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:03/30/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  *************** of Damm Masonry was recommended to repair a chimney. He said he needed $1000 up front to purchase 5 chimney caps, saying it would cost him $140 each. He stated that we would pay for his labor to install later. He didnt write a receipt, stating that he was a good Christian *** and that a handshake was good. He did deliver the caps the next day, sporadically returning a couple times. On the 3rd visit, still with no work performed, he asked my wife for another $1500. She stated that she would need an estimate and could not keep handing over money. He then said Cant you at least afford to give me $500 now to pay for mortar? He would also not give us an estimate for the full job. Over the three visits, he never once went on the roof to get a good look at the 3 chimneys.When he started asking for more money up front, we asked another ***** for a 2nd opinion. The 2nd ***** was surprised by the request for multiple upfront payments and his lack of a quote. He also said that the 5 chimney caps cost much less, only $50. We verified the cost discrepancy at a couple stores. He also said that the cap sizes were wrong.We called *** the next day to tell him we would not do business with him and that he needed to return the caps and refund our $1000 minus $100 for his time, that is when he hung up on us. We tried calling his 2 phones. We left messages and also sent texts. He only returned our call when we used a new phone number, and he sounded surprised when we picked up. He stated that he was out of town for 3 days and would call when he returned. A week later, we didnt hear back, so I tried calling from another phone number. He did pick up, but stated that he was out of town and would return that night. Two days later, we didnt hear back, so we called from another new phone number. He picked up and stated that he would get the caps that day and refund our money once returned. Two days later, and he has still not picked up the caps.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/18/2022

  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.

  BEWARE- we hired *** @ **** Mansonry to repair and re-lay approx 3-4 walls of failing foundation with concrete block and repair dilapidated chimney bricks on the interior of our home. The project soon began to turn for the worst; *** started the foundation and brick repairs but never finished. He would show up when he wanted to once or twice a week, he had surgeries, Covid and employees sick multiple times in two months. The worst part? He left us with an open basement foundation prior to the winter and zero ability to turn on our heat! He has left us out of house and home. Christian **** Absolutely not. My wife and I were so devastated we were digging out our foundation ourselves and the improperly installed drain tile into the late night to *************. We watching ******* videos on how to complete our foundation; we even bought thousands in materials and tools, it is now November 16th and 29 degrees and no heat and not complete. we have lost thousands of dollars stolen from *** . We were left with over 3 tons of old brick scattered throughout our yard and mountains of dirt. *** was very hesitant on signing contracts and documenting his presence on site but we had him do it and have plenty to pursue a small claims case. Today we had a walk through with 3 city officials in dekalb from code enforcement and were able to document the issues on our behalf; lets just say there are major issues, we drilled and scoped the block walls with a camera, no rebar no support. the city is very aware of Damm masonry wishing they could have notified us earlier, I hope you are now reading this.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/02/2022

  Please read 3 attachments enclosed 

  had problems sending letter 

  please notify me back

  i will call tomorrow.

  ***

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/05/2022

  
  Complaint: 18436233
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have read ************************* 3 Page response and are objecting it for false information and neglecting to partially refund our $6,500.00 Paid to his business for uncompleted work
  I will respond to the concerns in *********************** response starting with the 1st document and ending with the 3rd response document.
  
  In the response document as it reads, ********************* stated, "He was hired to do 2 walls, Walls are done". ********************* initially submitted an estimate for (2) walls without meeting us in person. He was hired to do (4) after a walk threw in-person. I have attached a document (proposal) dated 09/19/22 with ************************* Signature, Printed Name and address solidifying his false comments.Reading the document there were (4) Walls and/or Approx. 75' of Foundation Block Work with Drain Tile Work behind new Block, Disposal of Old Block and Jacking up (Shoring as he states in the document) as needed for a sum of $8,000.00. On this document and date you can see $4,000.00 was Paid.
  
  In the 2nd page response document ********************* has submitted, he also states that that "He owes me $8,000.00 to this date"(He) Referring to me, [the consumer]. I have attached a 2nd document of a text message conversation we had of him replying to the additional work we had added on to the original proposal listed above, this additional work was a sum of $3900 and was an add on to the $8,000.00 for a total of $11,900 in work. Furthermore, In this attachment I documented that I had paid ****** $6,500.00 out of $11,900 for a remainder of $5,500.00 and to reply back with an "ok"confirming this. The 3rd attachment is documenting the phone number of the name "Damm Masonry" you see in the messaged.
  
  To conclude, based on the photos I submitted of the incomplete work, the false statements made by ********************* itemized above, the documentation of $6,500.00 Paid to this Point, also considering his negligence, abandonment of the project and theft of our funds; We were able to coordinate with a 3rd Party and have attached a 4th document invoice of $3,000.00 we paid separately for fixing his partial attempts at laying block, chimney brick, rebar,etc. For the record we are seeking $3,000.00 reimbursement plus $682.00 Fee For the 10 Yard Dumpster we Rented to remove his Demo.
  
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Business Response

  Date: 12/14/2022

  Dear *** or Madam , in regards to the rejected response; my final response is being offered:

  The County of Dekalb shut this man down due to no building permit i later found as i believe i told you before. He is deceptive and  indeed owes me the money as stated in prior response and will take further action if not paid within 30 days of todays date 12/14/22 in the 21st Judicial ********************** if not paid in full.
  Thank you for responding back to Damm Masonry 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 18436233
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Case reviewer please review documents and statements made by Damm Masonry That I have attached. the timeline will show that he is a liar, the invoice to fix his work, etc. Please advise, he does not deserve to do this to anyone else and does not deserve to be in good standing with the BBB. There are multiple affected by him
  

   

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/05/2022

  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.

  -We hired *************** for masonry work on the front of our house on 4/15/2022.-We gave him $3000 to start work that day.-After two weeks of working an hour here or there, he said our house framing was damaged.-He said wood was rotted, had mold, termites & second floor would collapse.-He requested $7000 more to continue and to buy lumber, *********************** two months, very little work was being done and no communication.-He eventually measured for a brace to hold up second floor and requested another check.-Red flag since he had done so little work and already had $10,000 from us.-We researched and found many bad reviews calling him a scammer.-We called a ********* to look who said work *************** suggested wasn't necessary.-No water damage (mostly stains), no mold, no termites and the second floor was solid.-We still tried to work with him but after more delays/excuses, we decided to move on.-We requested an invoice for work completed and a refund check from $10,000 we paid him.-To date, he hasn't provided either an invoice or a refund check.-Over the two months, he only did about two days of work removing bricks.-He also damaged our window frame with house-wrap tape.-He has said multiple times that he would drop off a refund check but hasnt.*If needed we have the copies of checks written to him, and also text messages back and forth with him over the months.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2022

  Dear Sir or Madam,

  Frankly all this is a lie. In fact, I have pictures of all work that was done and all the damaged wood. Been in business for years and rated 5 stars, unfortunately some people want work free. We only asked for extra money when all the bricks were falling off in front of the house.Back ***** years ago they put foam board and when it gets wet it swells up ; they quit making it because it is no good unfortunately they glued the thin brick to the foam board and it and fell off . So now behind the board is pressboard and it was deteriorated . This was not my fault , there was windows leaking and no window tape around windows. Need I say more,they were told to hire a ********* and I worked for all of the payment I recieved . I had a ********* come out they were not willing to pay $4000 to have fixed . Basically, they want to try and destroy my name.

  Sincerely, ***************

  Damm Masonry 

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/23/2022

   
  Complaint: 17919665
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This guy is a professional scam artist and a liar.
  
  Let me address his response. He said, some people want work free and I worked for all of the payment I received. Both of those statements are false. I paid him $10,000. He did maybe two days of work between 4/15/22 and 6/15/22. Theres a picture attached showing the work he completed. I was willing to let him keep $1,000 for those two days of work and asked him to give me back $9,000 for the remaining work that was not completed or wasnt necessary.
  
  He also said the pressboard was deteriorated. This is true and is why the thin bricks were loose and some were falling off. Its the reason I hired him on 4/15/22 with a $3,000 down payment to get started. Two weeks later, he said the house framing had to be replaced and the final cost would be $15,000 to $20,000. He needed an additional $7,000 to buy lumber/supplies. He cashed the checks immediately but never bought any lumber or supplies.
  
  I can provide pictures of the damage. It looks bad but its a combination of non-structural pressboard and superficial water discoloration on the framing, not structural damage. He used these pictures and told us the front of the house would collapse to scare us. He said he had never seen anything like it. He said the wood was so damaged it wouldnt even hold a s**** He said to move everything on the second floor away from the front of the house before it collapsed. He said there was mold and termite damage. He said he needed to get started before the front of the house caved in. He eventually asked for even more money, so I called a ********* to look. He told me none of this was true. He said the damage was superficial and maybe, since it was already opened, one board could be replaced. Even after this, I still tried to work with *************** to do the brick work (text message attached), but he didnt show up.
  
  And finally, he said they want to try and destroy my name. This is also false. We tried to work with him to get our money back from 6/15/22 until we filled our complaint on 9/5/22. For over 2-1/2 months he said he would drop off our money but there were always excuses. The last excuse, on 8/1 was he was waiting for a pension check to arrive. We came to an agreement that we would wait for his check to arrive, and he would pay me back on 8/12. He insisted it would be sooner than that. But 8/12 came and went without payment. Then on 8/15 he sent a text (attached) saying he would drop off money the next day. He didnt show up. 
  
  He doesnt seem to understand that I have every text message and voice mail between the two of us. I have two voicemail recordings from 7/11 and 8/1 with him saying he would bring me my money. Theyre saved as .m4a files so Im not able to attach them. Id be happy to find a way to save/send them if you need them.
  
  I also attached a compilation of various complaints against *************** from different websites. When I asked *************** about them, he initially said they were all liars. When I said many of the complaints are like what he did to us, he told me I should have read the reviews before hiring him (no kidding).
  
  I hope this information is sufficient. I have additional information if it's necessary. We have also filed a complaint with the ******** Attorney General.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 09/24/2022

  Dear Sir or Madam , 

  We too have pictures and as I believe I told you before , we have a five star rating.It is unfortunate that some people expect work for free. At the appropriate time we will disclose the pictures and follow thru as what the Judicial Circuit Court allows with the slander and defamation of character if he continues to destroy our Business name. We are well aware of just what this customer has put in writing.Thank you for trying to solve this matter, however , we are not in the business to give free work out , especially when unforeseen repairs are extra on any of our work we do.  Sincerely, *************** at Damm Masonry
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/30/2022

   
  Complaint: 17919665
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  He didnt seem to address any of the points I made in my previous response. Hes repeating what he said previously with an added a legal threat. Ill attempt to explain using his response. I feel like Im repeating myself, but I have included additional pictures.
  
  1. Just like his first response, he says, we have a five-star rating. He does not have a 5-star rating on Yelp or Angies list or the BBB website. On my last response, I sent a long list of Damm Masonry reviews from others. Many of the reviews describe tactics that are very similar to what he did to us.
  
  2. Just like his first response, he says, it is unfortunate that some people expect work for free. He should be asked how much I paid him ($10,000). He may not admit this. Then ask how much work he did. I attached pictures showing my house before the work and after he left. It is nowhere near $10,000 worth of work and I had to hire someone else to finish the job. Over a two-month period, he worked maybe two days taking thin brick off the front of my house. For this, he thinks he should be paid $10,000? I think $1,000 for the work he did is fair, and I asked him to return $9,000 for the work he lied about me needing. He never said he had an issue with returning $9,000 when he kept saying for two months that he would return my money.
  
  3. He says, at the appropriate time we will disclose the pictures. Any pictures he has will only show superficial damage and mostly water discoloration. But, for the sake of argument, lets pretend he didnt lie, and the front of my house was really about to cave in. He still didnt do any of that work and did nothing beyond the attached pictures yet kept all my money! 
  
  4. He says he will follow thru as what the Judicial Circuit Court allows with the slander and defamation of character if he continues to destroy our business name. So now hes threatening me with a lawsuit. I tried to work with him for two months AFTER he stopped working on my house to get my money back for the work he didnt do. From the day he removed his scaffolding from the front of my house on 6/17/22 until his last text on 8/18/22, he said he would deliver my money, but never did. He kept stringing me along and, unfortunately, I trusted him. Eventually, I had to take action.
  
  5. He said there were unforeseen repairs are extra on any of our work we do. I dont deny that these things happen. The problem was his lied about the extent of the damage and taking my money so he could get started and then not doing anything. After long delays and *************** asking for even more money, I had another person look at the unforeseen repairs. It was nowhere near what *************** said it was. Regardless, I still tried to work with *************** and have him take down some additional thin bricks and then put them back up. But he was a no showwhich I expected.
  
  Ultimately, he keeps saying I want the work for free. I have told him multiple times and stated in my replies to the BBB that I wanted him to keep the money for the work he did. I just wanted my money back for the work he didnt do.
  

  Sincerely,
  

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