Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Start date was July 23,2023. The total project cost was $20000.00. As per the contract to stop the erosion on the back and sides of our house. The contractor had agreed to make a 80 retaining wall and make a proper water flow to stop the erosion, put sod on the sides and the backyard after landfill. He was also to fix the deck and replace PVC deck material. The work is not completed as per the contract. The wall is built short and no caps on the top. No drainage arrangement done and not willing to put sod, nor the deck is completed. In other words everything is incomplete and not willing to complete. He is not responding to our request. His phone number is **********.

  Business response

  10/09/2023

  Attention: Customer Relations Representative,
  
  Please find attached my companys written response to amend my BBB Business review. 
  I am taking the issue to the next level since the client is still finding excuses to avoid paying the last portion of the payment as well as the additional services. 
  Best regards,
  
  *************************
  AMK Design & Build    

  Customer response

  10/20/2023

   
  Complaint: 20556436
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Better Business Bureau,
  First of all thanks for getting us a reply from the contractor.
  Well looking at all the points he has mentioned we have reviewed and it seems he is wanting to get undue advantage by giving cooked up information.
  Rachid the contractor met my husband a few times while walking in the evening, during one of their discussions on walk he did mention erosion at our house and planning to build a retaining wall .He himself offered that he can do it and came with him to see the house and the situation of erosion.
  It was he who proposed to do the work and casually mentioned that it is estimated to be around 12 to 13K. Later when he came to know we are planning to do deck remodeling as well He also agreed to do the deck and gave us a total project cost at 20K and he mentioned that he would not replace the guard rails of deck and will use *** planks in place of wood for 25yrs warranty to give a much better look.
  He visited the property multiple times and proposed an 80 retaining wall and put sod on both sides and back yard of the house, beside that he was to put 4 drain system on both sides of the house to stop erosion.
  All the discussion happened verbally. We requested him to write a contract so that we are on the same page. After multiple requests, what he gave was the sketch he had made with a written price on the same and he also mentioned that I am your neighbor and wont do anything wrong. 
  As he only made a 60' wall and was giving excuses, on our repeated request to make the wall till the end of our property as was discussed he mentioned I will do it but kept lingering on.
  1.     It is wrong to mention unforeseen situations such as rocks or other Impediment forcing the construction Crew which in any case is projected wrongly as all the area was seen and nothing unusual was present.
  2.     It is also a wrong statement that  my husband ************************* was supervising the demarcation of length of the wall once an agreement was there to make a wall end to end 80 where was the necessity.
  The team of people were totally working as per his instructions as he was never on sight and was directing over the phone.
  3.     While the Excavation began he had an untrained operator on the machine who toppled the machine and a serious accident could have happened. We were afraid from day one due to his men at work which he assured he has control over.
  4.     If you clearly look at the Scope of work he has mentioned clearly material needed and length of wall as well as other things to be done. He passed small things like putting Tar on blocks as well; the 4 drain pipe was installed without proper holes and gravel. Last minute the holes had to be drilled in the pipe manually.
  5.     The Deck was to be installed with *** slate which he decided to change over to Wood as he started indicating that he is going over the budget and to help him remain within the said price as a neighbor we agreed to use wood which was at of the *** slate cost. He was to paint the deck and repair the siding damaged while making the deck which he never did complete as well he used the substandard and cheap wood he could get.
  6.     Backfilling was estimated by himself and it was wrong to estimate we needed at least 5 to 6 trucks and he would not do so.
  7.     The main cause of dispute started as he did not put side drain pipes as agreed due to which the project was started as we had erosion on the sides of the house and he would not do anything to secure the same as well he started demanding the last payment of $5000.00 which was agreed to be paid on completion of work.
  8.     He was supposed to do sod as per his scope of work as mentioned but
  9.      He wanted to seed the area. Which was not accepted by us as he was taking undue advantage of our simplicity and accepting all that he was wanting. When we declined to further accept his wrong doings he became wild and created a scene and left threatening to put lean on the house and so on.
  10.                        There was no demand made for any work outside the scope and why did he not put it in writing if it was not part of the understanding. He is making all excuses and nothing was asked outside the scope of work.
  11.                        As far as the height of the wall is concerned he was very well aware that he has to build as per city norms and a cap will be needed when you make a wall with blocks which was part of the wall construction. He is making excuses after all this has happened. We even got permission from the *********** to go two inches above the limit of 48 but he did not do any effort to help but was only concerned how to take all the money and leave us in the dark.
  After he left we gave him two weeks time to help complete all work as per our understanding and get his last instalment.
  He decided to take his tools and material leaving the work in bad shape with all dirt and trash behind for almost a complete month. Due to all the trash and dirt all over we had to face our next-door neighbors which put us in so much stress and tension which is not measurable.
  It also became a big problem to hire another contractor due to unfinished job and people started demanding very high rates to complete the job.  
  We had to finally engage another contractor to finish all the work by paying much more than expected.
  The wall is now completed and sod as well as drain pipe fixed except the wall cap.
  I dont think he deserves a good rating as he did not show any professionalism  and work was left incomplete estimation for work was not at all in line and does not have proper workforce .
  We have pictures to support the way he left the premises in a bad condition, and incomplete work.
  We paid him three installments of $5000.00 each by check and $100.00 in cash for his employee for gas. We expect at least fifty percent refund from them.

  
  Thank you
  *********************
  

  
  

  
  

  Business response

  11/07/2023

  Please see attached

*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. ↩