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:08/25/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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.

  L**** hired to repair damaged walls, mold mitigate, remodel upstairs, stain railings. Began 7/9/24 but worked only a few days a week or no-showed. He ignored agreed-upon tasks and went forth with problematic repairs rather than contact me. Deadlines not met, and key and alarm code given to “helper” I did not know existed. I asked to touch base in person many times, but he would leave early or say we could speak on weekend and then no-show.
  
  8/19/24, L**** became upset by list of tasks to complete/redo and my texted expectations for completion of project. L**** accused me of trying to avoid paying and threatened lien on home. He removed all tools from house, removed upstairs floor covers, stacked unused supplies, and left only a ladder, bucket of water and trash.
  
  Contractor ******** ****** (******) and plumber ****** ****** (*****) assessed repairs. They helped compile following list and explained what items left behind meant for (ceiling stud, subfloor board, plumbing supply lines) and told me what to photograph. New contractor hired to finish project and repair L****’s work, and ****** will redo plumbing.
  
  1-Ceiling not reinforced with stud–stud left behind. 2-Wall closed w/o treating for mold, even though area sealed off. 3-Damaged subfloor not replaced–subfloor board left behind. 4. Most baseboards not replaced–some not even removed. 5-Second water line for double vanity not created–unused supply lines left behind. 6-Shower walls not reinforced for grab bars. 7-Bathroom paint used on repaired walls and ceilings–multiple walls need repainting. 8-Closet doors not hung or painted correctly. 9-Sealant from old vanity/mirror painted over. 10-Shower drain and hole for floor register angled. 11-Damage to interior of vanity. 12. Vanity plumbing not to code and arm to toilet lever backwards. 13-Exterior wall exposed by high baseboards. L**** left paint on loft shades and cracked bureau (L**** denies, but after seeing other damage, I believe he did).

  Business Response

  Date: 09/15/2024

  To begin, the client decided to breach contract and fire me when I mentioned change orders. The project was near complete with delays on her end with a few things. On Monday 8/19 I mentioned change orders to move forward with all of these changes and add ons which clearly upset her as she sent paragraphs over text.

  ****** was in charge of purchasing materials which I would pick up, I mentioned which material I needed for the following day to continue working, she then texted me later that evening to tell me I breached contract by cleaning up tools and stacking her materials, I then mentioned I wasn’t breaching contract and reassured her I was going the following day but she told me I was not allowed back. Therefore she breached contract and will decline any work done by another contract, she did not bother to get a non biased assessor for the work done. The contractor she hired of course is looking to do as much as possible.

  For the moisture mitigation she saw the damage and said it was ok to close up the walls because she was worried about the cat getting a headache from the chemicals.

  Subfloor replacement was never part of a contract (previous owner pet stains) paint was never part of contract either among a lot of other things

  new baseboards were installed where needed in closet where shoe rack was removed (which also was not part of the original agreement) and in bathroom where there wasn’t baseboards.

  the one grab bar which was originally mentioned to install was going on stud.

  The home should always be rekeyed after contractor returns keys, I was not the only one in the home. When ****** hired me her home was already under renovations and she was looking for soonest available contractor.

  her resolution is unreasonable and I deny any cost for rekey, the contractor, and claims of damage. She breached contract out of anger and didn’t give a reasonable response to me not wanting to continue to do additional work for free.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/23/2024

  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Before addressing L****’s statements one-by-one (I apologize, I did not realize the PDF’s of the text messages and other documents did not upload along with the photos), I would like to add to the complaint. On 9/12/24, I received a call from *****, of NMRLD’s Construction Industries Department. She told me that L**** was NOT licensed to do his own plumbing OR electrical work, and asked me to send them additional statements to be added to the original complaint. On 9/20/24, NMRLD investigator ***** ****** contacted me. She said that she had already interviewed ******** ******, ****** *****, and ****** ****** as to their professional observations of L****’s work. ****** also said that L**** had been notified by mail and she had left him two voicemails and he had yet to respond. The case against L**** for working outside the scope of his license will be transferred to the Justice Department. I have already agreed to testify. NMRLD will also be requesting that L**** pay for an electrician to redo the electrical work. 

  On 9/14/24, ****** ***** (my roofer) reopened the wall and ceiling in the loft. These were the areas that were meant to be sprayed for mold and be reinforced with the stud. When the wall was reopened, it was revealed that the old insulation had not been replaced and was full of black mold spots (I suspected this would be the case, as I did not see the insulation on my Home Depot receipts when I reviewed them after L**** quit). L**** said he could do what the water mitigation company proposed for a much lower price. I emailed him that proposal on 7/6/24 (mentioning that the $3400 quoted was also for the 8 previous days of mitigation work). The proposal shows that the compromised areas were not only to have the drywall replaced, but to be treated for mold. L**** was the one who said the ceiling required a stud to be installed when he opened the area. When ***** saw this area on 7/15/24 (the day the parapets were replaced), he also said it needed a stud. L**** was at the house at the time, and when I introduced them to each other, I told ***** that L**** would be replacing the stud. L**** had me buy it, but left it behind when he quit.

  To begin, the client decided to breach contract and fire me when I mentioned change orders. <<This is inaccurate. L**** became upset when I left a list of remaining tasks and texted expectations for the completion of the project–including that no one should be given my key and alarm code, and that the patched walls would need to be repainted because they were a different sheen than the other walls. L**** began listing change orders, and I told him that I would not be paying for him to repaint the walls, as he had admittedly made the unilateral decision to change the sheen. Nor would he be compensated for going forward with tasks that were problematic or did not have approval. I have sent in the full transcript of the 8/19/24 text messages as evidence.>> The project was near complete with delays on her end with a few things. <<The project was not near-complete. The banister and railings on the stairs and landing still needed to be stripped, sanded, and stained. This alone took a crew of four three days to accomplish. The shower door took nearly an entire day because L****’s tile was not even, and cuts needed to be made.>> On Monday 8/19 I mentioned change orders to move forward with all of these changes and add ons which clearly upset her as she sent paragraphs over text. <<Again, please refer to the full PDF of the 8/19/24 text message conversation.>>

  ****** was in charge of purchasing materials which I would pick up, I mentioned which material I needed for the following day to continue working she then texted me later that evening to tell me I breached contract by cleaning up tools and stacking her materials, I then mentioned I wasn’t breaching contract and reassured her I was going the following day but she told me I was not allowed back. <<L**** removed the floor coverings from the loft (where the railing to be stained was), removed all tools and supplies other than those I paid for. He left a bucket full of water (which was being used to hold down the floor outlet he had just glued on) and a ladder (which was behind the front door and would’ve been easy to miss with the door open).>> Therefore she breached contract and will decline any work done by another contract <<(I have no idea what this phrase means)>>, she did not bother to get a non biased assessor for the work done. The contractor she hired of course is looking to do as much as possible. <<I did not hire ******** ****** (the contractor who did the walk-through) to complete the project–nor was ****** compensated for the walk-through. The remaining items on the contract were completed by someone else. It is notable that all THREE contractors who assessed L****’s work gave interviews to the NMRLD investigator, yet L**** has yet to return their calls or respond to their correspondence.>> 
  For the moisture mitigation she saw the damage and said it was ok to close up the walls because she was worried about the cat getting a headache from the chemicals. <<This conversation did not occur–I have autoimmune issues (as do two of my pets). Mold exposure can exacerbate these autoimmune diseases.>> 
  Subfloor replacement was never part of a contract (previous owner pet stains) paint was never part of contract either among a lot of other things <<On 8/3/24, when discussing the floor damage caused by the previous owner’s pet stains in the closet and bathroom, L**** texted, “If you want I can cut out the subfloor in those 2 spots.” I responded, “Yeah, please!” L**** added, “I’ll buy a big piece of plywood and replace those sections.” That plywood was one of the items L**** left behind when he terminated the contract. On 8/19/24, after I pressed L**** multiple times as to whether he replaced the subfloor, he texted, “Replacing subfloor can run you into thousands of dollars and to replace it over a pee stain is not something I’d do.” Please refer the PDF labeled “Sandia Peak Issues.”>> 
  new baseboards were installed where needed in closet where shoe rack was removed (which also was not part of the original agreement) <<This was discussed during the initial walk-through for the estimate and in bathroom where there wasn’t baseboards. There was no shoe rack in the bathroom closet–there WERE baseboards, which were not replaced (as per the contract), nor were they even removed to install the LVP. I repeated tasks needing to be done (as well as deadlines) to L**** countless times. He was never once observed writing a single thing down, so I’m not surprised that he does not remember. As to his comment about the shoe rack also being in the bathroom closet, this makes me question how much of the work he did at all once I returned to work in August.>> 
  the one grab bar which was originally mentioned to install was going on stud. <<Both grab bars were discussed at the walk-through for the estimate (when I explained that I have medical issues which cause me to be heat intolerant, meaning I can become dizzy or faint in the shower), and also during the demolition of the old alcove.>>
  The home should always be rekeyed after contractor returns keys, I was not the only one in the home. When ****** hired me her home was already under renovations and she was looking for soonest available contractor. <<L**** was the ONLY contractor to have a key or alarm code. I was present when the water mitigation company was on site, and while the roofers worked. On 8/19/24, L**** texted that “you were well aware of my helper, never was it mentioned not to leave him alone or with the code to get in…” I was never told L**** had an employee. From 7/8/24 until 8/14/24, I thought L**** worked alone. Before I returned to work at the end of July, L**** did not have assistance (save a friend who helped him move my vanity upstairs–but that person arrived with L**** after hours, L**** asked permission to bring him, and they were only in my house for the 30 minutes it took to move the vanity). I would not have known of the “helper” at all had I not left late on 8/14 and met this stranger walking up my driveway. I did not know whether the helper being given my key and alarm code was apropos (I have since learned it was not), so I texted L**** that morning letting him know that I met the “helper” so he would know I was aware. More alarmingly, the 14th was not the only time this person had my key. When I was downloading my Google doorbell footage, I saw L**** hand this person my key at the end of a work day again–FOLLOWING the 14th.>>
  her resolution is unreasonable and I deny any cost for rekey, the contractor, and claims of damage. She breached contract out of anger and didn’t give a reasonable response to me not wanting to continue to do additional work for free. <<L**** was not asked to work “for free.” Extras were to be invoiced for the final payment. He was, however, told that he would be expected to fix his mistakes. He takes great pains to point out that I am lying about tasks he had agreed to do because they were not explicitly stated in the contract. However, L**** also acknowledges doing other tasks not included in the contract. He even agreed to take on more tasks the week prior to quitting (for example, when I texted him asking if I could also hire him to remove the security bars from my windows).>>

  L**** has shown himself to be not only dishonest and inept, but a criminal who was intentionally practicing outside the scope. Not only will I be testifying against him when his case comes to court, but I will be updating my complaint to the FTC (I contacted them prior to learning L**** was not licensed to do the plumbing and electrical), and will be contacting the Department of Health under the advisement of the NMRLD (as the mold mitigation falls under their jurisdiction). I have also been advised to take L**** to court to seek restitution should he choose to not cooperate with the requested BBB settlement and NMRLD request (to pay for the electrician, any repairs to the bathroom/bedroom following repairs/inspection, and any future repairs indicated per the NMRLD inspectors and now also DoH inspectors). 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *********
  

   

  
  

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]