Business ProfileforCusack Builders

I contacted Cusack Builders (ROC #******) August 17 of 2022. I asked if they did covered patios. They said yes, and ******************************* came over to the house to discuss what I wanted. He wrote down the details and sent me a bid on August 22 of 2022. I accepted the bid, signed the contract and sent it back. **** said that he would need $600 to get the ball rolling by getting a building permit. I mailed him a check for $600 on August 25 of 2022. He said that building permits were taking 6 to 8 weeks to be processed by the ****************, so I waited to hear back from him. Since I did not hear back from him, I contacted him on November 28 of 2022 to get the status of the building permit. When I finally talked to him, he said that he did not have one yet. Since he never initiated any contact with me and never returned texts or voice mails, I only got to talk with him when he answered the phone. When he did not answer the phone and it went to his voice mail, it said that they respond better to texts and not to leave a message. So I would leave a text, but he would not reply to it. When I did call him every week or so for status, he always had an excuse why the permit was not obtained I was on vacation, I am busy with another customer, will call you later (but he never called), I need to lock myself in the office for a few hours to get this done (apparently he never did that), I was sick for several days, The city is giving me the run around and wont accept what I am submitting, and other excuses. One day he even said that he was going to go to ******** and talk to them in person about the permit and he would call me and let me know what they said. Of course, he did not call me. So, after 3 days I called him and asked what the city said about the permit. He said that they would not talk to him face to face. They only do interactions via their website. Finally, on February 3 of 2023, I called the city myself to ask about the permit status. They said that there were a few issues with what **** had submitted and they could not proceed with the permit until he submitted more information. When I asked how long the issues had been sitting there unaddressed, they said since November 17 of 2022. That being the case, I texted **** on February 6 of 2023 and told him it seemed like he wasnt really interested in doing the project, so I would like him to cancel the permit request and refund my money. That text he actually replied to immediately. He said Thats not the case at all. But I will refund minus the cancellation fee from the city. I will not deduct anything for all my work. Thanks ****. Since then, I have made repeated requests to him via texts to cancel the permit request and refund my money. If he replies, he says that he will, but as of this date, the permit is still open and I have received no money. On February 23 of 2023, he asked me how much money I had sent him and when. I responded on the 23rd that we sent him $600 via check on August 25 of 2022. So, he has $600, I have wasted more than 6 months waiting for him and I have to start all over with someone else. I am not happy with Cusack Builders.