ComplaintsforGooden & Daughter Plumbing & Sewer Contractor

• Initial Complaint

  11/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  06/23/22- present Lateral line improperly installed in June 2022. Line not connected correctly leaving a large gap between 4 and 6" pipe (proof via video done 10/22) which is causing stairs to sink. Gooden sent unskilled labor to perform master plumbing tasks, damaged my property, cut into a brand new HVAC system line and their shoddy work left me with no laundry facilities, no tub or shower, no kitchen sink and a rocking toilet. Gooden failed their city inspection of my home three times, then gave no reply to my request for a refund. I don't want them on my property ever again. Business practices are fraudulent, have improper/illegal city permits and are in breach of our signed contract. In addition, a denial of liability insurance claim from their insurance provider has been issued as well as a complaint with the city plumbing inspection board. I can go on. Gooden took $11,238 from me for shoddy work performed and Gooden intended to defraud me in the future by performing shoddy, unskilled work. I will incur another $15-20,000 to fix their negligent and unskilled work. They need to give me every penny of my money I paid to them.

  Business response

  12/19/2022

  Dear Sir: I am responding to the complaint from *** ****** - The underground work passed the plumbing inspection. Later ** ****** informed me that our connection under the steps had come apart which happens sometimes during backfill. I informed her that we would like to come and make the repair good. She would not allow us to do that. - The plumbing piping work did not pass plumbing inspection on 2 occasions. This is because a lot of the piping was done by another contractor. It was not until after the 2nd inspection, the inspector informed me that we have to take responsibility for all piping even if we only install a portion of it. Whoever comes to do her work will be using the materials we have installed. . I informed *** ****** we would correct all piping even though we did not install it. She would not let us come back to make the repairs. I tried calling her several times, no response. She sent me an email demanding that all the funds she paid be returned. We would be willing to do a partial refund of her monies paid. Sincerely *** ****** ******

  Customer response

  12/21/2022

  Complaint: ********
  I am rejecting this response because:  *** ****** has again told a pack of lies and I can prove it.

  1. Breach of contract. Lateral line Connection was not made correctly.  (See contract, videos and leak detection reports attached).  This failure to connect was not due to settling backfill or some other force that "happens sometimes'  this was a deliberate use of improper materials and not digging out the foundation wall properly (see photos of concrete line at foundation wall).  When an emergency excavation of the area was done, it revealed what Gooden and Daughter Plumbing had actually done was connect a 3" pipe to a 4" then tried to connect the 3"  pipe from inside the house (pushing it through unexcavated soil) to the exterior 6" pipe.  Because they did not dig far enough out under the foundation, they failed to connect the pipes properly leaving a 2" gap in which wastewater pooled under my front stairs, causing them to sink and raw sewage to back up into the basement.   There were bellies in their lateral replacement as well.  This was caused by unlevel pipe laying and not enough rock backfill to stabilize the pipes. (See American Leak Detection report),

  2.  Permit violations.  Gooden & Daughter failed permit #********** three times, not two as she states in her reply.  (See attached city report)   I also have filed a complaint with The St Louis City Plumbing Board.  I have included the Plumbing Inspection Supervisor's notes from his visit to my home after I fired Gooden and Daughter.  As for her offering to "repair" the problem, I did not trust her OR her workers to return to my home.  EVER.  They completely shattered and broke my trust in the ability of Gooden and Daughter to fix the problems that THEY CAUSED when doing work on my home.  I corresponded through email with Ms Gooden because every time we spoke on  the phone, she lied to me and changed her story.  They left me with no shower, no tub, no laundry facilities, no kitchen water, a rocking toilet and permits that would not pass inspection.  

  3.  The laborer Ms Gooden sent to my home damaged my brand new 10 day old HVAC system but cutting into the coolant line and disconnecting the electrical system from the exterior unit causing the AC to fail during 100 degree temperatures.  I had to pay for the damages out of pocket.  Ms Gooden promised to pay me back.  Again she lied.  I have never received reimbursement for damages.  Another breach of trust and contract.

  4.  HORRIBLE, UNSKILLED workmanship.  Used rubber couplings and aluminum clamps underground on the lateral line (see photo),  failed to connect interior lateral to external lateral lines (see photo), workers  installed traps upside down (see photo), used shark bite clamps on plastic water lines, did not use a level on any part of their work and did not vent any part of their work correctly.  As far as her offering to work around and fix the "other contractors work", she never offered to do that for me.  She only said that "its another contractors work" and not once offered any solution to the problem, she only blamed me for the discrepancy and left a pile of dirt in my basement for three weeks before she sent someone back to pour a 1/2 inch of concrete over their shoddy work.   To add, workers disposed of soil in the alley dumpster behind my home.  

  5.  Permit # ********** ordered by Gooden & Daughter on 06/22/2022 was for a separate contract than the one *** ****** claims passed inspection.  I have attached a copy of the first page of the contract to this reply, there is no more room to attach my evidence.  However,   I have more photographic evidence if needed.  
  

  Sincerely,
  ****** * ******

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