TEMPE, Ariz. — Four companies tied to Holtzman Remodeling filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy late last week, leaving customers with unfinished projects and uncertain prospects for recovering deposits. The companies’ attorney said creditors, including homeowners and suppliers, are owed about $8 million. Among the affected customers is Johnnie Coletto, who planned to renovate her kitchen and bathrooms and raise part of her home’s ceiling. She said she paid Holtzman $122,000 but received no completed project. Coletto had been preparing to move out during the renovations and had selected materials before the company told her it could not proceed. The bankruptcy filings cover Holtzman Staffing LLC, Holtzman Remodeling LLC, Holtzman Holdings LLC and Holtzman Construction LLC. The companies’ attorney, Joel Sannes, said the owners tried to keep the business operating with loans and considered Chapter 11 reorganization before filing under Chapter 7. Sannes said he believes the company’s sales model contributed to its financial problems: sales staff earned commissions, while oversight of whether project bids would be profitable was inadequate. Losses on projects may have accumulated over time, he said. Customer deposits, according to Sannes, went toward construction work, including work on other customers’ projects. That can leave customers whose projects never began competing with other creditors for funds. Sannes said secured creditors generally have priority in bankruptcy, though homeowners may argue that their funds should be returned ahead of them. He cautioned that the outcome could take months or years to determine. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors has received dozens of complaints about Holtzman companies, and their contractor licenses have been canceled. Homeowners can still submit complaints to the agency during bankruptcy proceedings. The state’s Residential Contractors’ Recovery Fund may provide up to $30,000 per homeowner, subject to a maximum of $200,000 in liability per contractor license. If valid claims exceed that license limit, payments are prorated among claimants, according to the Registrar of Contractors. The fund currently holds $28 million. Coletto said the money she paid was her savings. With boxes still packed in her living room, she said she hopes she will eventually be able to complete the renovation.