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:09/30/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Peter Chopelas came to our property on July 17th to take measurements and look at the construction of our house which is being repaired . He spent 4 hours with us, perhaps an hour of attention to the house and the rest talking about religion, politics, health, and other non-professional subjects. We paid him $600 cash and he said he would do the calculations in the next ********************************************************************************* the next 10 days. He said that 3 times and never delivered any work to us. I would like at least some of our $600 back.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/08/2024

  They complainant contacted me about providing plans and engineering calculations for the work they did without permits on their residential project.  this kind of work is normal and routine for me, and I am well experience in it.  My schedule is rather heavy and often unpredictable, I had let them them know that the first time I had talked with them on the phone.  It is quite normal for both relatively small projects to take 90 days to complete, and larger one much longer. 
  

  At their request I drove out to the property, and proceeded to take measurements, and detail inspect the building, discussed various options to bring it into code compliance.  I usually charge a flat fee of $450.00 for the travel time and inspection, no matter how long it takes, so the off topic discussions are not getting billed to the client.  I had hoped to get it done sooner, but a number of complications, that were out of my control were, causing delays, along with the heavy demands on my schedule, that I do not always have control over, I tied to keep up their communications to let them know where I was with getting it completed.  However, they were still sending me further information necessary for me to complete it, over a month after I had done the site inspection. 
  
  it is ordinary and customary to pay licensed professionals a retainer fee before or at the start of the project.  it will cover the time spent and also binds an agreement, since it gives me authority to talk to the building officials about this project on behalf of the owners. At no time did they indicate there was any deadline due for the work, and there is no contractual agreement for delivering the work on any specific date.  Had they done so, and I could not have met their time table, I would have declined the project.  I let them know that my schedule is very heavy, it is often unpredictable since I get called out to building sites by building officials, contractors, or into permit review meetings (that I do not have much flexibility in scheduling).  I am usually optimistic I could deliver it within a number of weeks, typically about six to 12 weeks, but often with high demands on me, it can take longer.  They were  sending me up dated information a month after I had visited the site.  information that were necessary to complete the project.
  
  They apparently decide to hire someone else, without notifying me, after they had engage me to complete the work.  They also did not give me an opportunity to deliver the completed project, that I could have done within a few days, by rearranging  my commitments and working late to get it done for them.  
  

  If they choose to cancel our working agreement, that is their prerogative, but since the work was done at their request, they are obligated to pay the amount of time spent on their behalf.  This is also normal and customary for this kind of engineering service.  It is not normal to engage a professional on their project, and then hire another one without notification.  This is rather a bad way to treat someone that they hired.
  
  It was their choice to hire me, and get me started on it.  it was also their choice to hire someone else without notifying me.  Since they have an oblation to me, and i was willing to complete the project, I have no obligation to them.  It is rather unacceptable behavior on behalf of a client to engage an engineer, with a binding retainer fee, and than hire another person without notice and ask for their retainer fee to be refunded. 
  
  I am willing to complete this project within the next 2-3 days, if they choose to.  I will also forgo any further payment that might be owed based on the work already done on their project. 
  
  It is most regrettable that they chose proceed in this manner, it was the best I could do for them.   I wish better luck with the person they hired.
  
  Peter Chopelas PE

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2024

  I was not able to respond to Peter Chopelas' answer to my complaint earlier. His long response to my BBB complaint did not change the fact that he did not do the work he agreed to do. I had contacted him several times (Aug. 23, Aug. 30, Sept. 3, and Sept.29) after he first came to the property on July 19 and was paid an initial inspection fee. Each time he responded to my emails by saying he could finish up in a day or two. If he had initially - or at another point if he was unable to get the work done - said that it would take two months or three months to complete the work, I would have accepted that. But when he repeatedly said it would be done in a day or two and then did nothing, I was compelled to hire someone else. I advised him of that on September 29, to which he did not respond until I made the BBB complaint. The complaint stands, although I no longer expect him to provide any work product.
  Jo Beecher
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/05/2024

  this response is not accurate.  I was paid for the time and efforts done to inspect and photograph the building for preparation of plans the unpermitted changes to the building.  the client is not entitled to a refund when time was already committed to the project, and they choose to cancel the agreement.  It is not relevant that plans were not completed because the fee is based on time spent on the project.  That time can not be returned to me.  It is false I did not respond until after I received the complaint. I was never given a date when the project had to be copleted,, and unlike what they wrote,  I had responded to the inquire on September 29th before I received any notification of a complaint with the BBB.  I have a heavy schedule, other demands on me that I can not always control kept interfering with getting the plans completed sooner..  on Sept 29 I offered to rearrange my commitments and completed the plans within several working days, and when there is already time is expended on a project, the client is not entitled to a refund. The client did not respond and had  prior to this communication decided to hire someone without informing me, nor had they given me a any deadline to get it completed.  It was after that the client complained to the BBB.  Neither the client nor the BBB has any say on the policy with which my own business operates.  it is normal and customary for this kind of work be done based on the time committed to it.
  
  That is irrelevant anyway, work was done on behalf of the client, at the client's request.  They are obligated to pay for it.  I was willing to complete the project, but the client hired someone else while I was still of the understanding I was to complete it. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/05/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I do not expect to be reimbursed. I recognize that the payment was for the site visit. I never received any work product in spite of repeated promises to provide that. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  My husband and I have been waiting for plans to be reviewed and adjustments made to the architect's plans by Peter for over 6 months. We need resolution to move forward with our home remodel, which has been on hold pending these plans.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/01/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  On August 14, 2020, I hired Mr. ******************** to perform the engineering work on my single family residence project. He informed me that the design plans and reports will take a couple of months to complete, so it can be summitted to Snohomish County for the building permit. The initial deign plans were submitted to the county in January 2022, 17 month after Mr. ******************** started his work. The county provided review comments in May of 2022. Mr. ******************** mentioned that the comments were not a big deal, and he will modify the plans as per the review comments. Mr. ******************** said that it should take him a week or so to complete the plan revisions. Until now, Mr. ******************** has not worked on the revision, and has been very unresponsive and basically ignoring the many many attempts to reach him by phone, text, and email. I paid Mr. ******************** the vast majority of the fees, so there is no payment issue, and he has not asked for any payments to complete the work.Mr. ******************** delays, inactions, and lake of caring has resulted in significant financial damages to me in additional lot loan payments, big fees to renew the lot loan, not to mention the inflation cost for delaying the construction of the home.I feel so helpless. I cannot hire a new engineer to complete the work. Most engineers I contacted said they cannot put their stamp on someone else's work, so they have to start from scratch, with means new engineering and permit fees, which I cannot afford. I wonder if you can help me! or suggest a recourse action.