ComplaintsforGreenZone Landscape & Design Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Started a landscape project in Dec 2022 and the project is not finished. Timeline: Dec 28, 2022 - bag of rocks dropped off ahead of job start. Paid $1447.00 via ACH 27DEC2022 for 1st portion of project.Jan 5, 2023 - 1st day to do some of the work. (feedback provided after I returned home and could view the state of progress during the daylight). **** requested full balance payment of $3378.00 from my wife whom he was not authorized. This took place before I returned home to see the progress of job. Jan 7 - I contacted **** to question progress, decisions made and to request a return to address outages per the original invoice.Jan 23, 2023 - 2nd day team returned to work at my property to do some more work. Still not level in either the top fire pit area or the main area off the deck. I was at the house this day to address questions during the day and at the end. It was clear on Jan 23 that the tiers were still not level and the team needed to come out again with the right amount of materials to complete the job per the quote and invoice.Leveling of the backyard for both fire pit area at the top and the lower tier off the deck. Per ****'s comments Jan 7, 2023 was that he needed more m10 sand and pea gravel to make this absolutely level.The tiers are not level per the invoice. Fire pit tier leveling is critical.There is grass and weeds growing up underneath a thin layer of pea gravel as there are only small patches of landscaping fabric in some areas. There is no landscape fabric in the firepit tier.There are now multiple blocks that have come loose on the wall separating the large tier pea gravel with the mulch. Steps from the tiers have a lip that is a trip hazard and the step up to the tiers exceed a normal step height. This is critical for safety.There is a portion of the large lower tier that has no pea gravel, just exposed sand. There is no consistent material separation strategy to keep pea gravel and mulch from mixing.

  Business response

  08/05/2023

  After er 3 various times and multiple attempts to this issue we told the customer that leveling pea gravel just wasnt possible. Every patio that gets built will have a pitch to allow water to drain. The project looked great and needed to be adjusted a bit which we communicated with the customers spouse. If you will see attached the area was as level as we could get within the budget we had been given. We came out 2 **** times and since have received harassment in the form of phone calls along with prank phone calls from the individual. We also did a walk around with his wife and she said everything looked great and thus made the final payment. I understand the way he worded this makes us look bad however we had 5 star reviews until he has filed a complaint with ****** and seems that he is trying to get more then what was on the estimate for free. 

  Customer response

  08/07/2023

  As you can see from the email correspondence attached, I have documented that status of the job.  I have tried to reach **** many times since he was last at my house in January.  For a while he would respond to my texts or answer my calls. 
  I can send you all of our texts since Dec as I have kept all of them.
  In a text May 8, I stated that we started this process back in Dec and it was going to be Mother's Day that coming Sunday.  I asked him to please confirm his plan and timing to finish.  He responded that day "I will let you know this week for sure, I promise." No response that week from him.
  **** and I spoke on 16June.  During this discussion, he said that he would come out by the end of the following week.  That would either be Fri June 23 or June 24.  I changed plans for that weekend to be at my house for him and his crew. I sent texts *** and *** am asking to confirm when they would be at my house.   **** did not show up as promised that weekend.  
  The last time we spoke on June 30, I had to call from a different phone number.  He picked up and we discussed the items that needed to be addressed.  He asked that I send him photos and dimension.  I sent him multiple photos that day to his cell number that I called him on earlier that day.  **** indicated during our call that he would finish this up during the 4th of July weekend likely Mon July 3 he said.  The last text I received from **** was on Mon July 3 asking if we could meet and get everything together as one of the guys put gas into a diesel engine.  I responded that I was at the house on the 3rd for him to stop by and that I would be back at my house I after ran the Peachtree 10K on July 4th.  
  I had not heard from **** by any means since July 3 until today (07AUG2023) when he responded to my email asking him to call him on a different phone number **************.  He stated that he no longer had my phone number and that his phone with ************ was damaged.  Note:  I had tried to reach **** at his business website, so he had my contact there.
  Attached files in this correspondence:
  1) Email thread documenting status; Before i returned home from work on Jan 5, **** showed my wife the back yard and requested the full payment.  Note: my wife was not involved in the details of the project.  **** had never met, nor spoken with my wife before that day and he certainly was not authorized to request payment from her before I got to see the progress from this day.
  2) Image of the fast food bag that was left by his crew on the second work day 23JUN2023 at the house.  My dog got into this by the next morning.
  3) Fire pit tier not level.  This is a critical safety item in this area of the back yard. A slight grade and the sand + gravel materials selected allow for water flow after a rain. Too much of a grade is a safety concern around the firepit.
   
  I can upload other images should you request.

  Business response

  08/08/2023

  I have reached out and have not heard back this has been the worst experience I apologize for my delay however we are a new small business that had other deposits and customers waiting for projects to get started. I have tried calling **** and have not heard back

  Customer response

  08/10/2023

  August 10, 2023.
  
  I have been a homeowner since **** and have had many house projects involving contractors.  Some of them small and some of them multi day projects.  Additionally, I have had multiple other contractor projects since December 2022 at my house that have gone very well.  This one has been unique in terms of quality,service, duration, communication and the energy I have spent trying to have this project completed. 
  
  I have never had a project where a contractor asked my wife for payment like what **** did after the 1st day at the job site.  Again, my wife was not involved in the details of the project.  **** had never met, nor spoken with my wife before that day and he certainly was not authorized to request the balance of payment from her before I got to see the progress from this day.
  
  We started this process in December of 2022 with the hopes of enjoying our backyard during the Spring and ************* ****** is back in session now and I have a daughter getting married Labor Day weekend.  I did not think having this completed by the time friends and family arrived would have been an issue when we started this project in December 2022.
  
  Original invoice attached. Highlight the word level.  Mentioned multiple times.  Tiers still not leveled.
  Leveling In order to finish the leveling, the base of dirt and M10 sand needs to be built up, vs just apply more to the top layer of pea gravel.  This will not get level and will be loose.
  Tree root concerns.  The team should have approached leveling by adding to the lower side vs digging into the top side which was into the roots of a large oak tree on the back of the fire pit area.  If roots are damaged this tree could be lost and cause damage to my property or a neighbors' property.
  
  From Invoice in attachment
  M10 Sand - To level yard and around fire pit also cover grass in back to create and level surface for installing pea gravel
  Pea Gravel - For drainage and going on top of the compacted m10 sand/crushed granite.  The pea gravel is the understood top cover material once base is leveled with stones, m10 sand and then landscape fabric.   
  
  Safety trip hazards in and around a firepit, step heights in attachment.
  Material separation strategy and containment strategy.   In attachment
  Design Missed the mark.  Needed to return to correct and address items not meeting design intent.  This is still not completed.  In attachment. 
  Communication.  Requested punch list of plan for how the job will be completed and by when.  Never heard back from **** after multiple requests
  
  *************************

  Business response

  08/11/2023

  Tried calling again to no avail 

  Customer response

  08/14/2023

  **** left me a voicemail on Friday 11AUG in the middle of the day.  I returned the call mid afternoon around 3:30pm once I was free to return the call.  I said that I would be available at the same number he called me for the rest of the day as I was finished with my scheduled meetings.  I did not hear back from ************, Sat, Sun or Mon (11-14AUG).  There was no email or text with a punchlist of what he will do and when he will be at my house to address.

  ****

  Business response

  08/19/2023

  I have attached a copy of the estimate with some notes and will call **** this week to set up a time to get the job completed. We will need a different game plan to appease the homeowner and to create a level area. We will need to use pavers, and or move the fire pit area to create a level space. 

  Customer response

  08/21/2023

  This is the same invoice from 22DEC2022 with a comment at the bottom stating that

  - "the m10 sand or crushed granite is used for a base when doing pavers and helps create stability" - Why was this material initially suggested if there were no pavers in the scope of the project?  Was this the best way to approach the objective of providing level tiers?

  The other comments were - 

  - "I explained to **** that pea gravel could not be completely level" - I have understood the entire time that the objective was to be level my backyard in multiple tiers and that the pea gravel was only the top layer.   The proper amount of the proper base layer material would need to be used 1st.  Landscape fabric should be used before the top layer.  I still have grass growing where a small layer of pea gravel was spread.  Also, pea gravel is naturally loose, so a containment and separation strategy would need to be used.  I have provided documentation in my previous responses where this was not the case. 

  - "He would not let us remove tree roots that would be necessary even if we could make the pea gravel level." - Removing the roots and potentially damaging a *****' Oak tree was never in scope.  Leveling should have been approached by raising up the end of the firepit tier opposite from the tree versus lower the end by the tree roots.  Again, the proper amount of the proper base layer material would need to be used 1st.

  I enjoyed my backyard prior to this project, but I wanted to level this in 2 or 3 different tiers for a safe and more aesthetically pleasing yard.  My yard was a 5 in before the project started in December of 2022, and after investing $4800, my yard feels like a 2 or a 3.  Recall, we are still discussing this project after **** asks my wife for full payment at the end of his 1st day with the crew on the project before I returned home to view progress. 

  Options in order or my preferences at this point- 

  1) Have **** return the money.  

  2) Have **** pay for someone to complete the job.

  3) *********; to commit to doing this properly with a plan and timing. -  Note: I have asked for timing and a punchlist for what and when **** will finish this job.  I have not seen this after multiple requests.  He had previously committed to being at my house on a few occasions, but was a no show.    I do not recall **** taking measurements of my backyard when he came out for a quote. However, I did have to provide him with measurements for areas to address since he did not show up on days when I planned to be there for him to do or prepare to finish the job.

   

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