ComplaintsforMeek J's Masonry

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We contracted with Meek J’s Masonry to redo a patio on 7/12/202. He was to remove old patio pavers, remove a concrete walkway, regrade and relevel patio area to provide proper drainage, create 3 patio flower boxes, and lay new pavers, among other things. (See contract) Because we were moving into the property on 7/20/2022, time was of the essence, an Meek told us he could complete the project in 3 days, and would start the following Tuesday - finishing the following Thursday. Meeks contract and website claim he is an accredited business with the BBB, and that he has an A- rating with you. He does NOT. Instead of arriving at the prescribed time of 10 am on Tuesday, he showed up at 6:35 that evening! Now in a rush, he proceeded to dig up our existing pavers and dump them in a pile in our driveway, ruining many pavers in the process, and damaging our driveway. (“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I’ll resurface it. Just the cost of doing business.”) Day two, he showed up late again, this time with a bunch of underage kids “in a program.” He never told me about any program… These 15 yr olds were left at my house with no work gloves, no tools, no training and no instructions, while Meek left to pick up the rest of his “crew,” leaving them unsupervised at my house for 4 1/2 hours! (See texts) Goofing off, they broke my fence and dented my brand new gutters. (See pictures) Things only got worse from there. The new crew members were no better prepared that the kids before them. Now there were 7 people on site with no experience, and with 1 shovel, 1 rake, and 1 wheelbarrow between them. No leveling devices at all; no transit, no 6 ft levels, not even a single line level. No grade was ever established, steps were installed with no underlayment, no leveling sand was used, flower boxes were not square and were below grade. He was way over his head. He was fired and his work had to be removed. He left our drive unusable. We’d like our deposit $ back.

  Business response

  09/13/2022

  see attached

  Meek J’s Masonry
  
  We signed the contract on 7/11/2022 and started the job on
  Day 1 7/12//2022. The first day consisted of removal of old materials, removal of 5 tons of patio
  pavers and 7 .5 tons of concrete which we placed in another area of their home for easy access to the
  dump yard.
  Day 2 7/13/2022 just so happens to be my birthday. Me and my crew began moving concrete and
  organizing pavers on a pallet and excavating for new patio area. We also removed excavated concrete
  and pavers from the property.
  Day 3 7/14/2022 we began laying out the flower beds and excavating for curved sidewalk area,
  unloading 5 tons of new patio base and 2 tons of sand. As we worked the customer was constantly in
  our way, so I had to ask her to let us do our job. She refused it’s almost as if she didn’t want us doing the
  job, she signed a contract for. Everything she wanted done she approved it 1 st this seemed to work. so I
  began to let her tell us how she wanted her steps and flowerbed area which both got approved by her,
  we both decided our next shift to bring the patio pavers area down for more water drainage throughout
  the patio area.
  Day 4 7/15/2022 it rained most of the day, I contacted the customer and told them that we would
  not be working on this day due to the weather.
  Day 5 7/16/2022 we arrived at the customers house they refused to let us work on their property and
  told me and my crew they didn’t not want us finishing the project, to get off their property. I began
  recording the work we had completed and all the equipment that was used we started packing up our
  equipment and tools, as we were doing so the customer mentioned to me that they wanted their
  money back in 30 days and I didn’t agree with that demand. I told them I will contact them after I added
  up the receipts for materials, labor for my men and heavy equipment that was being used to get the job
  done. The customer then requested we not return to property and that he hired someone else.
  ***** ** ******* ** **** ******************************************* * *******************************************
  
  Materials that the owner kept, and photos of work completed+Contract

  Customer response

  09/13/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  

  Saturday, July 9, 2022:
  We hired ******* ** ******* **** **** *** ******** to deliver some pallets of patio pavers to our property from County Block and Stone in Fitchburg for a new patio we were planning.  (We paid cash - see receipt)
  
  While he was on site, we explained our original contractor had just backed out of the project, and that we were looking for another.  We explained the scope of work and emphasized that proper drainage was our top priority, as we ha spent the previous 16 months renovating our 150 year old home, and proper water management was the only reason for the new patio area.
  
  Mr. ****** not only claimed he could do the job, but also claimed he could get it done with his crew in 3 days. (Time was of the essence, as we were moving into the house on July 20th.)  He agreed to start the following Tuesday, July 12 at 10 am, and would complete the project by the evening of Thursday, July 14, 2022.
  
  We signed a contract and gave him a $3800 retainer. (See contract - which fraudulently bears the BBB seal claiming accreditation and an A- rating which he does NOT have.  The BBB has since filed a “Misuse of Logo” case against Meek J’s Masonry)
  
  Tuesday, July 12, 2022:
  Mr. ****** did not arrive as scheduled.
  I finally texted him at 1:42PM, at 2:04 PM and finally at 6:15 PM asking if he was still coming. (See texts)
  In fact, he did not arrive until 6:35 PM! Because he was so late and in such a rush, he dug up the existing patio pavers and dumped them in a pile in our driveway, damaging not only the pavers, but our driveway as well. He DID remove a concrete pathway, load it into his trailer and dispose of it.  He worked until 8:00 PM and promised to be back the following morning at 9:00 AM with his crew.
  (He asked if he could leave his skid steer in our garage overnight, which we later learned was to hide it, as it was being repossessed for non-payment)
  
  Wednesday, July 13, 2022:
  The next day, he was late again. When he did arrive after 11 AM, he brought children to my home as his “crew”, and immediately left to get “the rest of my crew.” He was gone for 4 1/2 hours leaving the kids with no gloves, no tools, no instructions and no supervision. Just dumped them and left them.
  I put them to work stacking the pavers Mr. ****** dumped in our driveway the night before. During this time, one of the “crew,” while climbing on the pile of pavers and goofing off, broke off the top of one of our fence slats. (See photo)
  By 1:34 PM I texted Mr. ****** asking what was going on. (See texts)
  At 2:04 PM I texted again. (See texts)
  At 3:00 PM I texted again. (See texts)
  At 3:30 PM Mr. ****** arrived with 3 more workers and a load of gravel he dumped in the street and immediately left to get another load of gravel. The new crew were slightly older, but no better prepared. They had zero experience, and they had only 1 shovel, 1 rake and 1 wheelbarrow for the 6 of them.
  At 4:15 PM Mr. ****** finally returned and took charge of his crew and they began spreading the gravel.
  At 4:45 PM a person from County Block and Stone arrived to show Mr. ****** how to lay the pattern for the pavers, (Something Mr. ****** did not know how to do!) but it was clear the job was nowhere near ready for pavers.  No sand had been brought to the site or laid, the site was not leveled and Mr. ****** did not have any tools to do so. He did not have a single level…
  We expressed our concern, our builder expressed concern and the gentleman from County Block and Stone expressed concern, but Mr. ****** began laying pavers directly on the gravel anyway with no established grade. (See photos)
  
  Thursday, July 14, 2022:
  10:30 AM Mr. ****** arrived with “the crew” and the sand we told him he needed. However, he couldn’t get the sand out of his trailer because his battery was dead. All work stopped until he could find someone to give him a jump.  The tamping machine he rented to pack down the gravel ran out of gas and he had no gas to refill it. He asked if we had a gas can he could use! (We didn’t because we are all battery powered) So all work stopped while he left to get gas.  Upon his return he insisted on setting the steps into the house even though he had not yet determined a grade BECAUSE HE STILL HAD NO TOOLS TO DO SO! No transit, no level, no corner square, not even a single line level.  Mr. ****** left again to go buy a line level at the hardware store.  All work stopped again.
  At this point we were very concerned.  The steps were set, but were crooked (see photos) with no underlayment to prevent them from sinking after the first rain. There was an entire pallet of stone in the middle of the patio area, so even with proper tools, no grade could be established. The flower boxes were below grade and lopsided, (see photos) and the “crew” was just standing around watching Mr. ****** spin his wheels.
  It was very clear at this point that Mr. ****** had no idea what he was doing and didn’t have even the rudimentary knowledge or tools to complete this job.  We tried to address our concerns, but Mr. ****** did not want to hear it.  
  The gentleman from County Block and Stone arrived to help address some of the issues and at this point everyone was insisting that he find a proper grade before continuing, but Mr. ****** was not listening to anyone.  Absolutely nothing was getting done.  The crew went home.  We finally asked Mr. ****** to stop and leave the site.
  THIS IS WHEN THE PATIO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETE.
  
  Friday, July 15, 2022:
  It rained all day.  Not a word from Mr. Watson.
  We reached out to other contractors and to County Block and Stone for advice. We made the decision to fire Mr. ****** but were concerned about his temper and what might happen when we told him.  The gentleman from County Block and Stone agreed to come help mediate. (See texts)
  
  Saturday, July 16, 2022:
  Although we all agreed to be at the site by 9:30 AM, Mr. ****** didn’t arrive until 11:15 AM, (see texts) and the screaming began.  He ranted and raved, called us names, but finally loaded up his machine and left - leaving piles of gravel, sand and stone pallets all over our driveway, making it unusable. (See photos)
  Mr. ****** has refused to discuss the situation in any reasonable way ever since. (See texts)
  
  Monday, July 18, 2022:
  All pavers and blocks set by Mr. ****** were removed by us.
  
  Tuesday, July 19, 2022:
  Asked a friend to come with his transit, levels and small bobcat to regrade patio area and remove improperly installed steps.
  
  Saturday, July 23, 2022:
  Hired Dan Anderson to help remove gravel from our driveway (see receipt)
  
  Friday, August 5, 2022:
  Reached out to the Better Business Bureau to register a complaint and request mediation. We were assigned case #17708619
  
  Monday, September 12, 2022:
  The BBB closed the case.  They attempted to reach Mr. ****** and Meek J’s Masonry on 3 occasions but Mr. ****** refused to respond. A Misuse of Logo case was also filed against Meek J’s Masonry. No mediation is possible because of refusal to respond.
  
  
  

  
  
  ******** ****** ******

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