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Marie Poirier Planning & Associates Inc.This business is NOT BBB Accredited.
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Complaints
Customer Complaints Summary
- 1 complaint in the last 3 years.
- 0 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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Initial Complaint
Date:28/08/2023
Type:Order IssuesStatus: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.
We hired Marie Poirier Planning & Associates Inc. to complete a planning justification report to submit a re-zoning application to a Township. Marie was hired in February, and was paid a retainer of $2,500.00 shortly thereafter to complete the work. We subsequently received invoices in April for $951.79 and May for $5,493.22 for a total of $8,945.01 in which we made full payment. We then received additional invoices in June for $4,098.82 and July for $7,003.22. I asked for proof of completed work product for the amount we have paid, but they refuse to provide it to me. I've asked for discussion on the charges, and she refuses to provide backup. I have been docketed for 2 hour communications with the Township in which the Township has advised me that those conversations did not take place. I am concerned that the docketed times are inflated or flat out fraudulent. I have reached out to negotiate an agreed upon payment amount to which I did not receive a response. I have reached out to discuss the invoice's and their response was that "they did not have time to go through the invoices". I have filed a complaint with the professional land planners committee. They have almost $9,000.00 of our money, and we have been provided with nothing to date. We have no proof that any work was completed, and they are holding us hostage to pay the additional $11,000.00 if we want the work product.Business Response
Date: 30/08/2023
The Client, K M, came to us on Feb 22, 2023 after dealing with the Township of Joly beginning October 10, 2021 until January 24, 2023, when they appeared to stop answering. K M retained us March 23, 2023, we began our work with him when he was first in our queue on April 3, 2023. K M signed our Retainer Letter, and our Standard Terms, both attached and highlighted where appropriate to this issue. We diligently attempted to bring his property into compliance, during our representation with him, he misrepresented performing tasks that were to assist with compliance; making our job more difficult and longer, and in turn more costly. An E-mail string is attached displaying diligence. Our representation included: background research including Land registry documents, Official Plan excerpts, mapping, survey, and Zoning By-laws. A site visit for photos, drone footage, measurements, and a meeting. Many, many communications with the Township of Joly, the ****************************************, and Septic Engineers and Engineers by way of emails and phone calls. Thorough composition of the Planning Justification Report to accompany the re-zoning application and detailed Site Plan, all are complete and awaiting payment, so they can be submitted and shared with the Client. After failing to pay his June invoice # **** in the amount of $4098.82 and July invoice #**** in the amount of $7003.22 we continued to work in good faith, obtaining septic quotes and queueing a Septic site visit, updating the Site Plan, and completing the Planning Justification Report, and calls and emails with several professionals and the Township. In pursuing payment for the outstanding invoices, K M, the Client was consistently made aware that the submission was ready, and we were just awaiting payment. Our invoices provide very detailed docketed items with dates. We charge a 10% administrative fee on planning hours as outlined in our retainer letter. ****** the second week of asking for payment K M became belligerent in his responses, claiming charges were fraudulent. Contained within our Standard Terms we address the scope of our engagement, noting the expression of opinions VS the outcome, and the fact that we need full disclosure from the Client. The fact that the invoices (hourly rate) are confidential to the Client and not to be shared with any third party, and that the invoices need to be paid within 30 days, after that point interest is due and after 60 days, work ceases on the file, we can also terminate the engagement and pursue collection. We will not submit reports and/or attend at Council and/or Committee on delinquent accounts. The right for the Client to report discrepancies on their invoice stops after 30 days from the invoices date. We appear to be at an impasse with this Client and are pursuing collections. We have sent the Township a letter on August 17th, 2023 stating we have withdrawn from the file. This letter is attached.Customer Answer
Date: 05/09/2023
Complaint: 20531128
I am rejecting this response because:Marie has falsely misrepresented her actions and invoices throughout our time working with her. On Maries own accord, she proceeded to submit a letter titled Letter of Withdrawal to the Township. In her letter, she uses the wording Although we had made attempts to encourage our client to bring his property into compliance, our efforts have been to no avail. We hired Maries company to bring us into compliance by completing a planning justification report and submit with a zoning amendment application. At no point did Marie suggest we not move forward and instead become complaint as she words it. She painted a false narrative with the Township. This letter, as well as the below examples demonstrate inconsistencies and inflated and/or fraudulent charges;
At the recommendation of Marie, we hired a septic designer to put together a septic plan as part of the **** The septic designer requested a *** drawing from Marie so she could input the septic location. Reference Invoice #**** 06/27/2023 Technical Assistant Hours: Drafting the site sketch for the client 2hrs, 06/27/2023 Technical Assistant Hours: Site sketch preparation on *** (incorporating comments) 1.5hrs, 06/28/2023 Technical Assistant Hours:Worked on drafting the site sketch 1.5 hrs. The septic designer was sent the attached site sketch. Its a PDF that anyone could have done with MS ****** The designer requested a *** drawing, and not a PDF. Maries team responded to me that they needed to come to site to take measurements in order to put together a *** drawing. So why was I was invoiced for 5 hrs of site sketch/*** drawings,but no *** Drawing was prepared. Reference invoice #****, 05/16/2023 Associate Planner Hours: Site Visit Preparation 1.5hrs, 05/18/2023, Site Visit, plus drive time 3.5hrs. This is when Maries team came to site and completed site measurements, took drone footage, and got a general overview of the project. This is when started questioning the charges. 5hrs @ 175.00/hr for a *** drawing that was never produced, and 5hrs @ $210.00/hr for a site visit that included measuring. So why did I have to pay for another return visit? Where is the *** drawing I paid for? To date, I havent seen it.
Reference Invoice #**** Phone call with **************Email with Marie to set out plan and next steps. The township confirmed that any phone call with Maries team lasted no more than a few minutes. I was charged 2hrs for an internal email with Maries team. This appears inflated.
Reference Invoice #**** 05/31/2023 Meeting with Marie,discussion about steps moving forward, reached out to ******************* of ****. This conversation did not take place with ***, so this leaves another 2hrs of charges for internal meetings between Maries team.Reference Invoice #**** 05/17/2023 Associate Planner Hours:PJR (Overall content & format, Legal, Natural, physical characteristics,Panning Act and PPS Growth Plan of Northern *******). Charged for ****hrs and this invoice was paid. Marie refused to provide any evidence, work product, or even email chains to show work was completed, even with the invoice paid.
Reference Invoice #**** 07/06/2023 Associate Planner Hours:email to *************************** regarding septic. Discussion with ****** at ***** regarding septic. 2hrs @ $210/hr of charges for an email and a discussion about septic? Where is the email chain. Why will Marie not provide proof?
Reference Invoice #**** 06/01/2023 and 06/05/2023, 45 mins of charges for correspondence with myself because I wanted an update. I had to pay almost $200 to Marie just to find out where things stood. This seems off.
Reference Invoice #**** 06/19/2023 Reached out to ********************** regarding site visit (****), revised zoning application. 1.5hrs charged for a conversation with the conservation authority, which seems very excessive. Again, no proof was provided.
Reference invoice #**** 07/25/2023 Associate Planner Hours:finalized septic site visit 30mins. This was a text message to myself from Maries team to ask if I was still meeting the septic designer. This was a 30 second interaction, not 30 minutes. I met with the septic designer myself, and no one from Maries team attended.
Reference invoice #**** 06/21/2023 Phone call with (*****)and correspondence with Marie 1.5hrs for another discussion with the conservation authority and an internal email. This is very excessive. Again, no proof or email string would be provided.
These are examples of docketed times that appear to be inflated or falsely entered. To date, Marie has refused to provide any proof,any work product, email strings etc., even though Ive paid their firm $10,000.00 to date. It is extremely common for businesses to provide proof of invoices with backup in various forms. I sent Maries team the invoices with comments,and her team responded that they were too busy to comment on the invoices.
Based on the fact Ive paid $10,000.00 to her firm, endured 17 weeks of poor communication, on what I was told was as straight forward as it gets situation, and the fact that Marie has now held me hostage for an additional $11,000.00 if I want to get their report, I can only draw the conclusion that fraud or a scam is occurring. Based on further research, it appears that I am NOT only the only one to have had the exact scenario play out with Maries company. Where is the work product for the $10,000.00 Ive already paid. How has a basic PJR taken 17 weeks and $20,000.00. Why do other people in the industry almost fall of their chairs when I explain this situation to them. Why have I not gotten any answers from Marie. I want to ensure no one else falls into Maries trap and finds themselves out such large sums of money.
I put this entire note together in 10 minutes. How much would Marie have charged?
Sincerely,
*****************
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