ComplaintsforDRJ Construction

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I hired Dennis Roderick ***** to do some work for me. One of the projects was to build out the back of my house for a larger art studio. May, 2022 we talked about the build, he asked for $6k down so I wrote two checks for $3k to get started even though I saw nothing really being done. Some wood showed up but he kept telling me that getting cement would be a problem, there was shortage, but in the meantime he was supposed to be drawing up plans, and getting them to the city. I'm not even sure he did that. Months went by but I still trusted the build would happen. In December 2022 my mom passed away leaving me some money. It was then that I gave Dennis another $10k to get the job done. He could get the cement etc, it all seemed like it was in play. In the meantime he was doing smaller projects for me but there were many times where he wouldn't show up, made excuses. Some times when he would show up it was a quick half hour and then he'd have an excuse to leave. The work Dennis did was not quality. It was winter so it was tough time to build but I expected some work. Then his wife's mom passed so he took a whole month off. Then he had to move his daughter to ********. I wondered how Dennis had money for all this to happen, well, he was spending my money. By February 2023 I thought things would be underway. Still nothing. By May I had had enough. Like I had said the work was not quality and the excuses kept coming. When Dennis didn't even get my pergola set where it had to move for the build to happen I had had it and told him he was fired from any work and that I wanted the money back. I was moving on and would find another builder. Dennis continued making excuses, doing bad work and keeping me "happy" while he spent my money, but once I told him he was fired, he told me he would need time. It finally dawned on me that he probably spent the money. I have texts, emails where he says he will pay me. He need to lose his license. I want my money.

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  5/28/21 Dennis Roderick/ DRJ Construction was hired to remodel our home with a completion date of 9/1/2021, as of 2/2022 nothing is completed and this contractor has taken over $70,000 and has not given us any legitimate receipts. He has lied, he does not show up on appointed dates, does not communicate nor initiate calls when he was supposed to be working. He has worked on property without a license and worked under his fathers license ******************************************** Sr.) after allowing his to lapse.He is untrustworthy in every aspect. His work is not to code and substandard at best.

  Business response

  05/04/2022

  I have attained and spoken with a attorney to deal with Mr *******************

  Customer response

  05/04/2022

  Im finding this very confusing as to how to respond, DRJ construction and Roderick construction has taken money from me and did not provide the contracted agreement. Their services were substandard in every aspect, all Im seeing is a response stating (I have contacted an attorney with regards to my name).

  how in any way does this help me? I have in writing from DRJ Construction (Dennis Roderick) stating he owes me money, I have a video taped recorded meeting with him and his father where he stated his failures.

  again Im confused as to how this action is supposed to be acceptable.

  Business response

  05/09/2022

  Hi ******, I am writing in response to complaint 16734512.

   

  My very first message to **************** regarding his home remodel was April 30, 2021. I gave them a ballpark number of cost on May 18, my exact words were So a quick ballpark without going crazy approx. 50-60,000  I first met them at the site end of May. Since my original estimate, numerous projects were added and changed.  Work commenced in June. From the very beginning I made it clear to the Slagles that I am a very busy contractor, I often times have several projects going at the same time and am juggling several customers at one time.  I do not have a large crew, this too was communicated with the Slagles.  I communicated with the Slagles often, I have hundreds of pages of texts to them over the past year.  I provided them with a cabinet dealer, a garage door contractor and a granite fabricator with whom the Slagles dealt with directly.  We provided electricians, an **** contractor, framers and  myself to do the remainder of the remodel.  While I was working on the ****** residence my license was reaching its expiration date, I renewed my license as soon as I realized this and I was never unlicensed. 

   

  As far as completion date, as with any construction projects there were delays. Unforeseen delays due to the worldwide materials shortage, Covid 19 and a delay in **** being installed all of those items were out of my control.  The Slagles had Covid 19 in November and were continuing to go by the job site.  I let them know I did not want to risk exposure and if they continued to stop by the site I would not be going by. I had hired helpers to assist with minor projects and the Slagles complained about them so eventually I asked those helpers to not return.  A number of times the contractors and workers on site complained that the Slagles were combative and did not want to be there while the Slagles were there.  I gave them permission to leave if they were uncomfortable.  I have never had to tell anyone, on any job, to leave a job because of the homeowners. Over Thanksgiving break I became ill and was down for about a week.  After Christmas, my wife and I got Covid 19 and were down for 2 weeks.  This was the time the Slagles started perusing my dad and threatening his license.  My dad and I met with the Slagles mid January to discuss a plan.  **** wanted me to give him $40,000. My father, acting as a mediator, asked what I wanted to do, I said I wanted to finish the project, which at that time was 95% completed.  ********************* said he did not want me on his job and declined my offer to finish.  He called me a liar because he heard I was in Happy ****, working with a builder Ive been working with for four years.  He understood I was finished with the builder but I was not. I was finishing one of the many houses that are currently under construction.  I never said I was finished with the builder, I was finished with ONE of the projects.  **** knew I worked with this builder and I never said I was not working with that builder anymore.  **** continues to call me a liar but other than the misunderstanding regarding the builder, he has not said what I have lied about. I still dont know what he claims I am lying about.

   

  The day ********************* declined my offer to finish the house, I agreed that I would send him all the receipts from the project.  I retained all receipts and invoices and submitted copies to ****************. It is common practice for contractors to charge a 10% - 20% fee on top of the cost of a build.  I did not include this fee when I submitted receipts to ****************.  The receipts I did include added up to almost $60,000,  most of this cost is in materials, fees paid to the electricians, fees paid to the **** Contractor, pay to the handful of helpers I had on site (people that helped paint, people that helped move brush on the property), framers, ect.  When **************** received the receipts and invoices he texted me I will see you in court.   Since then, he is still demanding a refund of $40,000, all the while, his house reached 95% completion. 

   

  Projects completed at the ****** residence: full kitchen remodel, addition on back of house and master bedroom remodel.  The project of the addition on the back of the house had been added mid construction.  All that should have cost well over $80,000.  I did not charge a ***** over, as a contractor,  what **************** paid for garage doors (new doors and installation of doors), Granite countertops and Cabinets.

   

  I agreed to work with **************** in a handshake/informal way because he was a friend of a friend. When extra, above and beyond, work came up, I just did it on good faith.  This has been a horrible experience for me as a contractor and I learned a valuable ****** on what type of customer I deal with in the future.  ********************* is trying to threaten me and strong arm me into giving him money, money that was fully used in the remodel of his home.

   

  Dennis Roderick Jr.

   

*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. ↩