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:05/01/2024

  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.

  This business was hired for a bathroom remodel. The contractor performed some demolition and then stopped showing up. After a month of no work, I requested my deposit back less a reasonable fee for the demo that was completed. The owner has stopped communicating and has not refunded my deposit.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/13/2024

  The client gave us a deposit in June
  2023 and had purchased the tile, vanities, plumbing trim and flooring for the
  project. We then quickly received a notice that his interior decorator did not like the
  material that he ordered and had it all returned, as she changed her mind and wanted to go a
  different design direction. At this point the owner
  put the project on hold.
  
  Nine months later he reached out to
  us to re-walk the job as there has been some changes to the scope of work. At this
  time Mr. ******* was informed that when he has all the material on site that we will
  start the job. Home Services by McCue was then informed that the demo was ready to begin, as
  the tile and plumbing fixtures were in town (not at his house). Mr. ******* then asked us
  to move all his furniture so that another flooring contractor (hired by the owner
  without our knowledge) can start their part of the project, this delayed Home Services by McCue
  yet again.
  
  The demo was 85% complete in a couple
  days with the rest to be done after we had a direction from Mr. ******* on how to
  proceed with the new layout. With our last conversation, we were waiting for
  their plumbing parts (that the owner purchased) to continue the work. We were never
  notified that the materials have been delivered to the job site. Again, how can we install
  plumbing parts without all the materials on site?
  
  We were surprised that Mr. *** *******
  will not be continuing the project with Home Service by McCue when we have been
  asking for critical decision making on his part. Home Services by McCue and any
  other reputable contractor requires material especially custom made as in this
  case to be on site before moving plumbing lines. Mr. ******* did not have the custom vanities on site and could not
  provide a basic rendering of the vanity (size,
  height and width) On our own accord, Home
  Services reached out to the fabricator only to discover that he has no
  rendering of the vanity, because the client is talking about moving walls (not
  in contract) and cannot be 100% certain where they want the vanity to sit or
  even what the vanity will even look like. All we were advised by the client
  that this is a  floating vanity. The
  client is demanding we start without material on site for a proper mockup and
  is wanting us to disassemble and rebuild his sauna, to which only the manufacturer
  can do.

  
  Home Services by McCue did perform a
  demo and will still finish the project once the client provides the vanity so
  we can be sure the plumbing is exactly where it needs to be and extra wall
  supports are where they need to be.
  
  We wish Mr. *** ******* the best of
  luck in the decision-making process to continue with another reputable
  contractor.
  
  Sincerely,
  ******** ** *****
  *********** **********
  Home Services By McCue

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/14/2024

  
  
  

  Dear Mr. McCue, 

  
  

   Complaint: ********

  
  

  I am rejecting this response because: 

  Your response does not actually propose a solution to this dispute. You state in your response that you have only done about 85% of the demolition. I do not want to quibble with you about the timeline of events but for the record, I disagree entirely with the narrative you have provided. Pertinent facts for this case are: 

  - After doing some demolition and rendering the space uninhabitable, I received an unexpected change order for $10,200. This change order included $4,000 for removing and framing and drywalling in two decorative columns.

  - I spoke to you on 4/18/24 asking for clarification about why this item was so expensive. You said that you didn't really know the details of my project and would need to look into it and get back to me. I never heard back from you. This work item was subsequently quoted by another licensed general contractor at $500 total.

  - I informed you on 4/25/24 by email (attached) that I wished to terminate the project with you and requested an appropriate refund since you had abandoned the job for over a month and had ceased communication with me.  You did not respond to that email.

  This dispute is over the $16,061 of my money that you have.  Per your estimate (attached), the total cost of demolition was $4,490.00. 85% of $4,490.00 is $3,816.50. Would you agree to do the right thing and return $12,244 of my money that you are holding? I would be completely satisfied with that outcome. 

  
  

  Regards,

  
  

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

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/20/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  February 2022 - went under contract with McCue to finish a space above our garage. Paid half. July - October 2022 - work began January - February 2023 - work was completed except for the access door. New door had been ordered but had not arrived. We agreed with McCue that we would pay in full and when the door arrived they would come install new door, finish trimming the door, and finish the steps leading to the door. We paid in full. February 2023- McCue asked for us to write a letter and send pictures regarding the electrical work done so that McCue business could get a discount from their electrician. We did this for them. February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October 2023- our many many many calls to ***** McCue, or project manager and the McCue office have not been returned.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2023

  It has been almost a month since my complaint was filed. Can you please provide an update on where this stands? Thank you. Brianna 

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2023

  At Home Services By McCue, we strive on a daily basis to exceed customer expectations and deliver a product and service that we are proud of and stand behind. In our business, there are many variables that we can and cannot control. In today's economy, especially in Northeast Florida, real estate and construction as a whole is absolutely booming. Unfortunately, with that stated, it puts huge burdens on our local county and state regulatory agencies as it pertains to Florida building codes.
  
  We followed all building codes, and this project was fully inspected until the Final inspection.The client has a fire-rated door which is required by Code/ Law due to having a living space above the garage. 
  
  6th Edition (2017) Florida Building Code, Residential   CHAPTER 3 BUILDING PLANNING  R302.5.1 Opening protection. Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb core steel doors not less than 13/8 inches (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors, equipped with a self-closing device. 
  
  The client wanted a glass door which is not fire rated and is a life safety code violation. With all the golf carts,electric cars catching fire and burning houses down we agree with the code. In the end there is no work to be done by us which would put us in a position of liability.  
  
  We are always working to improve our processes and increase our customer satisfaction. Unfortunately in some instances, there will never be an agreed-upon positive result regardless, no matter how hard we try.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/29/2023

  [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 Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: 20758926

  I am rejecting this response because: we have documented communication with McCue on the new *********** and timeline to install. Further, we PAID them for the door installation and labor upfront. The existing doorframe and steps are unfinished regardless of the door hanging. We would like our money back from McCue to the total of $2,500. Any documentation or images needed can be provided. 

  Regards,

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/28/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  I hired a contractor ****** *****, Home Services by *****) to do work at my home 4/25/23 (tearing down and replacing rear deck and upstairs decks). I paid him a deposit in the amount of $26,802.00 with the expectation that work would begin shortly. Has yet to pull permit and he indicated he would walk it thru quickly. Torn down decks some time later leaving home in dangerous situation never coming back to complete as promised. They had a job supervisor named ****y that was verbally abusive to me and threatening. It was a horrible situation and I had someone else finish the job in the vestibule. I called, texted, emailed and heard excuse after excuse promises to be here on particular date and they would not show nor call. I heard from ***** on 6/13/2023, when he finally advised that his team would be picking up the lumber in the morning (i.e. 6/14/2023) and starting work and not stop until the job was complete. Instead, someone from Home Services came to the house on 6/14/2023 to confirm that I still wanted work to commence. I have since after all the lies and no shows asked for my deposit to be refunded. They left my home in a very dangerous situation as one could fall to their death. I wrote a demand letter giving them 7 days to refund my money and he said he would return my funds via email and that was over 12 days ago. I am a elderly widow that lives on a budget and do not have money to throw away and he left my home in an unsuitable, dangerous situation. He should never had torn down existing decks if he wasn’t coming back for mos. I think the fact that I am elderly woman, widowed and vulnerable they felt I could be taken advantage of and also consider this elder abuse.
  
  I has reached out to Mr ***** via email to request a refund of my deposit on June 15th and he confirmed on 6/15/2023 that he would “send me a check. No problem”. It is now 6/26/2023 and I still have not received a refund check.
  This company has no integrity or honesty.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/05/2023

  At Home Services By McCue, we strive on a daily
  basis to exceed customer expectations and deliver a product and
  service that we are proud of and stand behind. In our business, there are many variables that we can and cannot control. In today's
  economy, especially in Northeast Florida, real estate and construction as a whole is absolutely booming. Unfortunately, with
  that stated, it puts huge burdens on our local county
  and state regulatory agencies as it pertains
  to Florida building codes. One thing we at Home Services By McCue will not do is
  perform UNLICENSED work or work outside of the direct instruction of an engineer or architect as it relates to construction.
  We spend a lot of time studying and following local building codes and permitting processes.
  When the construction industry is as busy as it is now,
  it puts a huge strain on permitting
  and approval processes, unfortunately, which is out of our control. We are grateful to have as many satisfied customers as we do. We are saddened to hear when we cannot fulfill someone's expectations.
  
  Upon our first
  site visit, the home was freshly painted and was in disarray from storms
  years ago. We gave a bid based on what we saw for the client and during the
  demo we found major rot covered by new paint.  This unforeseen condition
  required us to investigate the cantilever beams into the home which was
  investigated by our engineer who was engineering the footings to the
  rear deck. The client was informed that the engineer was busy and we
  needed the engineering for the deck permit which can take months.  The engineer determined they needed replacement
  for safety reasons and to meet code.  At the same time, we were
  repairing drywall and wood in an area off the garage that flooded from
  previous years storms. During this time, the client provided us with their contact at Benjamin Moore Paint to pick up stain chosen by the
  client.  This area was prepped, and we stained the wood stairs. Fast forward, with her rep from Benjamin Moore Paint's direction, we have stained the stairs four times. Unfortunately, this color stain chosen by the client was not to her satisfaction. We tried to calm her
  to a point of understanding regarding this project to no avail. We contacted her multiple
  times only to be turned away by her refusing to continue to work with us. We
  will refund her a partial amount for the work not completed minus the work that was executed plus
  the engineering costs to focus on our current workload.  
  
  We do our best to take the
  necessary steps to relinquish someone from a contractual agreement unbeknownst to us when things do not go as planned. We are always working to improve our processes and increase our customer satisfaction. Unfortunately in some instances, there will never be an agreed-upon
  positive result regardless, no matter
  how hard we try.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/06/2023

  
  
  

  [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 Administratively Resolved]

  
  

   Complaint: ********

  
  

  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. If, as is claimed in the business' response to my complaint, it could take "months" to get the deck permit, why did Mr ***** himself tell me he had someone who could walk the permit through in just a couple of weeks? 

  2. As of 7/5/2023, no application has ever been made for a permit at my property, yet Mr ***** thinks it is acceptable to leave my property in its current condition with no safety precautions and live wires (per my electrician) hanging down in my garage and insulation falling out which could lead to a fire. 

  3. Mr ***** is wrong to claim that "we have stained the stairs four times". First, his job supervisor (***** - who I understand has now been fired) picked up the wrong color from Duval Paint and did not check with me prior to commencing work. Second, her team (under her instructions) incorrectly applied the stain, painting it on instead of rubbing it in with a rag. Third, her team completed one third of the stairs in this manner before I stopped them after coming to check on them. At no point have they fully stained the full staircase. Fourth, I do not accept that Home Services "tried to calm [me]". Rather the job supervisor was verbally abusive and threatening. It was only at that point that I asked them to leave. My staircase remains untreated as of today's date. 

  4. Mr ***** claims that "we contacted her multiple times only to be turned away by her refusing to continue to work with us", yet when I asked him to confirm what number he had contacted as I had zero missed calls or voicemails, he has failed to do so. In addition, the incident with ***** and the stairs took place at the beginning of May (5/5). I have attached proof of repeated attempts to communicate with Mr ***** AFTER that date which shows that I had no intention of refusing to continue to work with his company. Indeed, on 6/14, ******** **** from Home Services By ***** reached out to me to state that "It was great speaking with you today. I'm writing this email per our conversation and it's a great idea of yours for us to touch base and make sure we are all doing our part in getting your project completed in a timely manor (sic). I spoke to Mitch and we are delivering lumber tomorrow as promised...Once we get lumber delivered, we will discuss a plan to expedite both the area above the garage and the deck on the rear of the house". This demonstrates that I was still willing to work with Home Services By *****, and Mr ***** is therefore wrong to try and assign his failure to honor our contract to me. 

  5. When I requested a refund from Mr *****, he told me he would write me a check, "no problem". His response to the BBB complaint from yesterday mentions that they will refund me a 'partial amount'. At no point in time was a partial amount mentioned. I am requesting my full deposit back. 

  
  

  Regards,

  
  

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

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/18/2023

  I sent the email below to Home Services By McCue after receiving a check for less than half the amount I paid, despite very little, if any, work being done. As of today's date, despite my following up, I have received NO response or acknowledgement from the business. 

  Dear Ms. *******

  Please note that I will not accept a refund in the amount of $13,373.01, and that I do not consider this project closed.
  
  Per Invoice 304, I paid a 50% deposit for the following work to be completed at my home:
  
  Clear coat the turret area of home - $2,950.00
  Atrium demo - $1,250
  Dumpster fee - $1,275
  Services - $33,319.32
  Deck off the garage apartment - $8,829.84
  Rear second floor deck - $5,979.85
  Engineering for project - $1,950
  
  As of 17 July 2023:
  The atrium has not been demolished;
  No dumpster was ever delivered to, or removed from the property;
  No services for rebuilding the rear deck were ever provided;
  The deck off the garage apartment has not been rebuilt (only removed with the support joists left exposed);
  The rear second floor deck has not been rebuilt (only removed with the support joists left exposed); and
  I have seen no evidence of any engineering plans being sent to any engineer.
  
  In addition, the clear coating of the turret area of my home was completed by a different company after Home Services By McCue (led on the jobsite by ***** who, as I understand it, has been fired) used the wrong color and applied the incorrect color in an improper manner (i.e. by attempting to paint it on instead of using a cloth rag). Per my request, Home Services By McCue sanded down the stairs to remove the incorrect stain but did not complete the job as anticipated in the contract.
  
  Furthermore, I have subsequently been advised by other contractors who have visited my property that the joists that were left exposed should have also been removed, and that it would have been unsafe to install marine grade materials and lumber on the existing joists. In addition, your company left exposed live wires hanging down in my garage which is obviously a huge safety hazard.
  
  The manner in which I have been treated and taken advantage of by your company is disgraceful and, as far as I am concerned, it amounts to elder abuse. Per § Florida Statute 825, “Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Elderly Persons and Disabled Adults”, § 825.103(2) states:
  “Any inter vivos transfer of money or property valued in excess of $10,000 at the time of the transfer, whether in a single transaction or multiple transactions, by a person age 65 or older to a nonrelative whom the transferor knew for fewer than 2 years before the first transfer and for which the transferor did not receive the reasonably equivalent financial value in goods or services creates a permissive presumption that the transfer was the result of exploitation” (emphasis added).
  
  Per your attachment, I see $6,000 is being kept from my refund for demo services. Why, then, are you only refunding me $13,373.01 of my $26,802 deposit? The money I paid Home Services By McCue was money I received from the Federal Government from their disaster relief program. That money was to be used solely on rebuilding my home but instead your company is trying to pocket $13,428.99 as, I suppose, a reward for your failure to complete the job and, for the jobs you did start, your failure to complete them to an acceptable standard. How, after pushing me from pillar to post for two months, and refusing to have any communication with me for over six weeks after I requested a refund, do you think it is acceptable to keep over 50% of my deposit payment?
  Your company has repeatedly lied to me: first, I was told in April 2023 that Home Services By McCue would apply for all necessary permits and that the owner “knew someone” who could “walk the permits through” in a couple of weeks. As of today’s date, no permits have ever been applied for as part of this project. Second, your company told me that the deck off the garage apartment would not require a permit; I have subsequently been informed that a permit for this project would, in fact, be required. If what I was told by McCue regarding permit requirements was true (and again, I contend that it is not), what then is your excuse for the months-long delay in finishing the two smaller decks? dYour company is morally bankrupt and your responses to my BBB complaints have been substandard and wholly unacceptable.
  
  I look forward to your response and please note that, based on the above, as well as the information contained in your attached invoice, I expect a refund in the amount of at least $20,802. Only at that time will I be willing to even consider the project closed.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ********