Aspire Ventures LLC

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 7, 2014/03/20) */ Contact Name and Title: [redacted] L [redacted] Contact Phone: XXXXXXXXXX Contact Email: slneal@aspven,com There were no home design instructionsThere was a Specification of Repair document that was agreed on accepted by the homeowner, Aspire Ventures as contractor and approved by the lending institutionThose are the plans that were agreed and for which was followed The client continuously interfered as the project was proceeding above what any homeowner would expected to be involved, including want to meet with subcontractors that I employed, wanting to approve all purchases of materials for every item used at the property (notwithstanding the project being on a fixed price contract)All work that was done was done under permit (which was obtained from the City of Chicago) and supplied to ownerAll sub-contractors are licensed or certified in their respective trades and average over years experienceOwner requested that I give to him copies of all sub-contractor licenses and certificationsContractor licenses and insurance information is never supplied to homeowners as it often presents the potential for fraudulent usageI showed homeowner copies of all required certifications, however he insisted on having paper or electronic copiesFurthermore, the mortgage company certifies all documentation required for contractors to do work under the 203K program prior to approval of the loan to the homeowner When homeowner terminated that contract, I placed a mechanics lien on the property in order to protect my financial interest and based on the advice of legal counselThis is customary in the construction industry when unresolved disputes occur relative to monies owedThe lien will be immediately released when all financial matters are settledHomeowner still owes $37K in outstanding debts, of which %4k is in dispute, Homeowner indicates that shabby work was done, however he never allowed for the work to be completed due to continued interference and subsequent stoppage of the workAll items noted under his complaint would be considered customary punch list items and would have been addressed during the review process Also note that the mortgage company had assigned a third party inspector with over years experience in construction and renovation that validated the quality and specifications of all work that was to be done prior to approval for paymentHomeowner made efforts to substitute his limited knowledge for that of persons who is specifically trained in this area and brings a third party validation Homeowner indicated that lack of project completion contributed to his delay in renting his current propertyWhile I cannot speculate on homeowner's personal business dealings, this project would have been completed by mid-February, about five weeks from date of startThe contract allowed for a months completion period (which would have ended in May 2014), was well within the scope of the contract agreementI take no responsibilities for any other commitments or expectations that homeowner may have outside of the contractPlease also note that at time that homeowner chose to end the contract, 80% of the project work was accepted in writing as being completed both by the homeowner and bank assigned inspector Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 9, 2014/03/20) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) First and foremost I am the homeowner and the one who is paying for all the repairsI have multiple email correspondences expressing my disgust of the work that was being done and requested multiple times to cease work and for the Contractor Mr [redacted] to meet me at my home so I could refresh his memory of what we discussed in reference to the repairs Mr [redacted] admittedly stated that after I raised my concerns that he had not been at my home to supervise the work since him, I and two of his staff members originally walk through in November before the work beganThe three individuals and alleged licensed contractors (whom I didn't approve of ) who were working on my home didn't speak or hardly understand English so I'm baffled of how they were able to follow the items listed on the Specification of Repairs which was written in English The answer is that they were not able to that is why the repairs especially the HVAC system and basement duct is in disarray After I expressed my dissatisfaction of the work to the contractor he then immediately activated a lien on my property without any justification instead of rectifying the issue Initially, before repair work begin at my home I clearly explained to Mr [redacted] and Mr [redacted] how I wanted the ductwork in the basement structured ran via the baseboards allowing for ceiling clearanceOne of the reasons I opted for a central air system as oppose to repairing the existing boiler system was the benefit of ceiling clearance in the basement from the removal of the super imposing pipingI expressed the aforementioned to both Mr [redacted] and Mr [redacted] of Aspired Ventures LLCthey both stated that my request was no problem When the HVAC was installed and I went to inspect the work I saw the huge 12" ductwork webbed throughout my basement forcing me to crouch as I walked through the basement I was disgusted and conveyed my disgust immediately to Mr [redacted] via email, phone, and textI repeatedly corresponded with [redacted] and Miss Sanders of Aspired Ventures LLC about my distain of the basement ductwork structuring both assured me that their HVAC expert Jerry would meet me at the property to rectify the problem but no one ever showed and my emails, texts and calls went ignoredI then had the HVAC system and ductwork inspected by certified licensed HVAC experts for which all three stated that my multiple request of running the ductwork via the baseboards was very feasible and they all expressed concerns about the amount of BTU's the A/C unit had and the position of the drain pipeAll three stated the existing work could not have been conducted by a licensed HVAC expertAfter hearing the aforementioned statement from both the city inspector and the HVAC experts I begin to request the licensing information of those who were repairing my homePresently I still have not received a readable permit for the electrical work, the HVAC installator's name, contact info and licensing information To simplify the situation I feel like I ordered a sausage, mushroom and cheese pizza and the delivery guy brought me a cold cheese pizza and expects me to pay for it and give him a tip I also have documentation from the independent FHA/HUD inspector Gerald Stewart, pictures and written estimates from experienced HVAC experts that will support my claimThank you again for your assistance Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 13, 2014/04/06) */ I reiterate that all work was done according to standards and specifications, permitted and completed by experienced and licensed professionsThe items that were rationally in dispute wouldMr Fluornoy's emotional characterizations has no bearing on the factsUnder circumstances, be considered punch list itemsMr Fluornoy continued to interfere with with work progress and subsequently stopped the project87% of all work has been completedMr Fluornoy's characterization that workers on site do not speak English is both in valid and he has no evidence to prove suchFurthermore, unless there is an emergency action required, he is not entitled to direct workers to do any task as they may not be fully aware o contract specsThis is emblematic of his desire to control the project Mr Fluornoy indicates that HVAC duscting was in was in disarrayCompletely untrueThe duct system was installed by a licensed and experienced HVAC technician under permitThe basement ducting, which represents a small portion of the entire system, was installed according to local codeHis complaint centers around the fact that round ducts were run under the floor joists as opposed to using square ducts inside the joists of the unfinished basement, so that at come point in the future he could install a ceiling in the basementThis was not a requirement within the scope of the contract (see attached)and he expressed this desire to have the ducts run differently after they were installedAfter the ducts were installed Mr Fluornoy initially complained that the top of the round ducts were not insatalled close enough to the floor joists above itAt that time, the 203K Consulatant told him at the time that it the ducts could not be elevated anymore and that, as installed, met codeFurthermore, according to the HVAC technician, it would have been more expensive to install square ducts between the joists (which were not priced in the contract) because further demo work would have been required and secondly given volume of air flow required from the basement to appropriately heat/cool the upper floors the square ducts would have been inappropriateNowhere in the contract is it specified that square ducts were to be installed between the basement floor joistsThe following describes the ductwork specs from the contract: "Install runs of ductwork of correct sizing to new roomsInstall new floor registers and return air grills throughout new roomsStyle of covers to be approved by ownerRelocate thermostat per owners choice." Mr [redacted] was provided with all permitsIt is standard business practice that customers are not to conduct direct business with sub-contractors (unless under emergency requirements) as the customer does not have a contract with them Additionally, Mr [redacted] has yet to submit previously agreed upon progress payment in the amount of $31,which was signed by all parties on 1/22/(see attached)which is in violation of the ContractAlso be advised that this matter will be placed in formal arbitration for final riling Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (4200, 15, 2014/04/07) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The facts are as follows Mr [redacted] of Aspire Ventures LLC for whom I hired to conduct repairs on my home was and evidently continue to be in the dark of what repairs were and were not conducted by his unlicensed mysterious sub-contractorsIt is also evident that the aforementioned sub-contractors for whom Mr [redacted] whole-heartedly refuses to name and provide to me (the owner of the home) basic information as the sub-contractors' license, insurance and contact informationI was not given the opportunity to check the subcontractors' references, verify their Revdex.com rating or even get introduced to them via Aspire Venture LLC and/or [redacted] ***The aforementioned action or lack thereof, was completely unprofessional and shadyAs the repairs continued and via my observations I became discouraged in the individuals' home repair competencyThe workers who were conducting the repair work on my home did not comprehend English for which I have witnesses who will attest to their lack of English comprehension (both verbal and written)I repeatedly expressed my concern about this issue to Mr [redacted] and Latonzia Sanders of Aspire Ventures LLC via telephone and emails for this language barrier clearly hindered the ability for the repairmen to fully comprehend the list of repairs disseminated in writing by FHA/HUD consultant, Gerald Stewart Mr [redacted] Stated in the second to last sentence of paragraph that I, the owner of the home "was not entitled to direct workers to do any tasks as they may not be fully aware of contract spec," Frankly, if Mr [redacted] was on the work site as he ensured me he would be before I hired him to perform the repairs I would not have to point out various repair deficiencies and deviations from the repair list via hand gestures and pictures to Mr***'s non-English comprehending, unlicensed, shielded, sub-contractors Mr [redacted] indicated that "the ductwork was installed by a licensed and experienced HVAC technician under permit," but I have yet to be provided with the HVAC technician's full name, license info and the permit that was utilizedI have a witness whom visited the property while I was out of town that is willing to attest that the HVAC work was conducted by the same unlicensed, non-English comprehending, mysterious, sub-contractorsI have creditable, licensed and experienced HVAC technicians who are willing to attest to the evident deficiencies of the installed HVAC system and the basement ductwork as well as attest that the squared ductwork would have been more than capable of delivering appropriate cool/warm air to the upper levels of the homeAt no time during the repair process did Mr [redacted] call me to keep me abreast of the repair proceedings or ask me if I had any preferences for the repairs for which I had the power of discretion overSurprisingly, I was the one informing Mr [redacted] and Miss Sanders of various issues that arise during the repair processMr [redacted] only visited the property a total of four times, initially, before being hired, secondly, before the repair work began, thirdly, during an inspection for which I requested to address poor workmanship deficiencies and lastly when I requested an exit inspection a process for which I had to go through to replace the existing contractor (Mr***/Aspire Venture LLC) with a more efficient one In paragraph Mr [redacted] stated the I was provided with all the permits which is not true, I would like to request that Mr [redacted] attach all permits in a clearly readable form in his next response as well as the full names, licensing, and insurance information of the sub-contractors who conducted work on my homeThese are simple requests for which I have been requesting for some time now but to no avail To address paragraph Mr [redacted] refuse to accept the final payment of $33,specified by the FHA/HUD inspector Gerald Stewart for the work that was done and in-turn for no justified reason activated a lien on my homePlease see attachment Exit Draw and the Email from Mr [redacted] stating his refusal to accept the paymentThe more Mr [redacted] delay the continuation of repairs on my house the more damage that occur stemming from the fact that no exterior repairs were conducted on my home to address the roof leakage and the masonry cracks in the exterior walls this lack of repair has made my home a victim of water damage deviating from the massive thaw and now the spring rainsI have contacted the Attorney General's office, States' Attorney's office and Illinois Licensing and Regulation Bureau to assist me in this unfortunate matterI'm hoping Mr [redacted] will accept the prescribed payment of $33,via the FHA/HUD consultant Gerald Stewart as final payment, sign all required documents attached with the exit draw and resolved this issue before I'm forced to continue with more aggressive actions

I am not aware of any previous complaints from this homeowner...Additionally, all work is warranted for year per the Contract...Nonetheless, I will reach out to my [redacted] tech to discuss

I am not aware of any previous complaints from this homeowner...Additionally, all work is warranted for 1 year per the Contract...Nonetheless, I will reach out to my [redacted] tech to discuss...

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2014/03/20) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted] L. [redacted]
Contact Phone: XXXXXXXXXX
Contact Email: slneal@aspven,com
There were no home design instructions. There was a Specification of Repair document that was agreed on accepted by the homeowner,...

Aspire Ventures as contractor and approved by the lending institution. Those are the plans that were agreed and for which was followed.

The client continuously interfered as the project was proceeding above what any homeowner would expected to be involved, including want to meet with subcontractors that I employed, wanting to approve all purchases of materials for every item used at the property (notwithstanding the project being on a fixed price contract). All work that was done was done under permit (which was obtained from the City of Chicago) and supplied to owner. All sub-contractors are licensed or certified in their respective trades and average over 20 years experience. Owner requested that I give to him copies of all sub-contractor licenses and certifications. Contractor licenses and insurance information is never supplied to homeowners as it often presents the potential for fraudulent usage. I showed homeowner copies of all required certifications, however he insisted on having paper or electronic copies. Furthermore, the mortgage company certifies all documentation required for contractors to do work under the 203K program prior to approval of the loan to the homeowner.
When homeowner terminated that contract, I placed a mechanics lien on the property in order to protect my financial interest and based on the advice of legal counsel. This is customary in the construction industry when unresolved disputes occur relative to monies owed. The lien will be immediately released when all financial matters are settled. Homeowner still owes $37K in outstanding debts, of which %4k is in dispute,
Homeowner indicates that shabby work was done, however he never allowed for the work to be completed due to continued interference and subsequent stoppage of the work. All items noted under his complaint would be considered customary punch list items and would have been addressed during the normal review process.
Also note that the mortgage company had assigned a third party inspector with over 30 years experience in construction and renovation that validated the quality and specifications of all work that was to be done prior to approval for payment. Homeowner made efforts to substitute his limited knowledge for that of persons who is specifically trained in this area and brings a third party validation..
Homeowner indicated that lack of project completion contributed to his delay in renting his current property. While I cannot speculate on homeowner's personal business dealings, this project would have been completed by mid-February, about five weeks from date of start. The contract allowed for a 6 months completion period (which would have ended in May 2014), was well within the scope of the contract agreement. I take no responsibilities for any other commitments or expectations that homeowner may have outside of the contract. Please also note that at time that homeowner chose to end the contract, 80% of the project work was accepted in writing as being completed both by the homeowner and bank assigned inspector.

Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2014/03/20) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
First and foremost I am the homeowner and the one who is paying for all the repairs. I have multiple email correspondences expressing my disgust of the work that was being done and requested multiple times to cease work and for the Contractor Mr. [redacted] to meet me at my home so I could refresh his memory of what we discussed in reference to the repairs.
Mr. [redacted] admittedly stated that after I raised my concerns that he had not been at my home to supervise the work since him, I and two of his staff members originally walk through in November 2013 before the work began. The three individuals and alleged licensed contractors (whom I didn't approve of ) who were working on my home didn't speak or hardly understand English so I'm baffled of how they were able to follow the items listed on the Specification of Repairs which was written in English.
The answer is that they were not able to that is why the repairs especially the HVAC system and basement duct is in disarray.
After I expressed my dissatisfaction of the work to the contractor he then immediately activated a lien on my property without any justification instead of rectifying the issue.
Initially, before repair work begin at my home I clearly explained to Mr. [redacted] and Mr. [redacted] how I wanted the ductwork in the basement structured ran via the baseboards allowing for ceiling clearance. One of the reasons I opted for a central air system as oppose to repairing the existing boiler system was the benefit of ceiling clearance in the basement from the removal of the super imposing piping. I expressed the aforementioned to both Mr. [redacted] and Mr. [redacted] of Aspired Ventures LLC. they both stated that my request was no problem.
When the HVAC was installed and I went to inspect the work I saw the huge 12" ductwork webbed throughout my basement forcing me to crouch as I walked through the basement I was disgusted and conveyed my disgust immediately to Mr. [redacted] via email, phone, and text. I repeatedly corresponded with [redacted] and Miss Sanders of Aspired Ventures LLC about my distain of the basement ductwork structuring both assured me that their HVAC expert Jerry would meet me at the property to rectify the problem but no one ever showed and my emails, texts and calls went ignored. I then had the HVAC system and ductwork inspected by 3 certified licensed HVAC experts for which all three stated that my multiple request of running the ductwork via the baseboards was very feasible and they all expressed concerns about the amount of BTU's the A/C unit had and the position of the drain pipe. All three stated the existing work could not have been conducted by a licensed HVAC expert. After hearing the aforementioned statement from both the city inspector and the HVAC experts I begin to request the licensing information of those who were repairing my home. Presently I still have not received a readable permit for the electrical work, the HVAC installator's name, contact info and licensing information.
To simplify the situation I feel like I ordered a sausage, mushroom and cheese pizza and the delivery guy brought me a cold cheese pizza and expects me to pay for it and give him a tip.
I also have documentation from the independent FHA/HUD inspector Gerald Stewart, pictures and written estimates from experienced HVAC experts that will support my claim. Thank you again for your assistance.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2014/04/06) */
I reiterate that all work was done according to standards and specifications, permitted and completed by experienced and licensed professions. The items that were rationally in dispute would. Mr Fluornoy's emotional characterizations has no bearing on the facts. Under normal circumstances, be considered punch list items. Mr Fluornoy continued to interfere with with work progress and subsequently stopped the project. 87% of all work has been completed. Mr Fluornoy's characterization that workers on site do not speak English is both in valid and he has no evidence to prove such. Furthermore, unless there is an emergency action required, he is not entitled to direct workers to do any task as they may not be fully aware o contract specs. This is emblematic of his desire to control the project.
Mr Fluornoy indicates that HVAC duscting was in was in disarray. Completely untrue. The duct system was installed by a licensed and experienced HVAC technician under permit. The basement ducting, which represents a small portion of the entire system, was installed according to local code. His complaint centers around the fact that round ducts were run under the floor joists as opposed to using square ducts inside the joists of the unfinished basement, so that at come point in the future he could install a ceiling in the basement. This was not a requirement within the scope of the contract (see attached)and he expressed this desire to have the ducts run differently after they were installed. After the ducts were installed Mr Fluornoy initially complained that the top of the round ducts were not insatalled close enough to the floor joists above it. At that time, the 203K Consulatant told him at the time that it the ducts could not be elevated anymore and that, as installed, met code. Furthermore, according to the HVAC technician, it would have been more expensive to install square ducts between the joists (which were not priced in the contract) because further demo work would have been required and secondly given volume of air flow required from the basement to appropriately heat/cool the upper floors the square ducts would have been inappropriate. Nowhere in the contract is it specified that square ducts were to be installed between the basement floor joists. The following describes the ductwork specs from the contract:
"Install runs of ductwork of correct sizing to new rooms. Install new floor registers and return air grills throughout new rooms. Style of covers to be approved by owner. Relocate thermostat per owners choice."
Mr [redacted] was provided with all permits. It is standard business practice that customers are not to conduct direct business with sub-contractors (unless under emergency requirements) as the customer does not have a contract with them.
Additionally, Mr [redacted] has yet to submit previously agreed upon progress payment in the amount of $31,592 which was signed by all parties on 1/22/14 (see attached)which is in violation of the Contract. Also be advised that this matter will be placed in formal arbitration for final riling.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2014/04/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The facts are as follows Mr. [redacted] of Aspire Ventures LLC for whom I hired to conduct repairs on my home was and evidently continue to be in the dark of what repairs were and were not conducted by his unlicensed mysterious sub-contractors. It is also evident that the aforementioned sub-contractors for whom Mr. [redacted] whole-heartedly refuses to name and provide to me (the owner of the home) basic information as the sub-contractors' license, insurance and contact information. I was not given the opportunity to check the subcontractors' references, verify their Revdex.com rating or even get introduced to them via Aspire Venture LLC and/or [redacted]. The aforementioned action or lack thereof, was completely unprofessional and shady. As the repairs continued and via my observations I became discouraged in the individuals' home repair competency. The workers who were conducting the repair work on my home did not comprehend English for which I have witnesses who will attest to their lack of English comprehension (both verbal and written). I repeatedly expressed my concern about this issue to Mr. [redacted] and Latonzia Sanders of Aspire Ventures LLC via telephone and emails for this language barrier clearly hindered the ability for the repairmen to fully comprehend the list of repairs disseminated in writing by FHA/HUD consultant, Gerald Stewart.
Mr. [redacted] Stated in the second to last sentence of paragraph 1 that I, the owner of the home "was not entitled to direct workers to do any tasks as they may not be fully aware of contract spec," Frankly, if Mr. [redacted] was on the work site as he ensured me he would be before I hired him to perform the repairs I would not have to point out various repair deficiencies and deviations from the repair list via hand gestures and pictures to Mr. [redacted]'s non-English comprehending, unlicensed, shielded, sub-contractors.
Mr. [redacted] indicated that "the ductwork was installed by a licensed and experienced HVAC technician under permit," but I have yet to be provided with the HVAC technician's full name, license info and the permit that was utilized. I have a witness whom visited the property while I was out of town that is willing to attest that the HVAC work was conducted by the same unlicensed, non-English comprehending, mysterious, sub-contractors. I have 2 creditable, licensed and experienced HVAC technicians who are willing to attest to the evident deficiencies of the installed HVAC system and the basement ductwork as well as attest that the squared ductwork would have been more than capable of delivering appropriate cool/warm air to the upper levels of the home. At no time during the repair process did Mr. [redacted] call me to keep me abreast of the repair proceedings or ask me if I had any preferences for the repairs for which I had the power of discretion over. Surprisingly, I was the one informing Mr. [redacted] and Miss Sanders of various issues that arise during the repair process. Mr. [redacted] only visited the property a total of four times, initially, before being hired, secondly, before the repair work began, thirdly, during an inspection for which I requested to address poor workmanship deficiencies and lastly when I requested an exit inspection a process for which I had to go through to replace the existing contractor (Mr. [redacted]/Aspire Venture LLC) with a more efficient one.
In paragraph 4 Mr. [redacted] stated the I was provided with all the permits which is not true, I would like to request that Mr. [redacted] attach all permits in a clearly readable form in his next response as well as the full names, licensing, and insurance information of the sub-contractors who conducted work on my home. These are simple requests for which I have been requesting for some time now but to no avail.
To address paragraph 5 Mr. [redacted] refuse to accept the final payment of $33,755 specified by the FHA/HUD inspector Gerald Stewart for the work that was done and in-turn for no justified reason activated a lien on my home. Please see attachment 7010 Exit Draw and the Email from Mr. [redacted] stating his refusal to accept the payment. The more Mr. [redacted] delay the continuation of repairs on my house the more damage that occur stemming from the fact that no exterior repairs were conducted on my home to address the roof leakage and the masonry cracks in the exterior walls this lack of repair has made my home a victim of water damage deviating from the massive thaw and now the spring rains. I have contacted the Attorney General's office, States' Attorney's office and Illinois Licensing and Regulation Bureau to assist me in this unfortunate matter. I'm hoping Mr. [redacted] will accept the prescribed payment of $33,755 via the FHA/HUD consultant Gerald Stewart as final payment, sign all required documents attached with the exit draw and resolved this issue before I'm forced to continue with more aggressive actions.