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:03/10/2022

  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.

  My wife and I hired a contractor through the recommendation of a building manager. The purpose of hiring the contractor was to renovate our summer home in Grande-Digue New Brunswick. The original Budget earmarked for the project was 60K.
  
  The contractor (Jen**** Electric Inc.) didn't provide a quote or contract scope of work. Since he was a friend to the building manager at the time, I was not too concerned. This renovation was scheduled to start on June 1st, 2021 and be completed in the first week of December 2021.
  
  As we approached December, further enquiries and communication showed the timeline committed to was going to be breached. In December of 2021, our family was supposed to spend the Christmas holidays at that home, an event which never materialized.
  
  Fast forward to when the contractor went past the original budget of 60K I became concerned and raised it with the building manager/project supervisor to ensure it communicated. The feedback received from the building manager and project supervisor (Denis) was that the contractor had been made aware.
  
  Until this point, we had paid the contractor an amount of 70K. I kept following up on when the work was going to be completed as cost had gone over the budgeted amount already. The contractor moved the delivery date to March 2022, but this also did not materialize.
  
  When the contractor knows I am coming down then they rush to do some work. Neighbours advise the way this contractor is working if they had hired him, he would be fired. The moment neighbours see a lot of work being executed means I am coming down. By the way, did I mention I had paid 70K invoices received?
  
  We received a bill of $49,335.00 on May 28th, 2022, which I questioned and asked for detailed itemized breakdown. A bunch of receipts were thrown at me to figure it out. We continued to question the invoices because it was not clear what we were paying for.
  
  The contractor had put a lien of $56K on my property when I called to enquire, he said

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2022

  Please see attached zip complete invoice paid 

  Business Response

  Date: 07/11/2022

  Here is our response to the complaint:

   

  When we were first contacted by the property manager for the work on Ida Street it as January 2021.  The work consisted of changing windows, updating the kitchen, replacing shingles on the roof, adding a second bathroom upstairs, updating the existing bathroom, possibly removing the wall dividing the sunroom and living room and replacing flooring on main floor.  The work was to be charged Time and Materials.  I was told at the time the project was suppose to start in spring 2021.  We got the key and go ahead at the end of july 2021.  We started the second week of August 2021.  Our first 2 weeks on site were mostly dedicated at removing old furniture and belongings that tenants had left behind.  We made 5 full loads of furniture to a donation center in the Greater Moncton Area as well as 3 trailer loads to the dump.  That created a set back and also added to the cost. 

  After a few weeks of working on Ida project, we were asked by the property manager to stop the work on Ida and go do some repairs on another of ********** property on ******* Street as the building was being sold and needed the work done ASAP.  That created another set back.

  We returned to Ida after finishing *******.  We then ran into issues with some outside walls and floors being rotten.  We then contacted the property manager and he made a 3 way phone call with Mr *****.  I sent some videos and recommended that those issues should be fixed and not left, as it was some important part of the structure.  After the video, Mr ***** agreed that the issues should be fixed. This was adding to the cost.  It was also decided that since the porch was such in bad shape, it would be better to tear it down.  From day 1, we asked for some kind of a print or what the customer wanted, but we were always given the same answer: we trust your expertise, we want this to be an ****** and we want it to look modern.  The property manager sent us a picture of a custom shower with ceramic tiles and said the customer also wanted an electric fireplace and that was his only request.  In January 2022, we got hit with a lot of snow storms and could not make it down to the site. In early February, ******** recommended that we put a hold on the project until the weather and the road conditions improved.  We then returned to project early March.  We tore down the porch and took everything to the dump (6 full loads, truck and trailer), which added to the cost.  At one point Mr ***** announced that he was coming down and asked if we could have the place “liveable” so that he would not have to rent a room at the hotel.  We all tried to accommodate that request, but a problem with the water well stopped us.  Some guys worked after hours to try to get the water running without success. On April 11^th 2022, we sent an invoice for $47,193.78. (see attached).  On April 22^nd 2022, while on the phone with Mr *****, I said that we just bought for over $20,000.00 worth of materials in the days before.  That material included flooring (for the whole house, not just main floor), 3 vanities with faucets, 3 toilets, kitchen faucet, kitchen island, kitchen pantry, ceramic tiles for shower, kitchen sink, bathroom lightings, plumbing fittings, 6 doors with frame, etc.  Mr ***** did not have anything bad to say at the time.  He then said: “I know materials is expensive because of Covid, but just power through and let’s get this project finish”.  After that Mr. ***** asked us to build a deck around the house.  After some planning and discussion with ******** it was decided that we would cut the front deck in half and move on half on the side of the house and then add a deck on the other side.  As the deck was getting finished, he had a conversation with the carpenter on site and decided to change all the balusters on the deck.  We had to buy 360 ballast (boxes of 60) which costed almost $1,200, not including installation.  When I got back to site with the balusters, I pulled one out of the box to show ******** and asked him if that is what he wanted.  He said yes.  ******** then wanted us to redo the driveway and extend it with tailing.  We started and pulled 7 loads of tailings from the crusher in Moncton (1h truck and trailer 1 way).  ******** also asked for us to build a place in the backyard where they could have an outdoor fireplace.  The location in question was full of garbage (wood, old Christmas tree, etc.).  So we had to bring that to the dump.  The project was stopped before that place in the backyard was built.  On May 24^th 2022, an invoice for $49,335.00 was sent for all the material mentioned above plus lumber for the deck, counter top for kitchen and island, etc. And labor to install the materials.  It was at this time that Mr ***** said we were not allowed back on site until that invoice was sorted out.  We asked ******** what part of the invoice was not cleared so we could give him more information, but refused to do so.  HE said he would only discuss the invoice when he would be down from Ontario, which he said would be with 2 weeks.  I then sent a text message to ******** trying to explain all of the costs of the material, fuel at $2.50/liter.  His response was: ”****, just stop, your are making things worse, you don’t make any sense”. He also said that he could not understand that his “special “requests, like toilet paper holder, supply and installation of mirrors, installation of wall mount bracket for T.V. were not included in the price.  I tried to explain that since we are time and materials, we have no problem installing those things, but they would get charged as we never gave a quote and never said those things were free.  ******** asked for a copy of the receipts for all the materials that was bought no exception.  We had an office assistant spending 2 days of scanning receipts to send him.  We then met with ******** at 25 Ida St, we discussed the invoice.  ******** said that it was not his job to go through the receipts.  I then asked why he wanted all the receipts.  He could not provide an answer other than it was the customer’s right.  By the end of the discussion, his only concern was that he thought the description on the invoice was not clear enough.  He said he had absolutely no problem for the hours on the labor.  He then pointed out some of the work that was not done.  Our response was that he had not been charged for it and also told us not to go back to site until advised.  The meeting finished with an agreement that he would look at the list of material and pay the invoice.  

   

  After our message went unanswered, one day we received a response from ******** saying I’ll give you your money on 2 weeks.  I asked him why 2 weeks and it went unanswered again for a couple weeks.  He then replied: “ I am selling some properties and the closing is in 2 weeks”.  By that time,  our deadline for a lien was coming up quickly and our lawyer recommended proceeding with the lien. I then received an email and a call from ******** inquiring about the lien.  I explained him how the lien worked in NB.  It was a friendly phone call.  He explained to me that he was selling part of his portfolio and that the closing was pushed back but he was planning on paying as soon as the deal close.  I told him as soon as the invoice is paid in full, the lien would be removed.  He then asked me for a quote to finish the work that was started.  I replied that once everything was paid for I would give him the quote.

   

  We want to say that all along the project every time an issue arise, ******** or his property were advised and they were asked to make the call if they wanted the issue fixed.  The scope of work kept getting bigger and bigger. But it seems the budget was not being adjusted for what he was asking.  It was mentioned numerous time to ******** that we were there on a time and material schedule. We also told ******** that we never charged for material that was not on site.  As for the argument that the neighbours would fire us, we actually did some work for the neighbours on the summer of 2022.

   

  The invoice was eventually paid in full, not without argument from ********, at the end of August and the lien has been removed.  We even waived off all the interest charges as a goodwill gesture.

   

  Thank you

   

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