Allen Christiansen Construction, Inc.

This letter is response to the complaint filed against our company by Mrs. [redacted]. After several readings of this complaint we want to make it very clear that this is a malicious, untruthful, and intentional deceit for the purpose of causing as much financial and personal hardship to us and our...

company for the sole purpose of receiving monetary gain over and above the work that was done in their bathroom.It is hard to believe that people will stoop to such low levels to make up conversations that never happened, make statements on pictures that are misleading and untrue and worst of all claiming that we tried to take advantage or her elderly father in law, whom we never saw, and her husband Earl [redacted], who we saw, heard and was on the other end of his verbally abusive language and messages taped on walls of the bathroom almost daily.We can’t help but wonder if this was their full intent from the very beginning, why else would you accept the work you are now claiming needs to be removed when you could have said not acceptable before the Corian shower walls were installed, why would you sign the addendum for changes and pay the additional $4,457.44 for work to be done and now that you got the work done to the point of final touch ups, painting, punch list and a working shower So now suddenly you claim it is all has to be removed and Corian reinstalled and you should get paid for all materials and work we did on your behalf .  I guess that is one way to try to get enough cash to pay for the rest of the bathroom remodel that you said you were going to do yourself. So you have a shower that you are using, that [redacted] was so happy with, in her own words, but you want us to pay you for it, who is ripping who off ? Playing the elderly/disable abuse card is as low as low gets.  It was empathy for the elderly as we shared having been going through the same issues with our Mothers and empathy that got us to take on this job when in fact [redacted] was feeling it would be best to not take on the job but your constant calls that you could not get contractors to call you back or come look at the job so could we please, please come look. It was empathy, [redacted], that made us make room in our schedule for your bathroom for your father in law. We realize now that if it wasn’t our company doing this job we strongly feel any other contractor, if they had taken on this job would be in the exact situation of being ripped off with threats of taking away their livelihood unless you pay up. In 40 years of being a licensed contractor we have never had one complaint filed against our company and we are proud of that.The fact that Earl [redacted] could not even add his name to this compliant we find is very interesting; does he want to appear as if he is unable to act on his own behalf?When in fact what he appears to have done is to set up his wife, [redacted], as his “hatchet man” all the while projecting himself as the disable man, from prior employment. Now we read in the compliant Earl also has PTSD, since [redacted] claims to be his caregiver wish she would have been willing to explain the issues we may have to be dealing with. As a caregiver that is not uncommon, to know how to advise others of the issues that the person being taking care are undergoing to help with interactions. While [redacted] is claiming in this complaint to be worn out by taking care of Earl and his father and now it is our fault she has more stress from Earl. I think we could make claims of enduring stress from Earl as well throughout this entire job as it became very obvious  that there would be nothing we could do that would be without complaint. We also experienced much stress in trying to work through issues with him without his notes posted on the walls even complaining when we were in the middle of working on an area yet he is complaining it was not finished good enough, “We were not done yet Earl, it was in the middle of the process”.We now understand why it seemed that his family was walking on egg shells.  This is the same man that when [redacted] said he could not get the plumber right away to stop a very slow occasional water drop from a pipe that was used to drain water from lines in the bathroom.  He said he would get a hold of the plumber as soon as he could reach him but that was not good enough and as he walked away from [redacted] that [redacted] was a “Fkin% Haole”. Now he claimed to have been a “Master Plumbing” in the past and anyone knows working with old plumbing fixtures that when turned on and off after not having been used much that it is not uncommon for dripping to happen and adjustment needed. As was in this case, plumber came next morning but line had stopped the slow occasional drip. [redacted] never touched the exterior faucet as [redacted] claimed; he left that to the plumber. We now understand why the neighbor walking by on the first day of the job asked [redacted] when he was getting something out of his truck in front of the house, “If he was doing some work for Earl?”  [redacted] responded, “Yes, replacing tub with new shower in the bathroom”. The man rolled his eyes and walked on saying “Good Luck”.This job started with a phone call from [redacted] pleading with us, as she had not been able to get any other contractors to call her back or take a look at the job. She said they, she and her husband Earl, wanted the tub taken out and a solid surface shower with tile floor installed, as father is elderly with dementia. I specifically asked if their father would need a ADA compliance shower for wheelchair access and her answer  was “No, he can take a shower it is just hard for him to step over into tub to shower”.I asked if there were any other improvements needed such as new floor in bathroom, changing out vanities or toilets and she said “No we just need a walk in shower”. We talked about having similar experiences with our mother and I felt empathy for her situation. I said I would talk with [redacted] and get back to her as I was not sure he would be able to take on another job right now. She commented again that she had not been able to get any one to call her back and needs this badly.  I said we will look at schedule and get back to her.  She called again when he did not call back within the week and then he did call back to set up time to look at the bathroom. She stressed they had limited amount to spend so was based on the basic bathroom tub/shower out and new shower in same space. He met with Earl & [redacted] and never was any discussion about a ADA compliant shower.  The Proposal was written up for removal of tub and new shower and no mention or enlarging the shower to be ADA compliant and was priced accordingly.We removed the shower floor tile when he said it was not good enough and we brought more samples for them but their daughter was only there in the morning, she asked [redacted] if he got an email from her Dad and [redacted] said “No”. She said he is going to get someone else to finish the shower.  So since we already knew that nothing we did was acceptable to Earl [redacted] said okay and put tile back in truck and picked up his few remaining items and said goodbye.Earl called [redacted] on his cell phone asking about the shower trim for the shower and [redacted] said he had it and had prepared invoice for balance with credits for work not completed and they could exchange check and trim. Earl did not think he owed any more money but that was not true. Then he called the office phone and Shirley was not in and left message for her to call him regarding the trim.  About 5 minutes later he called again and left a screaming message with threats to turn us in to every agency that would affect us and he had better get his trim.  He called again in about another 5 minutes and started screaming again but she had just returned to the office and picked up the phone, he got some control and explained what he wanted and was he going to get the trim to which she said yes and would bring it up to their house and they could go over the invoice and credit for final punch list work that we were not going to be completing since he has his other guy.  She said she had prepared final invoice and mailed it to them on the 19th so started to read it to him over the phone but he said just bring it with the trim. So they made appointment for the next morning, August 21st at 10:00 AM, and she took the invoice and an extra copy for them since they indicated they had not received it yet.Shirley arrived at their home and they all sat at the kitchen table she brought Invoice#[redacted] dated August 19, 2015 with balance due of $1,026.18. She brought extra copy for them and gave that copy to [redacted] who was sitting across from her at the table and she and Earl shared the original since they were sitting next to each other.  So in the complaint letter [redacted] stated that they signed the Invoice #[redacted] because that was the only way to get a copy was a lie they knew I had mailed one to them plus I brought another copy to the meeting in case they didn’t get it in the mail by our meeting time. She got the one where Shirley had written “copy” at the top and reduced balance by$200 for punch list credit. When they finished going over the invoice Earl said that the funds to make payment would come from his father’s income on the first of the month. I asked if he would postdate a check and he said No and then took the invoice I had in front of me and wrote on it “Payment will be sent as of Sept 1st 2015” I had marked at the bottom “less $200 credit for punch list” under $1026.18 deducted $200 showed balance of $826.18 and initialed it and Earl initialed it was well.  I then took [redacted]’s copy and deducted $200 and wrote new balance $826.18. So where [redacted] comes up with signing invoice being only way to get a copy is a lie, I brought extra copy and mailed them one as well.  They never sent payment but filed complaint and want thousands more now.I will briefly address the comment about not giving her 3 references, that came up in the first phone conversation [redacted] had with her and he said he could but at that point he was still not sure if he would do the job as he had not seen it yet. Then after seeing the job it was never requested again the only thing [redacted] wanted is to confirm pricing and that we would do the job. As for never receiving samples she was told the color available in the beige color and their price range and was given a brochure from Home Depot and she also said her daughter had looked them up on the internet. If she wanted to see other selections other than in the brochure of beige colors she is also able to shop around herself. She did pick out a couple other names she had seen on the internet but we were told those do not come out very well in the install and not recommended and we told her that as well leaving the color that was ordered and that we were told they were happy with and also thought it looked very nice.  So again I am at a loss for her comments.While sitting at the table and Earl brought up the tile not being acceptable job and I explained that it was more the way the tile was attached to the backing and it was difficult and even [redacted] was not that happy about it but when he went back the next day it appeared almost as if someone had stepped on the tile before it cut set up.  But when told not acceptable he removed the title and said he would get another type to install on the floor. He was not going to argue about it as by now he just wanted to get the job finished and move on to a better environment.Then Earl began talking about the waterproofing and said that the shower tile floor was waterproofed with the spray and seal as advertised on TV. Shirley was so shocked and very directly told him that was an absolutely not true.  Apparently he did not want to believe her or had ever seen what spray and seal that looked like as there is no comparison as he said it again which now she was very stern with him saying “that is a lie”. Fortunately we happen to have a picture of the water proofing bucket in one of our picture in the bathroom and an invoice for the very expense waterproofing.  But even when told it was not Spray & Seal they needed to make the complaint as horrendous as possible, even if it means lying after having been told in no uncertain terms that the proper waterproofing was used.Earl showed her pictures he had taken but many were so blown up they were fuzzy or so small hard to make out what it was. There were some dubious claims by Earl and Shirley could only say she would have to talk with [redacted] as she had never heard of some of the things he was say.  But she also knew of his temper and was not going to get into an argument with him and so sometimes she agreed to disagree. So then we went to the bathroom to look at the work. As he pointed out painting needing another coat or scratches from the Corian being put in place on one side, again she had to remind him that these are punch list items when you get main work done and then go back and to final touch up and fix ups but we were not given that opportunity.Then we they got to the shower he pointed out that the shower valve and trim was off center and located where it was originally for the old Tub/Shower, reminding him again we were only working with existing tub/shower space, so again using same shower lines and drain and that was used for old tub/shower.  Since it was not an ADA shower he knew full well to be centered would entail digging through concrete slab to move the lines and it would have costs a lot more than their proposal. He didn’t say anything and just moved on to another area that was not yet finished, which she reminded him that it was his decision to bring another contractor in to finish shower floor.  Also, with all his notes on the work he never once taped one of his notes about the shower trim being off center until this complaint form.  He knew adding things as we progressed in his mind he would be saving money as he definitely knew what he wanted and he also knew       what problem we would be running into but that he kept to himself. We said our good byes and [redacted] told me at the door again how excited she was to have the shower done and for me to have a good day.  She smiled sweetly.I left believing we had come to an agreement and that they got the shower they wanted and fair credit for items yet to be complete such painting touchup and miscellaneous items.  So it is with utter disbelief to read this complaint and reapze that we are not dealing with a bathroom shower issue but much more of a personal conflict with us becoming the enemy to be spared no measure of fairness. This is a matter of trying to make the pen mightier than the sword but with the same effect "destruction" of a person and his business for their own personal satisfaction and financial gain.I still find it hard to read this complaint and many falsehoods and wonder how people can be so devious and say such things. We will address these items with the various agencies that they have filed the compliant with and to show who is telling the truth.In most cases when there are discrepancies on a job you work it out together, which we tried to do but we now can see that working things out would not serve his purpose.  He knew_that complaining, making notes that didn't even fit the situation, then at the end when the shower is installed, he doesn't like the tile, we removed it and was   eady to install new tile but he calls a halt to our work and has his daughter tell us he got someone else to finish tile. Yet he meets with Shirley to get the shower trim and writes on invoice he will make payment 9/1 that he will send payment on the first knowing full well he is not going to do it and already had his plan to file as many complaints as he possible so he could and get the system to grant him more money.There is a small part of us that actually feels sorry for someone with such hate in their heart and mental health issues that would have been helpful to have known about in the very beginning; that you can only hope to be able to say a prayer for them.  However we do hope that this response will shed some true light on what has gone on and now knowing Earl has PTSD has helped us to try to understand why he is directing such rage/hatred towards us in order to justify his actions.