Business ProfileforCustom Carpentry

The weeks of July 19-26, Joe G***** installed two sinks, two faucets, and a new shower head/handle with corresponding plumbing. The day Joe completed the work, July 29, a large leak seeped into the floor of the second story bathroom and through the ceiling of our lower story. We have accrued over $500 in plumbing fees from an emergency visit, during which the plumber confirmed that Joe had not soldered properly, causing water to pool in the wall adjacent to an electrical box, and causing extensive damage to floor/ceiling. We will need a general contractor to fix the water damage, and a plumber to return to re-install the shower. We will need to re-order parts that Joe did not install correctly and essentially broke. I hired Joe in good faith that he was skilled in this area to complete this job, and it has turned into what will be an extremely expensive exercise in negligence. Joe is not responding to phone calls, texts, or emails. I asked him to not cash his check, and he did.

Updated 8-3-21 email below sent to the business:

Hello Joe,

I am forwarding our documentation of extensive damage done to our home, caused (as confirmed by *** and corresponding paperwork) by incomplete soldering on the shower pipes done by you yesterday, 7/29.  This caused water to build up in the wall, seep through the ceiling, and accrue severe water retention and damage to our lower level bedroom.  The leak was adjacent (and inches away from) an electrical box in the wall, which as I'm sure you know could have resulted in loss of life due to electrocution if the circumstances had been a little more unlucky.  

I requested that you not cash the check for your work, and I saw this morning that you had.  I think that is is fair to pay you for the portion of work that you did that did not result in damage, and I am happy to have a discussion about what you evaluate that to be.  I would, however, like for you to assume at least partial responsibility of the extensive bills that we have and will be accruing to repair damage to our upstairs floor, downstairs ceiling, and shower that was not installed correctly.  I believe that a fair resolution would be for you to cover half of our expenses related to the repair of our home due to your negligence.  I am cc'ing on this email a contact at the Better Business Bureau of New Mexico, with whom I spoke on the phone this morning, and I would also like to inform you that if we do not come to a resolution in the next week you will be served with papers and the matter will be resolved elsewhere.

Our current expenses are $536.76- I expect remission of half of that amount plus the shower portion of our bill, which you listed as $112.50.  This total comes to $380.88.  You can send this check to ** *** ***, Tesuque, NM 87574.  Please notify me when it is in the mail and I will halt other proceedings.  Please see attached images and notes confirming the diagnosis of the problem as resulting directly from your work.

Thank you,

*****