complaints.
Fall 2024	Multitaskr abruptly closes. Chula Vista office shuttered. CEO Jose Frausto stops responding to calls, emails, and in-person visits from journalists. State corporate filing expires.
2025	CSLB files formal accusation (Case N2024-235). License revoked. Four corporate officers banned from working as contractors in California. 10 separate civil lawsuits filed by 100+ homeowners. Jose Frausto files personal bankruptcy listing $3.9 million in liabilities. State criminal investigation opened.

Most ADU contractor fraud follows a straightforward pattern: collect deposits, don’t build, disappear. Multitaskr added a layer that made the damage far worse — bundled financing that left homeowners in debt for projects that were never completed.

The structure:

• Bundled “100% financing.” Multitaskr promised homeowners they didn’t need to pay anything upfront. Instead, the company arranged construction loans through a network of partner lenders. The loans were taken out in the homeowners’ names — not Multitaskr’s.
• Deferred payments. The loans typically had no payments due for the first 12 months while the ADU was supposedly being built. This meant homeowners didn’t feel the financial impact immediately. By the time loan payments came due, Multitaskr had already disappeared.
• Money went to Multitaskr. Lenders disbursed loan funds directly to Multitaskr to pay for construction. The company received the money. The homeowners received the debt. The ADU was never built.
• Forged documentation. According to HPP CARES and court filings, Multitaskr submitted false email accounts, forged homeowner identities, and in some cases stacked 7 to 10 unauthorized loans per household — often without the homeowner’s knowledge until 12 months after disbursement.
• Volume operation. The company signed over 100 contracts. At an average of $200,000+ per ADU, the scale of loan disbursements was enormous. The CSLB accusation documents specific cases: $424,953.75 diverted from a Poway project and $300,000 taken for a San Marcos project that was never even started.

The result: homeowners didn’t just lose a deposit. They acquired debt. They owed monthly payments to lenders for construction that never happened. Some homeowners didn’t realize the full scope of the loans taken out under their names until months after Multitaskr closed.

Every ADU fraud case has warning signs visible before the collapse. Multitaskr was no exception.

1. In-house financing tied to the construction contract. When a contractor arranges the financing, selects the lender, and controls the disbursement, the homeowner loses oversight of where the money goes. Legitimate ADU contractors build ADUs. They don’t run lending operations on the side. Any contractor who insists on arranging your financing through their preferred lenders is creating a structure that benefits them, not you.

2. No payments for a year. This sounds like a benefit. It’s a red flag. The deferred payment structure meant homeowners had no financial trigger point to force accountability. If you’re making monthly payments on a construction loan, you notice when work stops. If payments don’t start for 12 months, the contractor has a full year to take the money and leave before you feel the impact.

3. CSLB complaints were already on file. Before Multitaskr closed, more than a dozen formal complaints had been filed with CSLB. Anyone who checked the contractor’s license status on cslb.ca.gov would have seen those complaints. This takes 30 seconds and is free. For a step-by-step guide, see our license verification guide.

4. Too many active projects for the company’s size. Multitaskr signed 100+ contracts across Southern California. A company that young, operating since 2020, managing that volume of construction projects simultaneously is either massively capitalized and staffed — or it isn’t actually building. Multitaskr was not massively capitalized and staffed.

5. The “one-stop-shop” pitch. Design, permits, financing, and construction — all from one company. This bundling removes the natural checks and balances that exist when you hire a separate architect, a separate contractor, and arrange your own financing. Each independent party in the process has visibility into what the others are doing. When one company controls everything, there’s no independent oversight.

The victims of the Multitaskr ADU scam included elderly homeowners, immigrants, military servicemembers, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The lawsuits allege the company specifically targeted vulnerable populations. The damage went beyond lost deposits:

• Debt without construction. Homeowners owed payments on construction loans for ADUs that were never built. Unlike a lost deposit, this is ongoing financial damage — monthly payments on a debt that purchased nothing.
• Unauthorized loans. Some homeowners discovered loans taken out under their names that they never authorized. Court filings allege Multitaskr created fake email accounts and forged homeowner identities to secure additional financing.
• Credit damage. Homeowners who couldn’t make payments on loans they didn’t know about — or on loans for construction that never happened — faced credit score damage on top of the financial loss.
• No completed ADU. Nearly zero projects were completed. Homeowners who planned to house aging parents, generate rental income, or add living space were left with nothing built and a debt to show for it.
• Civil litigation. More than 100 homeowners filed 10 separate civil lawsuits against Multitaskr and 10 separate lenders, alleging fraud, conspiracy, negligence, intentional misrepresentation, and elder abuse.
• Limited recovery. CEO Jose Frausto filed personal bankruptcy listing $3.9 million in liabilities. The company’s contractor bond is $25,000. There is very little to recover.

In at least one case reported by ABC 10News, a lender cancelled a $100,000 loan for an SDSU professor after a news investigation exposed that the ADU was never built. But most homeowners have not received that outcome.

The Contractors State License Board took formal action against Multitaskr under Case N2024-235:

• License revoked. CSLB License #1074209 (Class B, General Building Contractor) was revoked.
• Four officers banned. The CSLB banned four corporate officers from working as contractors in California for five years: Patricio Amaya-Padilla (Responsible Managing Officer), Ismael Del Pino Bermejo (Officer), Guillermo Robertson (Officer), and Jose Frausto (Undisclosed Officer).
• Documented diversion of funds. The CSLB accusation documents that Multitaskr “diverted or misapplied most or all of $424,953.75” received for a Poway project and “abandoned the San Marcos Project without legal excuse” after receiving $300,000 from the homeowners.
• Jose Frausto listed as “Undisclosed Officer.” The CEO of the company was not properly registered with CSLB as a corporate officer — itself a violation of contractor licensing law.

Beyond CSLB, the case has drawn attention from multiple agencies. Homeowners have filed complaints with the California Attorney General, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and the FBI. NBC 7 San Diego reported that Multitaskr is facing a state criminal investigation. Depending on the outcome, information could be referred for criminal prosecution.

California requires every licensed contractor to maintain a $25,000 surety bond. This is the primary financial protection for homeowners when a contractor fails to perform.

Multitaskr took at least $15 million from 100+ homeowners. The contractor bond is $25,000 — total, not per homeowner.

$25,000 bond / 100 homeowners = $250 per person.

Two hundred fifty dollars against individual losses that averaged over $200,000. The bond system was designed for an era when a contractor might fail on one or two projects. It was never designed for a company that signs 100+ contracts, arranges millions in construction loans, and builds nothing.

The bond amount has not been updated since 2007. For a detailed breakdown of how contractor bonds work and how to file a claim, see our surety bond guide.

1. Never let a contractor arrange your financing. If a contractor offers “100% financing” through their preferred lenders, you are handing them control of both the money and the work. Arrange your own financing through your bank, credit union, or a lender you select independently. When you control the financing, you control the disbursements — and you can stop payments if work stops.

2. Verify the CSLB license before signing anything. Go to cslb.ca.gov and enter the license number. Check that the license is active, the business name matches, the bond is current, and there are no open complaints. Multitaskr had more than a dozen CSLB complaints before it closed. Anyone who checked would have seen them. For a step-by-step guide, see our license verification guide.

3. Payments must match work completed. California law (Business & Professions Code 7159.5) caps the initial down payment at $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. After that, payments should be tied to inspected milestones — not the contractor’s schedule, not a lender’s disbursement timeline, and not “when we’re ready to start.” Pay for foundation after the foundation passes inspection. Pay for framing after framing passes inspection. Never pay ahead of verified progress.

4. Check for complaints before signing. CSLB complaints are public record. BBB reviews are public. Yelp, Google, and Trustpilot reviews are public. A 30-minute search across these sources would have revealed complaints against Multitaskr before any homeowner signed a contract. This is free and takes less time than reading the contract itself.

5. Be skeptical of “one-stop-shop” pitches. When one company handles design, permits, financing, and construction, there are no independent parties checking each other’s work. Hire your own architect. Arrange your own financing. Hire a contractor whose only job is to build. Independent oversight at each stage is your protection.

6. Understand what you’re signing. If a contractor puts loan documents in front of you, you need to understand that you — not the contractor — are the borrower. You are personally liable for that loan whether the ADU gets built or not. If you don’t understand the loan terms, have an attorney review them before signing.

7. Use a verified directory. Every builder in our verified directory has been checked against CSLB records for active licensing, bond status, workers’ comp, and complaint history. Our LiveVerify system checks these records on an ongoing basis — not just once at listing time. A company like Multitaskr, with a dozen-plus CSLB complaints, would never pass verification. Browse verified builders in San Diego and across California.

What happened to Multitaskr?

Multitaskr was a Chula Vista-based ADU contractor that took at least $15 million from more than 100 Southern California homeowners between 2020 and 2024. The company arranged construction loans under homeowners’ names, collected the loan disbursements, and completed nearly zero projects. Multitaskr abruptly closed in fall 2024. CSLB revoked the company’s license and banned four corporate officers. CEO Jose Frausto filed personal bankruptcy with $3.9 million in liabilities.

Can Multitaskr homeowners get their money back?

Recovery is extremely limited. The contractor’s bond is $25,000 shared across 100+ claimants. CEO Jose Frausto filed personal bankruptcy with $3.9 million in liabilities. More than 100 homeowners have filed 10 separate civil lawsuits against Multitaskr and 10 lenders, but collecting against a bankrupt individual and a defunct company is difficult. Some homeowners have had individual loans cancelled after media investigations exposed the fraud.

How did Multitaskr’s financing scheme work?

Multitaskr arranged “100% financing” through a network of partner lenders. Construction loans were taken out under homeowners’ names with no payments due for 12 months. The loan funds were disbursed directly to Multitaskr for construction. The company took the money and completed nearly zero projects. Homeowners were left owing payments on loans for ADUs that were never built. Court filings allege the company also forged homeowner identities and created fake email accounts to secure unauthorized additional loans.

Is Multitaskr facing criminal charges?

NBC 7 San Diego reported that Multitaskr is facing a state criminal investigation. Homeowners have filed complaints with the California Attorney General, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and the FBI. CSLB has already revoked the license and banned four corporate officers. Criminal prosecution, if pursued, would be handled by the AG or the San Diego County DA.

Who owned Multitaskr?

Jose Frausto (also known as Joe Frausto) was the CEO of Multitaskr. CSLB’s formal accusation (Case N2024-235) named four corporate officers: Patricio Amaya-Padilla (Responsible Managing Officer), Ismael Del Pino Bermejo, Guillermo Robertson, and Jose Frausto (listed as “Undisclosed Officer” — meaning he was not properly registered with CSLB). All four were banned from working as contractors in California.

How do I check if my ADU contractor has complaints?

Go to cslb.ca.gov and enter the contractor’s license number. The license detail page shows the license status, bond information, workers’ compensation status, and any complaints or disciplinary actions. Multitaskr had more than a dozen complaints filed before the company closed. This check is free and takes 30 seconds. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our license verification guide.

Should I let my ADU contractor arrange financing?

No. When a contractor arranges the financing, selects the lender, and controls the disbursement, the homeowner loses oversight of where the money goes. Arrange your own financing through your bank, credit union, or a lender you select independently. This gives you direct control over disbursements and the ability to stop payments if work stops. Multitaskr’s bundled financing scheme is exactly what happens when a contractor controls both the money and the work.

How much is a contractor’s bond in California?

California requires a $25,000 contractor’s bond — total, not per homeowner. When 100+ Multitaskr victims all have claims against the same $25,000 bond, the per-person recovery is approximately $250 — against average individual losses exceeding $200,000. The bond amount has not been updated since 2007, despite ADU projects now routinely costing $150,000 to $400,000.