What a low thing to do to your own family. Obviously a very selfish person.

Not the sharpest tool in the tool box....

As a homeowner who has built with DJK I can personally attest to the fact that Dan Kittilsen is a snake. He personally ripped my husband and I off by more than what hes accusing his "family" of. You just ask anyone who has built with him and we have all been ripped off. I'd be hesitant to jump to conclusions especially since Dan Kittilsen isnt welcome around our neighborhood. From what we know, Dan Kittilsen doesnt even speak to his own parents or brother, so it's not a surprise to see him accuse a "family" member. Unless you have had the unpleasant experience of building with DJK, you really wouldn't know what a pathological liar Dan Kittilsen is. I am sure there is more to the story, as we had to deal with his lies for months

It's amazing to me how quick people are to jump to conclusions. I know both Dan and Shayne personally for years and I can tell you that Dan Kittilsen is the exact opposite of an "honest" man. Completely agree with Grande Park Mom above, if you have dealt with Dan Kittilsen on any level (personal or business) you have no doubt there is more to the story.

As a recent DJK homeowner, I would disagree with the above comments. We have been pleased from the beginning with our experience with Dan and the rest of his team. He is not pushy and first looks to educate you so you can make an informed decision. The entire home building process was pleasant and the subs he uses are great.

I agree with Plainfield res. I worked for DJK for years and can tell you the ONLY one there who had any ethics was Shayne. Shayne was fair with all the contractors while Dan would short pay or not pay at all. Dan Kittilsen is one of the most hated people I know amongst subcontractors. If you have worked for DJK then you know firsthand that Dan will do anything to screw you. Dan is a first class dirtbag. Its ashame that Shayne is going through this because no doubt there is more to the story. Stay strong Shayne, all your subcontractors that you were loyal to for years will always stand behind you!

Thanks funny I live in Grande Park and there is nothing but good reviews I hear about DJK and Dan. Reading the last comment you can only put 2 and 2 together and figure out who's writing that. Maybe the accused?

I built with DJK a few years ago. While I dont know them both on a personal level, I will say that Dan had no involvement in the building process. My entire home was built by Shayne. I simply cant say anything negative about a man who worked so well with my wife and I. Uta.. enjoy the warranty process. You will see the subs who did your house will no longer be there as DJK has a reputation for switching subs like most people switch socks.

I feel for DJK because I know many people who have used them for their house and patios and had great experiences. DJK did our patio and construction for our neighbor in Grande Park. Dan and Shayne were both great to work with, and Dan was always responsive and helpful. My neighbor said the same thing and loves her home and the whole process, so I'm not sure what experience a couple of the above people had. PLUS, whether you think the PRICE of your jobs were too high from Dan or whether Shayne was good to work with, it doesn't justify STEALING from a company. I looked it up on the Will County site and Shayne is charged for embezzling between $150,00-$450,000 dollars from DJK. Again, Shayne was nice to work with, but STEALING IS STEALING! He's obviously not the same person we thought he was!

I, too, live in Grande Park, have a DJK home, and completely concur with the uta and plainfield comments above. We have owned our DJK home for many years, and have had nothing but a possitive experience with Dan. In fact, over the years, I have become increasingly impressed by DJK's commitment to our neighborhood, schools, toy drives during the holidays, and many Breast Cancer awareness projects. He is a great builder with a knack for constructing a high quality, beautiful home.

This has nothing to do with liking or not liking DJK and their work. Police don't just arrest and charge individuals without substantial evidence. Regardless of Dan Kittleson and Shayne Rausenbarger's personalities, this is about embezzlement and integrity. I haven't had any experiences with DJK, but they have built several of my neighbor's homes and I haven't heard any complaints at all. In fact, they seem to love their homes. Someone can be nice and treat their subs nicely and still be a thief. Additionally, I know the person who this Shayne cheated on his wife with, and he is scum. I spotted them during the day in Bolingbrook holding hands and kissing at lunch last year. SHE did not see me, and I've kept my distance because all I could think about was her two kids and husand who travels a lot. I saw it with my own eyes and I don't care what kind of "worker" he is. He stole and cheated, so let the law do it's job.

Last time I checked this is America and people are innocent until proven guilty. Its been a lot of people falsely accused & arrested in this world later to be acquitted. Let's let the law do its job and keep your comments to yourself

What amazes me are the amount of people who post things and hide behind their computers with screen names vp. For all we know djk himself is posting these blogs as well. I know Dan Kittilsen. Dan screwed me. If shayne did something wrong he will have his day in court. For some reason I thought we lived in America where you are innocent until proven guilty. Dan is no saint and has a long history of lies and I endured many of them. People posting things about cheating have no relevence to the story. Theseare the same people who want to come out AFTER the fact and say something. Good to see that everyone jumps to conclusions without knowing any facts. The facts I know is that Dan screwed me badly and I know who he is

I read this story this morning and am going to hold my judgement until the end, however as far as the comment from 'vp'...about djks commitment to the neighborhood, they must be referring to stewart ridge bc he has done nothing but built homes that has brought our property value down. I built in 2008 in Grande park and after attending the GP board meeting it became evident that djks commitment was only to move lots in grande park instead of keeping the "quality and excellence" that our community expects. Hopefully he doesnt keep stooping down to the level of Ryan Homes and starts building a decent looking home again that doesnt continue to bring our property values down.

I am a very satisfied DJK homeowner. I have and will continue to recommend Dan Kittilsen as a very honest, reputable and professional builder. From day one, we haven't had any negative experiences with Dan that would make you question his character, ethics, or integrity. They are a very professional and highly experienced team. It's unfortunate that because of this one "bad apple" in the bunch, that DJK has to go through this. And it's a it's a shame that this ex-employee, who couldn't work hard enough to make a decent and honest living on his own, is putting his family through so much hell for his own selfish needs.

I was a very DIS satisfied DJK homeowner. I lived in Grande Park and was so happy to have moved away from his home. While I know nothing about the facts of this case, just like everyone else, I really doubt many of the "happy" homeowner claims posted on here. If the homeowners are happy why dont they state their names? No one knows the facts of the case yet everyone has an opinion.

Is this company like a fly by night operation? Do they have an accounting department? Sounds fishy

Recently built my home with DJK. I will wait till the send to come to conclusion. Shyane played a critical role in completing my home. Dan for sure is not a man of his word. He made me pay for lot of stuff that he agreed upon. I couldn't recommand DJK Customer Builder to any one. Dan is very good at sales pictch. You need to have everything thing in writing, Dan is very good to cutting corners. Feel sorry for Shayne

I've known Dan for many years and it's extremely dissapointing that one of his own employees would do something like this to him. He as alway been upfront and honest with all his employees and clients. You always know where you are with Dan. I wouldn't want anyone other than Dan to build a new home for me. He is a first class person and businessman. When you deal with Dan and DJK, you will always be extremely satisfied. DJK construction is second to none in quality as is Dan second to none as a person!

First, I would like to say that the DJK name has a phenomenal reputation that has been built on for the last 20 plus years. Every business has its up and downs when it comes to customers not being happy, and I am CONFIDENT that Dan would rectify any situation that has been brought to his attention.
As for Shayne, (AKA THIEF, DIRT-BAG) I think he is a complete dirt-bag for what he did to Dan and the DJK name. He has clearly stolen a lot of money from the family, and to think he would allow his 2 small, innocent children to be in the middle of this, sickens me more! Obviously, there are charges being filed against him due to the evidence that is being presented. I can not wait for justice to be served on this scum bag!
Until then, I will continue to support, respect, and admire the DJK name, and the Kittilsen family. It is truly a shame that they have to go through such turmoil from a so-called family member.
DJK Custom Homes will continue to build amazing homes, while meeting the needs of many families who are so pleased with their properties. And my guess is that the issues that came to a head with the unhappy home oweners had to deal with Shaynes involvement in building their homes.

Oh, and I LOVE the smile in your mugshot, Shayne. So classy!

Or maybe I shouldn't say people because I believe the negative responses are ALL originating from one PERSON. Trying to throw crap at the wall and see what sticks! Good tactic but intelligent people can see right through that.

As the same to the DIS Satisfied homeowners who won't post there names..! Or maybe it's the accused doing it themselves or friends . Bottom line is people need to leave stuff alone and let the courts handle it

Another poorly written Patch article full of inaccuracies. I did a little fact finding and see that this individual was NOT arrested in New Jersey. He wasnt arrested at all accordingto Will county, he simply turned himself in, in Joliet. The article states that he lost his home to foreclosure yet public records show the home is current on payments and still in this Shayne's name. Yet another Patch story that is full of mularky.

Makes me wonder what else is inaccurate. Plainfield should be spending time preventing the rising number of robberies on Rt 59 and less on stories that are full of inaccuracies.

First, I would like to say that DJK Custom Homes has been in business for over 20 years. The name has a reputation, and so does Dan Kittilsen. As you can see from the "plainfield residents" statement above, his character, integrity, and passion for the community are outstanding! I completely respect this family and feel terrible for what they have to endure by a so-called family member.
I am confident that the charges that are brought against Shayne, came with hard evidence and he is guilty as charged.
DJK Custom Homes will continue to gain the support of their customers, and the successful growth of more homes being built. And, if there is an unhappy home owner, I am confident it was due to Shayne and his shady business ways...
Justice will be served, soon enough!

I built with DJK many years ago. The only person who ever cared about my home was Shayne. The initials may have been DJK but Shayne ran that company. In fact, when we moved the only person who ever contacted us again was Shayne. He is a friend, and as many of the above posts suggest, you will be hard pressed to find many happy homeowners, which is why none of them state their names. 'MJ' is obviously Dan hiding behind initials. He is still the same coward he was when he built our house. Blames everyone else for his shady sales tactics. Typical short man syndrome. Karma is a bitch. I am sure there is more to the story, and I will be smiling when DJK is out of business.

We were a sub for Djk . They owe us about 5000..maybe that's what he gets for cheating people out of hard honest work

DJK owes us over $10,000. He just takes whatever he wants off your bill. The subs all talk I hope he gets his one day.

I would swear that KG & MJ in reality are DJK.

Let's stick to the topic of the article. This man is accused of a crime. Period. The police had enough evidence to charge him. He will get his day in court to dispute the evidence with a lawyer. America is great. However, please remember we don't charge people Unless their is sufficient evidence and this case has been in the making for quite a while. I would suggest anyone else here who has legitamit complaints against the other parties press their own charges, unless these claims are unsubstantiated and just feeble attempts to try to redirect people away from the facts of this case. I guess their is the possibility they could be true, but I find that hard to believe. I mean I wouldn't pick this venue to try and get my money back. That means you either have no basis of a case or you have a lot of money and don't think it's worth it to pursue. Everyone gets their day in court-take yours. Sounds like this guy will be getting his day in court and then, time in jail.

'Sargent'... we can only assume you aren't a SERGEANT, considering you can't spell your own job title. We will also assume you are not an English teacher. How can anyone talk about the 'facts of the case' when there haven't been any facts shown yet. God Bless you because you are going to need it with your shallow mind.

We do not know DJK. We have nothing to do with this case, however, we know Shayne and have proof he is a thief! We hired Shayne to build our home and after a couple months of no work being completed and promises broken, we decided to void the contract. We asked Shayne to return half of our down payment we had given to him in good faith but he ignored our request. We thought he was a nice guy but all he did was scam us out of our hard earned money that was supposed to be used towards our house. We are glad he is getting what he deserves!

I had a home built by DJK in 2007 and was thrilled with Dan and DJK and I was shocked to hear what Shayne has done. I have since moved to GA but would like to say Dan and DJK were a joy to work with and I was extremely satisfied with my home. I would not use this forum as a way to throw stones at Dan as a person or builder. If you have issue with him or his company take it to him. If the charges against Shayne are true let the judicial process handle him and his crimes.

I am a former djk contractor and was also one who was short paid many times. There is no homeowner who would understand what we are told to do and how it affects their homes. Lesley is right and after receiving dozens of phone calls from current and past djk contractors we are setting up a number to call to join in a class action lawsuit against djk. Dans threatening tactics to all of his contractors past and present can be heard. I will post the phone number on here soon. If you signed contract and were intimidated or forced to take less money or were short paid call us. Lesley I am glad you had a nice experience, unfortunately the trades who built your home most likely didnt. Its unfortunate that djk feels they can play by a different set of rules however all trades can now have a say as well. We were and are sick to hear how he makes no money then buys jet skis and flaunts his tacky florida house. Well he can thank all his subs for that like myself who he short paid over and over.

Fact Finder I have too been doing some research and I have discovered Shayne's sister-in-law which is Dan's wife was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 07. He was stealing from them during that time. Wow!!! Cant get any lower than that. If you don't grow a conscious then you never will. I'm sorry the Kittilsen family has to go through. Good Luck to you!!!

Fact finder I find it interesting that you chose that name. I am a family friend and his family is doing great. Kids are doing great and they all seem happy to be away from what they consider a very dysfunctional family. The facts that we know is that Dan himself was disowned by his own parents and his own brother. Its evident that Dan himself is writing these posts but it doesnt change the facts. Dan is a hated man and many people are out for his head. Lets let justice take its course, I know Shaynes family is glad that his kids will never be subjected to their awkward family again.

I built with DJK eight years ago and the experience was wonderful. We love our home and have never had a problem with it. If we call Dan and ask a favor he always comes through. I am a Grande Park resident and I love my home. My husband and I have recommended DJK to several friends and if we ever build again we would not even consider another builder. Dan and DJK thank you!!!!

I've removed comments making unsubstantiated accusations that are wholly unrelated to this story. Keep it on topic.

Shannon Antinori, you did NOT just REMOVE a comment in a BLOG based on YOUR opinion of its relevance? Are you out of your MIND? IS THIS AMERICA?

I worked for Dan on and off for a few years and dont care what any homeowner has to say as a sub you are ripped off and talked down to. Dans game is to always hold money from you and to force you to take less otherwise he says 'sue me' knowing the sub would then have to wait a year or more to get paid. We arent loaded we have bills to pay and all you homeowners can thank us subs for your homes WE built them. Then we got it jammed down our throat by Dan. I dont know about this story nor do I care in the least I'm just shocked that 'little hitler' is still selling homes.

Lisa S. Unfortunately the lien wouldnt prevent the home from closing as there are ways around it and when a builder owes you 30k and you have suppliers who will shut off your account and ultimately put me out of business it leaves us subs with no choice but to get screwed. Also the lien doesnt guarantee any money. And the problem is that Djk knows this and plays it against his subs. Worse yet is when he owes you say 60k from 2 homes that were being built at the same time. How many subs do you think can float 60k? And for what its worth I have filed liens but its mostly a formality. I'm just glad to be away from him, and I am absolutely shocked he still has legs to walk on. I figured someone would have broken them by now.

I was a sub of Dannys long before this guy was there so I dont know him but its good to see that good ol Danny hasnt changed a bit. Still pissing on the subs after all these years? Ive worked for over a hundred builders and Danny is right up there as the most unethical. Way to be a man Danny

ex subcontractor, too bad the builders dont understand that the house is only as good as the subs they hire. you hire a cheap contractor you suffer quality, schedule and warranty issues. to bad the homeowners dont know this before they build, i dont think there is one original contractor left. thats why the homeowners cant get there warranties done

DJK is a joke. Feel bad for the homeowners. No good stories about them from the Chamber

I was shocked to see this article. Given the circumstances and knowing how that company was and is run I would venture to say there is more to the story. The details seem very vague and almost unbelievable. My curiosity brings me to the question of "Whats really behind this story?" I have a feeling the police didnt do much research as is usual with Plainfield. looking forward to seeing the full details.

Hope he feels good. He looks happy. Karma is a bitch. Hurt multiple families doing many bad things. Someone flush the toilet already!

Called into DJK to get our warranty completed and were told they were struggling and shutting down one of their businesses , ironic story at a time when a company appears to be struggling. Now looks like we are left in the dark with a different contractor coming to fix the work.

Omnifun, seek legal representation. Our experience with the premium 2 year warranty consisted of delayed response, often times unqualified assistants and running out the clock. Protect yourself from the repairs just before warranty expiration in case the repair is faulty. Water leaks in the spring were "repaired" during late summer. Winter related issues were addressed in the spring, etc. Make sure that the warranty you paid for is fulfilled.

It appears plainfield patch has their own agenda and will no longer allow comments on this story. Maybe the truth is that plainfield patch found out DJK and Dan Kittilsen are under investigation for fraud. Very sad news reporting when first amendment rights are suppressed.