ComplaintsforOttawa Building and Foundation Repair Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  12/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In August 2021, we hired the company named Ottawa Building & Foundation Repair Inc. (Ottawa Foundation) **** **** ****** ******* *** *** **** to carry out work on our property (Est # ******; $12,204.00), and the work started around the 3rd week of October 2021. To put it succinctly, Ottawa Foundation has not carried out the work to our satisfaction (with little exception), as the company did not deliver what we asked for, and the work is not completed. Despite our many efforts to explain our dissatisfaction to the owner of the company (****** *****) and to the team supervisor (**** ********) and to find ways to correct this unfortunate situation, we were ignored and disrespected repeatedly. The owner and the team supervisor even told us not to communicate with the company anymore. The workers damaged our property and the company has made no effort so far to repair the damages, despite the owner’s commitment to do so. These damages (and other related issues) represented safety hazards during the winter season. Furthermore, our property is a real mess, with the damages still not repaired and with the materials the company left behind. Needless to say, we have very serious concerns about the difficulties we would encounter should we decide to sell or rent the house without remedial action from Ottawa Foundation. To date we have paid 60% of the estimated cost of this project. As mentioned earlier, nobody from Ottawa Foundation has contacted us yet to this very date to address the next steps as promised on December 8, 2021. Since the company systematically ignored us and did not honour its word and commitments, we have lost confidence that it can carry out the remaining work properly. We cannot emphasize enough how stressed we are by this turn of events, by the fact that we were treated disrespectfully and were, and still are, systematically ignored. Understandably, we are very worried and depressed: we cannot sleep at night as we lie awake thinking about this.

  Business response

  17/05/2022

  We do indeed have an open work order quoted above. 

  Due to a severe language barrier there has been ongoing difficulties with communications. However we have made all attempts to date to keep the lines of communication open. We have not had any communication from these clients since December, when our last conversation ended with the resolution that we would return to finish the outstanding work (that could not be completed due to poor weather conditions in the fall) in the spring. We have already assured our client that any damages (including ones pictured) will be repaired once the work is finished due to the high chance of further damage given the extremely narrow access to the work site. With about an inch to spare machinery was transported multiple times back and forth which let to some minor scrapes. We have never given any indication these items would not be addressed.

   

  There was some misunderstanding over exact measurements and placements of things. We felt that had been resolved also in the fall. This complaint as well as the one we recently received on Google came as a surprise since we let them know in the fall we would return at the beginning of the season this year once the ground firms up. We gave a tentative timeline of mid to late May. If they wish they are welcome to email or call our office any time, we do not screen phone calls and have no voicemails or emails from this client since last year. We would be happy to discuss in person and resolve this misunderstanding. 

   

  Customer response

  31/05/2022

  ***** ***** **** ***** ******* *** *** **** **** ** *** ***** ******* ********************** *** **** *** ****************** ******** *** *** **** * *** ******* **** *** ******* ******** ******** ******* ******* *** ******* ********* *********

   

  Hi Mr. *******.

  
  

  Please find below our replay to the owner and team leader of Ottawa building and foundation repairs Inc.:

  “Dear ****** and ****,

  We contact you to schedule your visit on our property to finish the work and make the necessary repairs. Since December 8, 2021 we have been told that in a week you will come with a plan and you asked us to do not send any letters to you anymore and wait to be contacted by you. Here we are, on May 30, 2022, still waiting for you to contact us, to come on our property to finish the work to our satisfaction and repair the damages.

  We are tired of so many tentative and excuses such as ‘”due to severe language barrier” that was not brought to our attention all this time. We are running out of time for this lengthy execution of the contract.

  Please let us know if you have further concern regarding our English communication skills.

  We are waiting for you to contact us.

  Regards.

  ******* and ********

  Thank you.

  
  

  *******

  Business response

  03/01/2023

  See attached document

  Customer response

  11/01/2023

  
  Complaint: 17194708
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  The Ottawa building and foundation repair (OBFR) ignored the two letters from our lawyer and did not meet the terms. Then, our lawyer called Mr. *****. We were not consulted about this call. Anyhow, the offer sent by the contractor is not enough and some details seem to not belong to our contract and property. Mr. ***** ignored the assessment made by the landscaping architect that we engaged to assess the work done by OBFR. There are damages done by this contractor that are not mentioned in the offer they sent us and they are not minor.

   

  We do not know how the contractor estimated that 99% of the work is finished because it is not. We are waiting for the contractor to come to do the repairs and finish the work since Nov-Dec 2021. On December 3, 2021, Mr. ***** and Mr ******** promised us that in one week they will present us a plan. They barely came up with a plan/offer at the beginning December 2022 after our lawyer called them and they have missed two terms. Mr. ***** knows very well that we cannot agree with his incomplete offer. Their offer does not mention a starting and finish date for the completion of the work and damage repairs. Our basement was dry before we contacted this contractor. The gutters were in good conditions and the foundation was not wet. The way the OBFR left us since Nov 2021 made our foundation wet all the time and in front of the door is humid all the time. In November 2021, after ******* tried to repair one gutter, I told him it is still leaking a lot and the foundation is wet. ******* answered me "Thank you for letting me know"  and nothing has been done to repair it to date. This is one example.

  The way OBFR left us with the unfinished work and materials in the backyard were and are a safety hazard for us and our visitors. We brought this into Mr. *****'s attention but he completely ignored it.

  Pleased find attached the assessment of the landscaping architect we engaged.

  Again and again we are waiting for OBFR to come and do the right repairs and work. We live a night mare since we engaged them. So far there are only words and no action. We paid what we had to pay at that point in time and maybe even more providing the poor quality of the incomplete work done. They are welcome to come and finish the work and complete the repairs to our satisfaction. It is 2023 now and we engaged them in 2021. How long do we have to wait?  

   

  Providing the circumstances we have no choice but to go to file a claim to the small claims court. Enough is enough. They ignored us, our lawyers and we lost money (former lawyer), we cannot enjoy our property since we engaged them, it affects our wellbeing and health, and our foundation is deteriorating everyday.

  Sincerely,

  
  ******* ****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩