Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/14/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  starts 01/13/ 2023.The amount Over ****** Architectnot dilevering the job i tried to resolve the problem no luck

  Business Response

  Date: 05/31/2024

  On January 13, 2023, ************************* on behalf of MK Lounge DC entered into a contract with Empower Infrastructure for architectural plans. On January 30, 2023, our firm sent **************** the proposed layout. On February 28, 2023, our firm sent **************** the draft architectural plans. On March 13, 2023, our firm sent **************** the final signed and sealed architectural plans. On May 18, 2023, ****************, on behalf of MK Lounge DC, executed a change order for mechanical electrical, and plumbing plans, because the mechanical electrical, and plumbing plans are not included in the scope of the January 13, 2023 contract. On June 14, 2023 and June 20, 2023, our firm sent **************** sent the draft mechanical electrical, and plumbing plans. On August 5, 2023, our firm sent **************** the final signed and sealed architectural, mechanical electrical, and plumbing plans. On April 8, 2024, our firm sent **************** the county comments issued April 5, 2024. On May 1, 2024, our firm informed **************** that a change order was required for addressing some of the county comments that are outside the scope of the January 13, 2023 contract. Our firm informed **************** that it was addressing the comments within the scope of the contract. Our firm offered **************** a discounted price to address the comments outside the scope of the contract. On May 1, 2024, **************** indicated via email that he was not interested in executing the change order. On May 2, 2024, our firm sent **************** a highlighted version of the county comments that were outside the scope of the contract, with an explanation. On the same day, **************** requested a copy of the contract and again expressed that he was unwilling to execute the change order. On May 6, 2024, our firm **************** a copy of the January 13, 2023 contract and reminded him of the terms of the contract that states that the contract will be terminated if the client refuses to execute a change order. On May 13, 2024, Empower Infrastructure notified MK Lounge DC that Empower Infrastructure terminated the January 13, 2023 contract due to ****************, on behalf of MK Lounge DC, declining to execute the change order sent to **************** on May 1, 2024 and May 6, 2024, which is outlined in the Section: Change Order on Page 3 of the contract. There is an outstanding balance on the contract. There is nothing left to do on the contract. Thus, we respectfully request that the BBB dismiss ******************** complaint.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/03/2024

  [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: 21711658
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I am writing to address some concerning issues regarding the Arctic job that I hired and paid for. Despite him denying any fault on his side, he recently informed me that I need to have architectural drawings, as well as drawings for electric, plumbing, and mechanical work. I was not made aware of this requirement prior to hiring him, and now the county is indicating that he should have advised me about it when the contract was being established for building a kitchen hood.
  To complicate matters further, he is now claiming that these additional drawings are not included in our initial agreement and is charging me more to include them. This sudden change and additional charges are both unexpected and unacceptable. I would appreciate your assistance in resolving this matter promptly.
  
  along with the file. I was taken aback by the high price but knew that I had no choice but to pay it if I wanted the file delivered. Reluctantly, I handed over the money and watched as he quickly processed the payment.
  
  It is concerning that the architect is now asking for more money after the job was already paid for.  the additional work requested by the county an architect, should know and clarify the scope of work and fees that it's in A. Requirement, before he start doing the job architect he should clarify the scope of work and fees
  The architect  did not provide a separate, detailed contract for the additional work of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services and instead used the original contract to charge me  I have been charged unfairly.

  It is highly unlikely for any reputable architecture firm or professional to have over twenty five bad reviews on googel. If such a scenario were to occur, it could be indicative of significant issues or dissatisfaction among clients. 
  
  There are several potential reasons for this accumulation of negative reviews. These may include poor communication, subpar quality of work, missed deadlines, budget overruns, lack of professionalism, or other serious shortcomings in the services provided. 
  Thank you for your attention to this issue.
  
  
  
  
  This contract is between Empower Infrastructure and MK Lounge DC (the "Client?) dated January 11,2023, for the following project:
  
                      Scope of Professional Engineering Services:                                                                                                                  1      $3,200
  *********************;
  **********************
  
  Empower Infrastructure shall provide architectural plans to add a hood and range, a *****, and a grill into the existing kitchen according to the site visit discussion. 
  
  Empower Infrastructure shall provide architectural plans to add a bar on the side of the caf.
  
  Empower Infrastructure shall sign and seal the drawings by the Virginia Professional  Engineer.
  
  Payments to Empower Infrastructure:
  
  Total Fees: $3,200
  
  $150 site visit/consult fee credited toward total fees: paid.1
  
  $1,300 to be paid to start work.
  
  $1,750 to be paid once drawings are submitted to the Client.2  
  this what he charge me to 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/09/2024

  We understand the frustration; however, MK ****** signed a contract that clearly outlined what was and was not included in the contract. The contract was completed for the scope of work. Empower Infrastructure provided the drawings within the scope of work. *********** has failed to pay his outstanding balance and our firm terminated his contract. There is no outstanding matters within the scope of contract. Our contract isn't with ****************, it is with MK Lounge. For all of these reasons, we respectfully request that the BBB dismiss ******************** complaint. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/27/2024

  [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: 21711658
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  ******
  5 reviews
  a month ago
  Working with Empower Infrastructure was a truly miserable experience. The "engineer" delivered a subdivision plan based on outdated, 30-year-old data, a display of incompetence that was difficult to believe possible.
  Unfortunately, the contract I naively signed absolves the company of any errors they make, and in fact, asserts their right to charge their clients additional fees to correct their mistakes.
  
  Learn from my painful ******* read his contract carefully and you'll see how little it actually promises.
  
  UPDATE - AJ is now harrasing my family with dozens of phone calls in a single day, and sent me a cease & desist threatening to *** me for allegedly engaging in a conspiracy to slam him with negative reviews. I'm starting to realize why so many negative reviews have gone missing. Truly shameless and desperate.
  33
  
  ***************************
  8 reviews
  3 months ago
  My two brothers and I were planning to build three houses on property owned by our parents. **
  responded quickly to the initial phone call but once the $2,000 deposit was paid it took weeks before he offered any plans. When we finally did get something we were stunned to see that he had copied the original 30+ year old plats which he photographed during his only visit here and he simply dropped three boxes in three separate corners without even knowing whether the location would be suitable for well and septic. After a series of unanswered phone calls and texts that didn't address our questions and concerns, we realized months later that we needed to find someone more professional and knowledgeable. ** ***d for another $2700 and we had no choice but to pay because there is no termination clause in the contract. Empower Infrastructure LLC is not rated by Better Business Bureau which should have been a clue but we have since connected with other victims here and have discovered that their experiences are practically identical to ours. Buyer beware!
  16
  
  ***********************
  7 reviews9 photos
  2 months ago
  In November 2023, I engaged Empower Infrastructure to obtain a remodeling permit for my medical office in **********, ********. Initially, **, the architect, seemed professional, providing a quote of $9,900 for the architectural services, which I paid in full.
  
  However, is***s arose when ** recommended a general contractor with a questionable legal past. I chose to work with my own contractor instead. When it came to the overall cost of the construction, Empower estimated it at $100,000more than double the competing bids of $45,000 I had received. They insisted on charging me 23% of their inflated estimate and demanded that I use their services exclusively for the project management, denying me any choice in selecting contractors or obtaining competitive bids.
  
  In April, after the county had is***d the permit, ****** presented me with a new contract for the construction with high fees and restrictive terms. They included a requirement for cash payments and hefty penalties for any financial disputes.
  
  The situation escalated when Empower refused to release the architectural files I had paid for, unless I agreed to hire them as the project supervisor. Despite the county already approving the project and issuing the permit, they are withholding these critical files to force my compliance with their terms.
  
  Frustrated with their aggressive tactics, I have filed complaints with the Washington ******** of Architects, the ****************** of ************* and the Better Business Bureau. Empower's initial professionalism faded quickly, revealing a business that uses manipulative practices to lock clients into unfavorable contracts.
  
  I strongly advise anyone in need of architectural services to avoid Empower Infrastructure. Their approach denies clients any say in their own projects and imposes unfair financial conditions, making it clear it's their way or the highway.
  6
  
  
  ***********************
  1 review6 photos
  3 months ago
  Our interaction with this company left much to be desired. As a contractor operating in ********, we engaged them as a subcontractor for MEP drawings on a project. Despite furnishing them with comprehensive project requirements and county comments essential for permit acquisition, we were hit with unexpected charges. Initially quoted at $150 per visit, totaling $300, our costs quickly escalated. After agreeing to a $3200 contract, additional charges surfaced, including $900 for a form originally specified in our initial request. Despite their promises, the delivered drawings were incomplete, necessitating further expenditures of $1900, which they deemed 'out of scope.' Despite providing evidence from our initial correspondence, they refused accountability and resorted to unprofessional conduct, even making baseless claims to our client. Moreover, they shamelessly replicated our architects' floor plans. Avoid this company at all costs; their advertised 'best pricing' belies a pattern of overcharging and incompetence.
  20
  
  ***********************
  2 reviews
  3 months ago
  STAY AWAY! Our experience with Empower Infrastructure was a disaster. I had to hire another architect who prepared the design from scratch and submitted it to the County for a permit. Once again, STAY AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE!
  12
  
  ***************
  6 reviews5 photos
  a month ago
  I appreciate AJ and his group for their commitment to integrating sustainability principles into their Designs. Moreover, when it comes to innovative structural design solutions, they are the best in the buisness.
  8
  
  *********************
  11 reviews4 photos
  4 months ago
  My partner and I were in the early stages of working with Empower, making inquiries by phone regarding their services and quotes.
  That was until we noticed the negative reviews (many of which have been removed).
  
  After some research using the General District Court Online Case Information System for ******** as well as Loudoun and ****************, I discovered that Empower Infrastructure has a concerning history of suing clients in civil court.
  
  I saw 8 different lawsuits from 2022-2024, very shady.
  
  I just thought Id share so other people can dodge this bullet too!
  31
  
  ***************
  2 reviews
  3 months ago
  The last three one start reviews are the only accurate reviews on here, and after the worst business experience of my life I know why, he extorts them. I have been in construction for 25 years and have dealt with dozens of architects and contractors. My typical architect was busy so in an effort to jump start a project more quickly we decided to give Empower a try. Trust me when I say using Empower is easily the worst business decision I have ever made, the company and people are just that bad. ** is a terrible human being, he is as unethical as they come. All starts out fine and he will produce your first set of plans with minimal is***s on the surface. As you dig into it more you start to realize he did not follow your direction and designs things that dont need to be there or just completely leaves things out. He intentionally leaves required pieces of information off the plans so he can charge you more once they fail. As one other reviewer states, by the time you realize the game he is playing its too late, he has your money and any deadlines you have are blown well past. ** will keep dangling the carrot and promising accurate revisions, they never come. When it comes time for revisions he will tell you he is too busy and cannot get you revisions for 6 to 8 weeks, unless you pay him an expedited fee. Dont pay it, it wont help. The plans will fail again and again, each time requiring more money to do work he should have already done and yep you guessed it, more expedited fees. We went back and forth with him for 8 months before finally just hiring a new architect to redraw the whole plan and start over. On top of this, he will then hold your plans hostage and wont deliver them to you unless you leave him a 5 star review, clearly the only reason he has such a good rating, he is extorting the reviews. He is truly an evil man, run away now and use someone else. Here is one comment from a county reviewer, and I quote 1) These drawings are
  completely inadequate
  and are missing some of
  the basic information
  required for a plan review
  submittal. A complete and
  thorough review shall be
  done before any
  resubmittal.
  
  This quote came from a county reviewer in *********, word for word.
  
  The three previous one star reviewers are spot on with his contract. It is so egregious that I believe we will win our case against him. Our attorney says numerous provisions are illegal and the only reason to write a contract this defensively is he intents to take advantage of you. Dont fall into the Empower trap.
  
  If none of this convinces you not to use Empower then nothing will and you will have no one to blame but yourself.
  29
  
  *******************************
  12 reviews3 photos
  4 months ago
  CAVEAT EMPTOR! Please read AJ's contract carefully. It allows for work that is not feasible, won't pass county regulations and in no way reflects the vision you may have for your project. We have learned our ******* After we paid the initial fee to **, weeks passed before we got the first draft which arrived electronically and consisted of an 8"x11" computer rendering that bore no resemblance to the plan we laid out for him. We reached out many times through text and phone calls and when he did bother to respond, the answers were vague. We suspected this guy was not what he proclaimed to be but by that time all we could do was stop communication and find another
  company, which by the way is now well into the project.
  Of course ** ***d us and because of the clause in the contract stating "The client agrees and understands that the County makes the final decision, Empower Infrastructure LLC makes NO GUARANTEE that the designs/plans will be approved by the County. The fees for Empower Infrastructure LLC's services SHALL BE PAID REGARDLESS of whether the County is***s a permit. (Emphasis mine)
  Because we had no idea of the level of incompetence of AJ, we mistakenly assumed that any required changes would be minor and easily rectified. We had no idea that there was absolutely nothing he got right and we would have been embarrassed to present this "draft" to the county.
  We are now in the process of cutting our losses, paying him off and moving on poorer but wiser. We were advised to mail the check to his "office" but we felt it would behoove us to deliver it to him or his representative personally so that we could obtain a written receipt. We went to his office, where he instructed us to leave the check with "his" receptionist. His office turned out to be a small cubicle in an area called SPACES. The receptionist was not employed by Empower Infrastructure, but by SPACES so I was not able to obtain a receipt.
  On a side note, I find it interesting that Empower Infrastructure gets a 4.9 star rating. Over 50 five star reviews for over 50 jobs from a one man operation? One review gave a single star. There were actually three other one star reviews with detailed scathing assessments, mostly mirroring our experience but on a greater scale. One reviewer wrote; "So he is both an idiot and a scammer". Another reviewer wrote; "PLEASE do not let the positive reviews fool you. This has been the biggest ****** we've ever learned in business."
  Both of those reviews have disappeared. So if you're reading this, please do your due diligence.
  33
  
  ***********************
  2 reviews
  4 months ago
  I trusted this guy but if I had read the contract more carefully I would have noticed several red flags, Empower Infrastructure says they provide "professional engineering services" with a specified cost but does not detail the specific services to be provided, milestones, deadlines, or quality standards. What Empower Infrastructure provided were multiple corrected drafts, submitted over many weeks, none of which reflected our stated vision, and none of which couldve gotten county approval.
  Once you realize this company is not equipped to do the job, its too late. Hes got your money and the next thing you know youre in court because the contract has no termination clause. Without a termination clause, neither party can exit the contract if circumstances change, if youre dissatisfied with the performance, or if the project is not feasible.
  This experience has been a nightmare. Please dont make the same mistake we did. I hope everyone reports Empower Infrastructure to the *** and their states Attorney General.
  29
  
  ***** & *****************************
  7 reviews
  3 months ago
  Do not use this architect! We hired him for very simple, straightforward set of commercial plans. A 1600sf space that we were adding two walls to and removing a bathroom. Also some electrical work with power and data outlets being added - thats about it. Everything else was to stay as existing.
  He missed his original deadline by more than 2 weeks without any communication. Then he delivered plans that were not anything that we had discussed during our walked through. His measurements were wrong, which caused problems during our build out. The specs included doors and a ceiling tile system that were completely different than the existing fixtures - which we told him were staying. Every time I asked for corrections, it took two weeks to get them and then only half of the corrections requested were made. I continually asked him to use the specs for the existing doors and he kept leaving the specs for doors from some other project on the plans - I had to mark up the plans and circle the door specs to finally get the correct specs for the existing doors.
  He took more than two weeks to add specs for the lighting required by the county - something he should have known to include in the first place. Then the county decided we wouldnt be allowed to remove a bathroom. So I asked ** to update the plans to leave the existing bathroom in - something already included in his existing plans that didnt require any other changes since the space was just being used for storage. He charged me $1k to do this changes and get it back to me in one week.
  Then I caught that he transposed the ceiling height (he said they were 811 - they were 118). Even that took three corrections because he missed several of the places he had the incorrect ceiling height. Hed return the plans with only 2 of the 4 places he put the ceiling height corrected. Every requested change was like this. And every correction took a week or more to get made. Even the reviewer at the county commented that this architect didnt know what he was doing - thankfully the reviewer was helpful and worked with us throughout to approval process but it was painful. He also left specs for a tiled wall that was never mentioned or discussed on the plans - I assume hes copying and pasting plans from different projects.
  I cannot imagine what it would be like to use AJ for a larger job. On top of it all, you will be met with an attitude and unprofessional demeanor every time you speak with him. Its as if you are an annoyance because hes working for you. Save yourself the headache and find a different architect!
  UPDATE: ** immediately left a one star review for our business as retaliation for sharing our honest experience. Hes never been to our store or had any experience there. Listen to the other reviewers saying hes trying to retaliate. Truly awful business practice!
  21
  
  ***********************
  2 reviews
  3 months ago
  My family and I hired ** to subdivide our lot in preparation for construction. We we're assured by his boasts of experience and his 5 star ****** reviews that he was trustworthy. However, had I payed closer attention, I would have realized the latter were likely fake; most of these reviewers also have reviews in ***** and ************, making it clear they've never been to the US let alone engaged in any US engineering project.
  
  Regarding my personal experience, **'s submitted plans were repeatedly late and grossly incompetent. His proposed driveway passed through a floodzone, a mistake that even I, a layperson, immediately recognized.
  This was just one of **'s many displays of malicious stupidity.
  16
  
  ***********************
  1 review
  3 months ago
  Terrible business. Months behind schedule. Overcharge to complete work the didn't do correctly the first time. Intentionally leave items not corrected to bill you to review them again. ** wont deliver anything you pay for. I wouldn't work with them if they offered me a free service. Just a horrible company.
  17
  
  =======================================================================================================================

  that proves my point, including screenshots of the negative reviews and emails from other dissatisfied customers. I believe this evidence clearly shows that there is a pattern of poor service and dissatisfaction with discompletely.
  
  I think it is important for discompletely to address these is***s and make necessary changes to improve their services moving forward. It is not fair for customers to consistently receive subpar service and continue to have negative experiences.
  
  I hope that by bringing attention to this is***, discompletely will take the necessary steps to rectify the situation and ensure that all customers are satisfied with their experience. Thank you for taking the time to review my dispute.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/06/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We paid $10,235.05 for architectural plans and permits for our restaurant and the plans were done incorrectly, preventing the issuance of permits. Empower Infrastructure drew up plans, however, the plans were done so incorrectly that he was sent edits from the permit office in almost every single area including fire, mechanical and health areas. The permit office sent Empower Infrastructure a list of edits, and they still had not been submitted over 45 days later. The typical turn around time for an architect to submit the requested edits is 2-3 days. We begged him via email to complete and resubmit the edits because we are paying rental, insurance and utilities costs at the restaurant every single month while he procrastinated on completing the updates. He replied that we could "continue waiting" as a snarky remark. He never even provided an explanation for why it was taking so long. It reached the point that we had to accept that he did not have the capability or knowledge to complete the plans, which is why so much time had elapsed without him finishing it. As a result, we told him that we would have to move forward and take legal action if he could not submit it that week. He said that was fine with him. After 6 months of wasting our time, we STILL don't have plans that are up to code to be approved for permits. After he received his large lump sum payments, he became very rude and impossible to contact. We paid in full a total of over $10,235.05 and waited over 6 months and we have literally not received plans that we can get a permit with. We truly just wanted them to complete the work that they were paid to do or refund us. It is both illegal and unethical to receive a payment of $10,235.05 for a service that you did not provide.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/21/2023

  Customer entered into a contract to provide architectural plans for the restaurant according to the plans received by the date of this contract, provide architectural plans to relocate the wall between the kitchen and dining hall to expand the kitchen area, and provide proposed mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans for the restaurant according to the plans received by the date of this contract. The client agreed to pay $8900 for these services. Building permit application services were an additional cost and not included in the original contract. Permits were never guaranteed and the customer specifically signed a contract acknowledging that permits are never guaranteed. Our company worked with the customer to submit the corrections, but the customer terminated the contract prior to us completing the corrections. We accepted their termination and stopped work on the plans. They incorrectly state that the corrections take 2-3 days. Our process is generally 6-8 weeks, which the customer was made aware of. Customer terminated the contract when the plans were almost ready to be uploaded. They are responsible for their termination and not entitled to a refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On March 8, 2022, I signed a contract with Empower Infrastructure that was quoted at $4,900 in consideration for MD Professional Engineer signed plans for the site plan, stormwater management, and sediment control that met ********** ***************** ******************* (******) requirements. This was for a single-family home project in Silver Spring MD. They were provided with job location, project information, house plans, and a topographic survey to prepare the quote. Review plans were provided for stormwater management and sediment control and reviewed within 48 hours. There were mistakes found every time. There were major mistakes and in other cases information from presumably other projects was inserted that made no sense. Some of these mistakes were corrected. Major mistakes exist such that ****** has twice rejected the submission. Empower Infrastructure was paid $1,500 to start work and $3,400 to deliver plans. Review sets stopped stating that all the revisions were made and I had to make the final payment to get the plans. They were paid, but the plans still contained major mistakes and were rejected by ******.The ****** requirements are defined at ****************************************************************** *********** proposed that I pay an additional $2,010 to complete the work. Their terms are to pay the entire amount before ****** accepts the revised plans. The business has resisted fulfilling the terms of the contract and as time has elapsed the project continues to be delayed since September 20, 2022, when the first submission was rejected. Another submission was made on October 12th and rejected. ****** provided an example of an approved submission to reference. Empower Infrastructure made a couple of corrections requested by ****** however major mistakes remain. The plans are unusable. *********** is refusing to complete the work without receiving an additional $2,010.Requests to finish work or refund payment are ignored.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/22/2022

  The customer was responsible for providing the data for the services provided by Empower Infrastructure. The client provided incorrect data, which was not identified until after the plans were submitted to the county. When Empower Infrastructure notified the customer of the incorrect data, the customer provided the correct data. As Empower Infrastructure completed the work with the incorrect data, spent time on the project, and provided completed plans based on the incorrect data provided by the customer, Empower Infrastructure requires an additional fee. Empower Infrastructure is working on the plans, has had multiple meetings with the customer to provide plans, and continues to work on the project. We have not ignored the customer or refused to work on the plans. We are still working on the project and communicate with the customer. We are attaching two emails showing we are continuing to work on his project. Please dismiss this complaint. Many thanks. Happy holidays. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/08/2023

  [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:
  
  

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: ****** ******* *******************>
  Date: Fri, Jan 6, 2023 at 4:11 PM
  Subject: Re: You have a new message from the BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #********.
  To: <[email protected]>
  

  
  

  The complaint response was sent on 12/27 when I was out of town on vacation. Today is actually business 9 days from that email date. I wanted to post my response but the system would not allow it. One of these days was a holiday observance on Jan 2nd.
  

  
  

  Please help me by posting the response for me or reopening the website so that I can do it. Here is a screen capture of the complaint;

  
  

  My response to the business is as follows:

  
  

  The claim that the customer submitted incorrect data is false, and the claim that the customer submitted new data is also wrong.

  The data submitted to Empower Infrastructure included the Plat, the architectural drawing set, and the surveyor CAD file. Empower Infrastructure is claiming to have received new data. No new data was provided. Empower Infrastructure has made mistakes and is not admitting its faults. They state the scale and units were set incorrectly. The scale and units are selectable in the AutoCAD software. It is their responsibility to set them to whatever they needed. Please contact Surveyor **** *****, ***** * ********** LLC, *** **** **** *****, Gaithersburg, MD ***** Tel. ###-###-#### ******************* and they will confirm that the data has not changed.

  Throughout this project, Empower Infrastructure has produced review material. Every version contained errors and did not comply with ** *** standards. There were fatal errors concerning inappropriate content, references to other projects, and missing vital information. The work was so deficient that the ** *** reviewer rejected the submittal twice and finally sent me an example of an approved submission so that the civil engineer could see how to prepare a submission.

  Before the first submission to ** ***, Empower Infrastructure refused to send any more review sets and stated that I had to pay in full and they would make all the required changes. They were paid in full yet did not make the changes to make their work acceptable. ** *** rejected the drawings on the same day it was submitted. It was then that Empower Infrastructure stated that the data was incorrect. I provided them with detailed review comments identifying the discrepancies and the missing information ** *** identified. They demanded an additional payment of $2,000 to fix their mistakes. I contacted the surveyor and asked him. He said he has done thousands of surveyors and never ran into this situation. I asked him to call Empower Infrastructure. He called and then resent the same CAD file. Empower Infrastructure generated another drawing set after being paid $1,000. The ** *** reviewer has not yet reviewed these drawings.

  The lesson was that I should have not paid in full until receiving a final review copy that was acceptable to ** ***. I should not have trusted that Empower Infrastructure would fulfill the contract. They took the payment and did a poor job resulting in 3 months delay in the project.
  

  
  

  Will you be able to help me out?

  
  

  Thanks,

  ***

  ###-###-#### Mobile
  

  
  

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

  Business Response

  Date: 01/23/2023

  Good Afternoon, 

  As previously stated, our company did the work with the incorrect data, which is why the change work order was required. The client agreed to pay for the change work. To present, Empower Infrastructure has been working with the client to make the required revisions. It is unclear what the client is asking BBB for in this case. We are working with the client to make the changes to the plans to get his permit. Please close this complaint as we are working with the client. 

  Many thanks, 

  ** ******, PhD, PE

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/24/2023

  [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 claim that the survey CAD provided is untrue. The surveyor has not
  changed the data file. This fact can be verified with the surveyor at ***** * ********** LLC. Secondly, Empower Infrastructure states that the
  "units" and "scale" were incorrectly set. These are
  parameters that the user sets himself from a drop-down list. The analogy would
  be receiving a word document in times roman font and 11-point size but wanting
  something different. You would change whatever font and size you want. It does
  not change the data or content. Lastly, these assertions have nothing to do
  with the fundamental mistakes that Empower Infrastructure made. They ignored
  the Plat and the Survey information specifying the boundary for the property. The
  work they submitted included the roadway, the public right of way, and portions
  of the adjacent property in the area calculation. When I notified them months
  earlier about this discrepancy, Empower Infrastructure stated that was the
  software output. A professional engineer would have examined the customer
  complaint, reviewed their work, and realized their mistake. This realization did
  not happen until months later.

  Their work has been fraught with many errors, documented with emails describing
  the mistakes. In the beginning, several sets of plans were received to be
  reviewed. Then, Empower Infrastructure stopped sending plans. It demanded that
  I pay in full and that they would make all the necessary corrections so the SC/SWM
  plans would be acceptable. I paid them in total, and the 14-page plans still
  contained fatal errors, which Montgomery County (MC) *** immediately rejected. The
  submission was so bad that the ** *** reviewer provided a 2-page approved
  example as a guide to help the civil engineer correct his work. The sample was sent
  to Empower Infrastructure in early October.

  Empower Infrastructure acknowledged the mistakes but stated flawed data
  caused them. I have explained why this explanation is untrue. They demanded an
  additional $2,000 and two more months to fix the mistakes. No new data was
  provided. They are using the same surveyor's CAD file. I paid them because I
  needed to get a permit. Since signing the contract, seven months elapsed — another
  set of plans was delivered in late December and submitted. The ** *** reviewer rejected
  the plans, stating, "Denied. The submission is very incomplete. Lots of
  items are missing. Please see the example plan I sent and see our website for
  more details."
  

  The civil engineer responded three
  weeks later, stating that he will provide new files in 4-5 weeks. In addition,
  he said that he would charge me $400 an hour to communicate with third parties,
  including the county. So the request by the ** *** reviewer to talk with us
  using a ********* Teams call will not happen. Instead, I will forward ** ***
  reviewer comments by email to Empower Infrastructure. This behavior is highly
  unusual for civil engineers not to talk freely with the ** *** reviewer.
  
  Empower Infrastructure claims to be
  working to fix the plans so the county will accept them; however, it is less
  clear that they will be successful. It has been nine months since the contract
  was signed, and satisfactory work has not been delivered.
  
  My objective in filing the BBB complaint
  was to encourage Empower Infrastructure to fulfill the contract terms, refund
  the $2,000 charged to fix their mistakes, and complete the work promptly.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/19/2023

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: ****** ******* <********@*****.com>
  Date: Wed, Jul 19, 2023 at 12:34 PM
  Subject: Fwd: Termination Letter of the Professional Engineering Service Contract
  To: Dispute Resolution Team <[email protected]>
  Cc: <[email protected]>
  

  
  
  Good day. This email intends to share a successful completion of the mediation effort with Empower Infrastructure. I accepted their counteroffer to refund $4,900 since my alternative of seeking damages in small claims MD District Court is limited to $5,000. The email thread contains the negotiations between myself and ***** *****. In consideration of Empower Infrastructure refunding the money I paid them, I cannot register any new complaints or lawsuits and I make a good-faith effort to resolve the complaints with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Office of Consumer Protection along with the review on Angie.
  
  

  This email is my good-faith effort with the BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania to request that my complaint #******** reflect a status of being resolved.
  

  
  

  Thank you again for your help in this matter. I believe that the BBB's correspondence last year with Empower Infrastructure played a role in their decision to offer a solution.
  
  Regards,
  *** *******
  

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