A K Construction

Review: I spoke with and reviewed a "Home Improvement Proposal" provided by [redacted], of AK Construction, hereafter referred to as “contractor”. This document contains the following language at the bottom: "All work on this project will be conducted in a professional and workmanlike manner. Any material changes to the work described above or to the amount due by the customer must be approved by you through the use of a written Change Order Form. The price, terms and conditions set forth above are acceptable to me as specified. I understand that the complete terms of (Company's) work will be set forth in a more detailed home improvement contract. I hereby accept these terms and authorize (Company) to commence work on this project." I subsequently verbally agreed to have contractor perform a removal and replacement of siding, gutters and trim on our residence as well as having the home house-wrapped as well. We selected the colors, and style of the siding, and had trim colors picked out. Due to a defect in the original siding, the manufacturer had provided a voucher for the cost of the materials. The contractor had at one point tried to not credit us for the entire amount of the voucher in one of the many proposals that the contractor had provided to us.

At the initial conversation, I had indicated that my wife and I would like to perform the siding removal, keeping costs down, and to satisfy the frustration of having to endure the “ugly” original siding, and could he drop the dumpster off and we’d start the removal. We never saw a dumpster on premises, even though we’re being charged for one, but the opportunity to remove the siding was never given to us, as his crew removed the siding and gutters very nearly the next day. We had no idea when the job was to commence, as there was no formal contract ever provided to us.

The performance of the entire procedure has numerous flaws that the contractor failed to correct, even after I had given him several walking tours of the substandard workmanship his workers had left, along with pointing out numerous damages to the property. These flaws range from the destruction of obvious plants and trees, destruction of roofing materials either at the edge from an extension ladder being rested against the shingles edges directly, or by his installers (working from the roof over the first floor on the siding covering the second floor) dropping their folding ladders to the roof surface and allowing the ladders to slide down the roof, off the edge, and slam into the surface of our deck as a means to remove the ladder from the roof, damaging both the roofing materials and the deck surface. Further damage included using our decking surface as a cutting board at several spots to cut or trim something utilizing a blade of some sort, and various and sundry other damage that the contractor wouldn't discount from the final bill, in fact in conversation being dismissed as inconsequential. The siding was installed improperly, without proper overlap, leaving a one inch gap horizontally between pieces of siding, showing house wrap between the two pieces. In fact the “contractor” actually accused ME of creating that gap. There was house wrap that was installed from mismatched piecemeal scraps of three different wrap manufacturers that were obviously left over from previous jobs, even though we paid (personally, receipt available upon request) for the materials to wrap the house, as well as the fasteners, and trim materials. The house-wrap was not taped around the windows as it should have been (photographs available). The new gutters appear to “hang off” the house, rather than being installed square to the fascia boards, there are numerous places where puddles form in the middle of a length of gutter run, indicating that those gutters are not installed straight, or pitched properly. His installers trimming out and cutting around an unused vent that I had specifically instructed the contractor that I intended to remove from the home on my own. I had to inform the contractor that he had omitted the gable vents from my home, and those needed to be installed to ventilate the attic. His remark was that he thought we had a roof ridge vent, without even looking. The best of all was that his installers installed house wrap and siding OVER AN EXISTING WINDOW!

Upon continuing inspection, behind the gutters, there are numerous places where the bare fascia boards are exposed, and the trim was not extended high enough to protect the fascia boards, leaving them exposed to the elements. Rather than replacing any rotted existing fascia boards, the installers just trimmed off a few inches, and installed a patch piece, rather than replacing the entire board. The installers even damaged the metal trim around a second floor window, which was pointed out to him multiple times, each time he would assure me that it would be repaired. It still sits on the house, with two dings in the metal where the workers ladder rested. We never got the remainder of the materials from our job, instead having the contractor keep them for his personal use, even after being requested to be returned numerous times. Photos of all of these flaws, as well as “progress” pictures are available for review. Additional pictures show the damage to a sliding screen door on our lower patio door that was taken for repair and never returned, now bringing the amount of things paid for by us up another $105.00.

There were several occasions that I called contractor, and indicated his employees “stop work” until he and I could go over various flaws or issues in the workmanship. Every time, contractor and I walked around the property, and he took notes and assured me that all would be taken care of. The last of which was where I had indicated that we could not endure any further craftsmanship of his nature, and he should leave well enough alone. At that time there were several issues that I had pointed out, that were unacceptable, or damages incurred, and the repairs had not been made in over two weeks. He assured me that all would be taken care of by the following Saturday, and he left. His crew did finish the job, on Saturday, but many of the issues remained.

During the project, we received several different "Home Improvement Proposal" documents, each with significantly different dollar amounts, but all requesting a charge for a "dumpster" that was never on site. After the contractor failed to negotiate at all with regard to the flaws in replacement of the siding, and damages therein, and filed a lien against the home using ANOTHER dollar amount different from any document we've received. His lien in fact stating that he’s got a written contract dated November 16, 2010, and I have on multiple occasions asked for a copy of this “signed contract”, and the only thing being supplied was a signed “proposal” (details included in the previous paragraphs), which was dated 7/21/2011.

I am requesting that mediation or review of the materials and details would illustrate to the Revdex.com that we will be forced to have the entire project redone PROPERLY thereby causing further incursion of costs. Those costs, and the additional damages and physical insult to our home by his crew would more than exceed any balance of what he thinks the labor would bear from what we would incur, and that the contractor retracts his lien from our property and returns the unused materials to us.Desired Settlement: Indicated in the above text.

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted], We are responding to you to let you know that we gave you all the e-mails between us and as you can see there has been a lot of correspondence between Mr. [redacted] and I to resolve this issue. We had to put a lein on the property because the negotiations were going nowhere. We have tried numerous times to come out and resolve the issues but he always refused. We would appreciate it if there would be a third party through the Revdex.com to help us resolve this problem. To this date there has been no money paid to us for the labor on this job. We are open to negotiations with Mr. [redacted]. Thanks, [redacted] A.K.Contstruction

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I will provide details at a later date...needless to say, not interested.

Regards,

Business

Response:

My question is why has it taken Mr. [redacted] so log to respond ? I sent out the information about all the emails that I tried to communicate to Mr. [redacted] over a year ago and now he wants to go through it all over again like something has changed over the years. the truth of the matter is that I have tried to resolve all of Mr. [redacted]s concerns during and after the project was finished . the proof of this is in the many emails that were sent to him . I have tried to negotiate with him , and will listen to any reasonable request but to this date there has not been any payment for any of the labor on the job. looking forward to this being resolved soon. Thanks.

A K CONSTUCTION,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

His "resolution" is that I haven't paid his labor? His negotiation skills include increasing the amount on every "proposal" submitted, regardless of the damage or questionable work performed. His lien is based upon a false document submitted as a "contract" and he wants to rest upon that??? I have no interest in resolving it to his satisfaction. I have stated my position, if he is unwilling to negotiate to my satisfaction, I have no interest in any further discussion with this misrepresenting so called contractor. A true contractor would stand behind his employee's actions, realize the defects and faults and "stand tall" in making it right. He is unwilling to do so. He is as crooked as can be. He has lied to the legal system and gotten them to file a lien based upon false documents. He has kept materials that we paid directly to the supplier for. Not interested. Ask him for a copy of a document labelled "contract". He won't have one. All he has are proposals for work, and multiples of that, all with different amounts. We "paid" for a dumpster, yet there was never a dumpster on site. No "change work" orders, no contracts, just documents stating that a detailed contract will follow. Who covers up a window, who forgets gable vents, who short cuts siding allowing negative overlap on side by side pieces of siding and then ACCUSING THE HOMEOWNER of tampering with the siding pieces? He and his employees do.