Warrant issued for troubled contractor

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City contractor who has been the focus of numerous KCTV5 investigations now has a warrant out for his arrest.

Maximillian Howell faces numerous lawsuits from families and contractors, but this arrest warrant stems from a house he was building for the Evans family.

We first reported on this case in October. The Evans say Howell tried to switch the price on their home. They filed a lawsuit accusing Howell of fraud, false promises, and misrepresentations. That case is still pending.

Howell was ordered to pay $8,000 in damages to the Evans because of damage to their property while he was building a neighboring home. That order came down in October, but Howell never paid. A Jackson County judge has now issued a warrant.

It says:

Court finds that the Defendant, Maximillian Howell, has willfully, contemptuously and maliciously failed and refused to abide by the order of contempt without just cause.

That means that any peace officer in the state of Missouri can arrest Howell.

Other lawsuits are pending against Howell, including one filed by a subcontractor who told us he helped renovate an AirBNB on the Westside but was never paid the $70,000 he was owed. The property currently rents out for hundreds of dollars a night.

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Other families have finished construction themselves when projects fell apart due to non-payment. They have filed police reports, complained to state attorney generals and contacted the FBI.

KCTV5 was present when Max Howell used the f word 26 times during a tense phone call with one homeowner who described himself as “homeless” due to Howell’s business practices.

KCTV5 has requested emails from the city regarding interactions with Howell. He has bragged to us about his city connections. The emails are public record, and we expect to receive those emails next week.