ComplaintsforHCP

• Initial Complaint

  11/16/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Contract was signed to turn a basement into a mother-in-law suite on 3/10/2021. Due to Covid the contract was delayed many many many months. It was completed on or about Sept 8 2021. The fireplace insert which the contract references "install standard fireplace insert" was never operational. After multiple requests through October and November to come and fix it I have contacted a local company to take a look.Additionally, this contractor did work on a house in ******** ********. Because he was never completing his work in a timely manner, I paid him to get him off of my property. He did not complete that contract either. That contract was to paint the entire house. He did not. He did not paint the closet in the kitchen.

  Business response

  02/18/2022

  Feb 7th, 2022 
  

  Dear ***** ******:  
  

  Response to complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau. First, I have been licensed in as a General Contractor Washington DC & Maryland, and also licensed with the Maryland Home  Improvement Commission. This is the first Complaint I have received in 13 years.  
  

  Second, the “Contractor / Client relationship” between *** ****** and Home Contractors Plus  began four (4) years ago.  
  Third – I think – this Complaint is in bad faith. 
  

  1. A clear and concise answer to each allegation contained in the complaint;  Allegations: 
  - Contract was to turn a basement into a mother-in law suit on 3/10/2021, and had a  delayed completion due to Covid on Sept 8th 2021. 
  - Installed standard fireplace not / never operational 
  - Claim to have made multiple requests to fix and had another contractor “take a look.”

  - Additional a claim that a house in Elkridge MD was not completed in a timely manner.

  - “I paid him to get off my property” but “did not complete that contract either.”

  - “Contract was to paint the entire house. He did not. He did not paint the closet in the  kitchen.” 
  

  Background: Home Contractors Plus started working with this client – ***** ****** for about 4  years now. The first encounter with the client started when the client’s husband refused to pay the final payment on the job. The client reassured us she would pay us since she was satisfied with the quality of work performed. The client informed us that they owned a rental unit in Silver  Springs which had a few violations to be repaired. The client informed that a previous contractor started the work which was not completed and ran away with their money. 

  I have had my license in one form or another in DC – MD for 13 years and I have never had a  complaint or one filed against me; I am an honest and ethical contractor. 
  BBB Complaint: Upon receiving the first notification from Better Business Bureau by email of  the Complaint it was a complete surprise to learn that the client stated we did not paint inside the  coat closet in the kitchen. I called the client which went to voicemail. I text the client asking  when we could come back to paint the closet. The client informed me that the house is on the  market and the closet still needs painting. We have reached out to the client on several occasions  to paint the closet. We are even willing to compensate the client for this closet. 
  The details of the scope of work by were: 
  Reference the WRITTEN CONTRACT.  
  The genesis of this dispute is as follows:  
  Two years after completing the first husband related job for the client, she called to request we start on the Silver Spring rental property and the unfinished basement which the previous contractor started, but did not complete. 
  We visited the site and gave the client an estimate. Terms were agreed upon and then signed the contract. Relevant permits were obtained. The project started on time.  
  The previous contractor did not obtain Permits and no inspections of their work were performed  by the relevant authorities. Thus a request was made to the County and **** inspectors to do an  inspection. The findings were that the gas and plumbing lines in the chimney were vented  incorrectly as well as the gas hot water heater was incorrectly vented.  
  Reasons for Delay: The **** inspector placed a Stop Work Order on the project. I informed the  client. Client wanted to speak with the inspector. I gave her the cell phone number of the  inspector who placed the violation. She had a conversation with the inspector. 
  We then proceeded and followed the instructions of the **** inspector.  
  The project was delayed due in most part to the STOP WORK ORDER issued by ****’s  inspectors against the previous contractor’s unauthorized work, with a combination of Covid  protocols.
  After the Silver Springs property was completed we got high praises from the client and their friends for the quality of work and the transformation of the space. During the construction we  got nothing but praises from the client. She informed me she was selling her main residence and was moving to Florida. She also said she would like us to renovate the home and she also would  like us to come to Florida to work on the new Florida property.  
  We immediately started the renovations of the minor renovation work on the client's main residence. We installed standard fireplace which is alleged to have never operational. Contrary to  this claim the fireplace was a remote controlled unit which worked perfectly upon installation. The client misplaced the remote control. After being informed, we contacted the factory of unit maker to replace the remote control. This proved fruitless. In the meantime the client contacted  another contractor who modified the unit by installing an on/off switch. We reimbursed her cost  of $165.00 as soon as we were informed. 
  The issue of painting the closet in the kitchen – the client did not give us a chance to at it or remedy the matter. However we offered to compensate without receiving a response. During that  project the progress was a bit hampered due to the movers scheduled. The client also decided she  would sand and refinish the floors on her own. We worked in sink although not as seamless as  we would have liked but we accomplished what we were contracted to do and more.  
  Conclusion: 
  In my view we went above and beyond to facilitate our client. We did renovation work that was outside of our scope of services with no charge. We used our work truck to dump the clients left  over personal effects to the landfill all at no extra charge. In my view - the client and I had a good  working relationship considering it’s’ construction and performing construction for the home  owners can be stressful. 
  Please feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your  assistance in this matter.  
  

  Sincerely 
  Mervin B.
  

  
  

  Business response

  03/18/2022

  March 7th, 2022 
  Dear ***** ******:  
  I received the rebuttal by ***** ****** to my response to her Complaint.  
  *** ****** stated that she was “rejecting” our response to her Complaint because the “contractor made multiple misrepresentations” because it is her impression that the “contractor delayed and  resisted remediating issues while we were living in the area”.  
  I found the complainant’s rebuttal to be bizarre. *** ****** did not deny that the very same  contractor reimbursed her $165.00 for the work performed by the third party contractor she  brought in to remedy the fireplace insert. *** ****** did not deny that the home owner lost the  remote for the fireplace, the reason why ‘it was not working’. *** ****** did not deny our  attempts to remedy the issue with painting the closet.  
  The contractor also notes that *** ******’s first mention of a garbage disposal issue is in her  rebuttal. I also note that *** ****** did not rebut our assertion that this Complaint was made in  bad faith. I further note that *** ******’s rebuttal did not dispute any of the “background we  presented” to the contractual relationship. *** ******’s rebuttal did not dispute the voicemails or  texts to her asking when we could come back to paint the closet. *** ******’s rebuttal did not  dispute that the previous contractor did not obtain Permits and conducted no inspections of their  work with the relevant authorities. *** ******’s rebuttal did not dispute the delay was due to **** inspector placing a Stop Work Order on the project. *** ******’s rebuttal did not dispute that she spoke with the inspector.  
  *** ******’s informed us that after she sold her residence that she was moving to Florida and 
  would like if we could come to Florida to work on the new Florida property located at ****  ******* ** Deland Florida. I took that as an indication she was happy with our performances. 
  Furthermore, not wanting to interact with me is an issue personal to her and not a contract or  performance issue, and in my view is not relevant to her complaint. Furthermore, **. ******’s  rebuttal did not spell out the “misrepresentations” as she asserts, and frankly, her request that her  “complaint stand on the record” is bizarre as to completely ignore our response to her complaint.  Personal feelings without facts to support a complaint are in my view defamatory. I take my  business seriously, and take great care to provide professional services to my clients. 
  

  Conclusion: 
  

  In my view - *** ****** did not support her allegations in her complaint with straight forward  facts. *** ******’s rebuttal did not address the substance of our answer to her complaint, and her  request to have her complaint stand on the record - implying that our response should be  completely ignored - is similar to her behavior many times during our contractual relationship. 
  

  Please feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your  assistance in this matter.  
  

  Sincerely  
  Mervin B.

  Customer response

  03/19/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  

  I am rejecting this response because the contractor delayed to such an extent on multiple repairs that it became extremely unpleasant to work with him and to continue requesting remediation.
  

  
  

  The fireplace insert NEVER HAD A REMOTE CONTROL.  As a result, the remote control was not there to loose.  I am honest and admit to what was and was not completed.  Background information is irrelevant at this point.  The contractual arrangements were never completed satisfactorily.  They still are not.  However, I do not wish to pursue this discussion further.  I do not wish to take the matter to small claims court. 

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******
  

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