ComplaintsforBlackdog Builders, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had my bathroom and kitchen remolded. The tub was not level and water was pouring over the side and going through a new light fixture onto my newly installed hardwood floors. It weeks to level it so if were careful it no longer leaks however they cracked the tub and refused to replace it but fixed it however the fix did not work and the crack remains. They were rude and bullying. The ceiling paint flakes off. They re-painted the ceiling and it lasted a week and now the flakes of paint fall into the tub. The kitchen crown molding is separating on all the corners. A cabinet door is literally hanging off. The paint in all the rooms looks like stucco. They hide a new painter to fix the worst of it but it is now flaking off doors.The marble baking area was not put in correctly and there were gaping holes which they did attempt to remedy.

  

  Business response

  05/02/2024

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the complaint filed by our customer and aim to clarify several inaccuracies while providing our perspective. We respectfully disagree with the customers characterization of her project and are, frankly, surprised by this complaint.
  
  Despite the challenges inherent in extensive remodeling projects, we have addressed all issues promptly and professionally in accordance with industry standards. The root of this customers complaint comes from her inability to pay past due invoices, ultimately leading to our suspending further work for non-payment, which was exercised as a last resort option. We only suspended work AFTER securing a signed Certificate of Acceptance (evidence submitted with this response) where this customer represented that her project was substantially complete and that the space was usable for its intended purpose. To that note, we have included pictures of the finished project, as well as evidence of this customer expressing high satisfaction with our project, notably her kitchen, which she referred to as the most beautiful kitchen ever in a text on September 1st, 2023 (evidence submitted with this response).
  
  Furthermore, we have offered repeatedly to finish the punch list items listed on aforementioned Certificate of Acceptance and address the additional items that she has been asking us to remedy after she pays her outstanding balance and lets us assess what would fall under our craftsmanship warranty vs. what may fall under non-warrantable conditions, or wear and tear, etc. given that it has been a year since the project was completed in a manner satisfactory and acceptable to this customer on May 8, 2023.
  
  Regarding the financial aspects, we havent received any money from this customer since November 7, 2022, and this customers account has been in arrears since an invoice dated December 14, 2022. Therefore, we continued to incur costs and overextend our financial position for five additional months until the customer acknowledged the Certificate of Completion on May 8th, 2023. This customer has repeatedly acknowledged this debt, stating that I do owe this money, I have no intention of stiffing Blackdog, etc. (evidence submitted with this response), and we have exercised extreme patience waiting for these promised payments. We have made repeated, documented attempts to amicably resolve these payment issues, and it is only recently, now that we are threatening legal recourse by means of arbitration (in accordance with the dispute resolution section of our contract), that she has resorted to complaining on social media outlets and filing this complaint.
  
  To directly address the specific complaints:
  1. Unlevel Tub and Cracks: Adjustments and repairs were made promptly. Documentation of repairs are available and include pictures of physical levels sitting along the tub edges before and after the adjustments were made, as well as bills from the crack repair company. We are not aware that the crack remains, but this would certainly be addressed along with the other punch list items if the customer would simply pay her overdue balance. Additionally, the original crack was on the outside skirt along the floor line which would not represent an immediate safety issue for water damage, and you will note that the crack was not listed on the punch list.
  

  2. Flaking Paint: The original paint work was not up to our standards either, so complete repainting was performed by a second reputable third-party contractor (at our cost) promptly upon notification, and further assessment of current quality issues would be addressed along with the other punch list items if the customer would simply pay her overdue balance.
  

  3. Crown Molding and Cabinet Door: Anything that has changed since the punch list that was created by the customer on the Certificate of Acceptance will be assessed in accordance with the standards issued in the Residential Construction Performance Guidelines Fourth Edition published by the ***** in accordance with our 3-year Warranty, as outlined in our contract.

  We hope that this evidence will show that we have acted in good faith and in accordance with our agreed upon contract and have also exercised extreme patience with this customer. We are committed to resolving this dispute and remain open to negotiation through our legal representatives or through arbitration if necessary. Our goal is to reach a fair resolution that acknowledges the quality of our work and respects the contractual obligations of both parties. While we do not have a definitive timeframe for the resolution of these proceedings, we want to affirm our serious commitment to finding a fair and timely resolution.
  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

*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. ↩