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Clete Long Enterprises

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Reviews Clete Long Enterprises

Clete Long Enterprises Reviews (2)

Review: Clete Long improperly repaired my basement. He was originally hired in October of 2014 and started the job, opened up my foundation and tarped it due to a cement shortage which he was obviously well aware about when starting the job. He did some patching on the inside and obviously did not waterproof it as agreed.. He did not pour cement until Mid December and asked if was going to stop the leak into my basement. He said yes. He was paid in full on 12/22/2014, I do have a receipt and work stated. On April 9 , 2015 we had a rain storm. The repair he claimed to have fixed was well worse than it was originally. I have pictures of the new damage which is in addition to the repair.. I have made more than ample attempts to contact Clete Long by phone, I have left 15 messages, by USPS priority mail which was delivered to him per the postal inspector and put back in my mail box unopened,I have spoken to the City of Oak Creek and was referred to you and Consumer Protection Agency and Germantown Ins which is my home owners insurance who spoke to Clete Long twice and has still failed to send them the information they are requesting. It is going to cost more money to fix the damage he caused to re-repair. He claims he is licensed, bonded and insured but yet won't stand by his work. The only 2 medical issues is the stress this is causing and that mold will start which I am allergic to.Desired Settlement: I would like for Clete Long to reimburse me for the work done because I have to pay another company to make sure it is done right. I would also like to have his insurance information. They should have no problem covering this. As I stated he will not return calls, has hung up on me when I had gotten another number for him and will not accept mail.

Business

Response:

I was called to [redacted] residence approximately the time she referenced, she had a water issue in one corner her basement , mold growing in one corner walls were straight and plum . I indicated to her if she would just replace the outside improperly pitched concrete at that exterior corner of her home that it would be up to 99%effective in displacing the water from said corner.I would then go down and sanitize the interior corner and back plaster the interior lower corner foundation wall. No permit was required for this type of work because it was not a foundation repair, I provided a concrete service and some cosmetic back plastering to her inside Lower foundation wall. She agreed to this , I further explained to her that if water continued to find its way in the foundation , interior drain tile would be required and a sump crock would have to be installed , this is inspected work and a permit would be necessary, the costs still far less then her pervious foundation estimates. furthermore in completing the concrete work there was a concrete shortage last year many contractors including my self were not able to purchase concrete for a period of time so after her concrete was removed I covered the site with a concrete blanket which is proper procedure to hold the ground warmth in when preparing to pour in cold weather . It has rained over a dozen times since the concrete service was provided all was well until we received approximately 3 1/2 inches of rain in 24 hours ,I personally received 30 calls for water in basements however not one from an existing customer that I have provided foundation services to , not one call , except for [redacted]. [redacted] is not a nice person she was very difficult to work for , she called me over 45 times during her job which was extremely small, The city of Oak Creek is actually fed up with her, furthermore she called me another 20 times after that 3 1/2 inches of rain . when I tried to talk to her she would not listen and that is part of her problem she does listen . My work was done properly and in a timely fashion with no money down and I was paid in full upon completion. In her attempt to contact me I received certified mail which I never opened and my son and I took back to her home and threw it over the fence , I never touched her mailbox , how unwise would that be. so [redacted] is lying. She has saw fit to talk to the city the mayor the police the Revdex.com other agencies in her effort to be satisfied, if she would have just listen to her contractor at the on set of this ordeal she would be getting another great deal on interior drain tile work which would have came with a warranty . I will never return to [redacted] home . NEVER . In closing I do every job as if it was for myself that is why the name of my business is Clete long Enterprises ,it helps keep me accountable for all work preformed .I hope to maintain my A rating with the Revdex.com, and will continue to respond to any and all agencies who she has felt the need to contact to maintain my good standing in this community and enjoy my operating privileges in the state of Wisconsin.

Review: On June 12, 2014 I talked to [redacted] about an estimate for a new driveway, fixing a wall leak in the front of my house, and raising the front brick walk. A few weeks later he came by and looked at my driveway, house and front walk. He talked about ways to repave the driveway and front brick walk in a manner that would divert water away from my house. He gave me an estimate of $4700.

On August 12th I signed a contract for [redacted] Enterprises to excavate 10-15 feet of front foundation, replace drain tile, back plaster and backfill; to remove 13' X 34' asphalt driveway and two small adjoining garage walk slabs, and replace w/ concrete, pitched properly away from house; and to relay bricks approximately five feet back to front step and relay bricks to driveway if required. Agreed price for this work: $4700. I had cleared all plants and the trellis in front of the glass block window from the front garden adjacent to the garage on August 8th for area to be ready for excavation.

On August 14th [redacted] excavated the front wall next to my garage. While doing so, he backed into a 4X4 cedar fence post which is more than eleven feet from the excavation area and broke it off at the ground. He said that the drain tiles did not need to be replaced. He had his sons plaster the cracks in the wall and then backfilled the area. The same day he removed the asphalt driveway and two small walk slabs that joined the driveway and narrow walk on the side of the garage. I paid him $4,000, with the understanding that the concrete driveway would be poured the next day and that the brick front walk adjoining the driveway to the front porch would be relayed within a few weeks afterwards.

On August 14th he poured the concrete driveway and walk slabs. He also dug a new post hole and replaced my broken post with a used one from his home.

On August 20th I sent [redacted] an email asking him to complete the brick walk before the 27th because my son and small grandchildren were coming to visit me, or at least put some plywood to cover the drop hole between the driveway and walk. He did not respond.

On Sept. 6th I sent [redacted] an email asking if he could at least do the brick walk connecting the opening between the driveway and front walk before the 27th when my 91 year old mother would be visiting. At this time I also informed him of my observations since the driveway was poured and I had repainted the front stucco wall. For one, that the glass block window was broken in one square and cracked in two surrounding squares, which became cloudy due to moisture getting inside. A second observation was that the matching wooden trellis on the other side of the front walk, more than nine feet from the excavation work, which had been left embedded in the garden, was found lying on its side. When I examined it, I noticed one of the legs had been broken off. And thirdly, that an iron foot scraper shaped like a terrier dog, crafted by metal artist Collnick in 1937, was now bent at right angles. I told him that I was afraid to bend it back for fear of breaking it. Apparently these items were damaged during the excavation process, similar to the cedar fence post, but which were not reported to me. I indicated in my email that I expected him to repair or replace the damaged items, or pay for someone else to do the service.

On Sept 23rd [redacted] and his son came to my house to raise up the brick walk to meet the driveway. He asked about the $700 balance. I told him that I would pay him the balance after he completed relaying the brick walk and fixed the items that were broken that I described in my email. He denied breaking the window. He admitted he broke the trellis, stating that I had the wrong kind and that I should have had metal ones. He admitted to running over and bending the metal foot scraper. He then turned the metal dog over in his hands, put it on the brick walk and stomped on it with his large boot, saying that now the bend was better. When he was about to do so a second time, I grabbed it for fear it would break.

A few days after the driveway section was completed, I phoned [redacted] about concerns I had with the steepness of the relaid brick walk section adjoining the driveway. That when carrying groceries to the house, the sudden steep pitch to the main brick walk caused me to misjudge my unseen step, resulting in falling forward. I did not hear back from him on this.

In early October I received estimates from Wauwatosa Glass for replacing the broken glass block: $632.83, and from Security Glass Block: $335. The latter representative had informed me earlier that it is not uncommon that glass block will break or crack during excavation from the machine bumping into the wall that holds the glass, and that it is not necessary for it to hit the glass directly as it is fragile.

Also in early October [redacted] and his son returned to raise the front walk up one and a half inch to the porch. I related what the glass block person said about how the glass can be broken indirectly from hitting the wall. He denied responsibility. He thought the glass must have been broken before he did the job, but I said the glass had no breaks or cracks when I removed the trellis from in front of it prior to excavation.

On October 9th I was cleaning up the brick walk and removing excess landscaping sand that was left by [redacted] after relaying the walk. Once removed, it revealed that the section covered by the sand, which was the west edge of the relaid driveway walk, had not been completely relaid. Unlike the other three edges which matched straight lines as before, this edge was incomplete, forming a jagged edge pattern. I also noticed that there were several brick pieces left stacked on the walk, apparently not relaid: two whole bricks, four more than half brick pieces, five less than half brick pieces. It seemed odd since both ends of the walk were being raised to higher inclines and would seem to require more bricks, not fewer. I telephoned [redacted] on this concern, but did not hear back from him.

On October 21st I sent him the following email about my concerns with the front brick walk:

"Cleat, here are my concerns about the front walk that was modified to connect the new driveway to my house, while steering water away from the house. Some of these we talked about when you were last at my house in late-September.

1. The walk that meets the driveway is too steep, causing a near fall while carrying groceries to the front door and not able to see the sudden end to the incline. The walk that meets the porch step is more gradual. Counting the courses of the inclines, I notice that the porch section includes 13 courses of brick pattern; the driveway section includes only 10 courses.

2. The driveway section is not finished on the lawn side as it is on the garden side. The lawn side is jagged and uneven. This went unnoticed by me until I cleared away the pile of unused sand that was left on top of this area. Both sides of the porch section are straight and neatly finished.

3. The walk that meets the driveway is raised on that end and caught my foot, tripping me to a near fall. This edge needs to be leveled off to be even.

4. The driveway walk pitches toward the house. This problem is exacerbated by the downspout that ends at that section of the walk. During the rain last week, a large puddle formed on the walk, instead of flowing away from the house as we had talked about prior to the walk being installed. This guides more water toward the house, encouraging more of the problem that the excavation was meant to correct. And in the winter, melting snow will puddle there, held by the snow bank, freezing into a skating rink for a broken bone. This needs to be corrected.

5. The porch walk also pitches toward the house as of the third course, but not as dramatically. There is one brick in particular that sticks out a quarter inch that catches the foot.

6. The broken glass squares need to be replaced. In talking with different glass block workers, they report that this is not uncommon when there is excavation work done on the glass block wall. Reportedly, the damage comes not from hitting the glass directly, but by bumping into the wall that holds the glass block. The impact on the wall is what causes the glass to break.

7. The broken wooden trellis needs to be repaired as to be usable.

Thank you for your attention to my concerns. I would appreciate it if these were remedied prior to the first freeze. It is difficult to move brick with frozen ground. Also, I want the glass block repaired as soon as possible. I have some bids available. [redacted] On October 25th [redacted] dropped off a Notice of Intention to file claim for lean (30 day notice) if the balance of $700 is not paid in full within 30 days. It sites that he performed, furnished or procured labor, services, materials, plans as follows: " Concrete service, foundation repair and relay ends of brick patio to proper height."Desired Settlement: 1. Relay the brick walk section near the driveway to an appropriate pitch, one that is less steep, safely meets the driveway and one that will guide water away from the house.

2. Finish the west edge of the relaid walk to match the straight edges on the east, north and south sides of the walk.

3. Replace the broken glass block or pay to have it professionally done.

4. Repair the broken wooden trellis.

When these actions are completed, I will pay the balance of $700.00

Business

Response:

Thank you for your payment. I understand

you take issue with our agreement and my workmanship. Due to the nature of my

business, I record all conversations concerning it, as many are authorized by a

mere handshake and therefore have all of our verbal agreements recorded. Below

I will address each of your issues in turn. Your concerns are italicized below.

1. The walk that meets the driveway is too steep, causing a near fall while

carrying groceries to the front door and not able to see the sudden end to the

incline. The walk that meets the porch step is more gradual.

Counting the courses of the inclines, I notice that the porch section includes

13 courses of brick pattern; the driveway section includes only 10 courses.

We laid bricks to meet your new driveway

and shorten the rise up to the porch.

Due to the incline of your driveway, we laid the bricks with a gradual

and reasonable incline to meet the height of the driveway. The same occurred,

as you have noted, to a gradual and reasonable incline from the walk to the

porch step. We were only able to address the approaches to the house and to the

driveway because you did not want to pay the amount I quoted for the entire

re-do of the walkway.

Your bricks were not done according to

“courses counted” but to a specification related to rise and pitch and

therefore there is not the same amount of courses going in each direction.

2. The driveway section is not

finished on the lawn side as it is on the garden side. The lawn side is

jagged and uneven. This went unnoticed by me until I cleared away the

pile of unused sand that was left on top of this area. Both sides of the

porch section are straight and neatly finished.

The walkway is not finished on the lawn

side because those bricks would be rendered useless if cut in the event you decided

to do the whole walkway. However, it will soon be overgrown and the “jagged”

edge will be unnoticeable. I left the sand for you for future use, upon your

request.

3. The walk that meets the driveway

is raised on that end and caught my foot, tripping me to a near fall.

This edge needs to be leveled off to be even.

This issue is addressed in my response

to number one. Please see above.

4. The driveway walk pitches toward

the house. This problem is exacerbated by the downspout that ends at that

section of the walk. During the rain last week, a large puddle formed on

the walk, instead of flowing away from the house as we had talked about prior

to the walk being relaid. This guides more water toward the house,

encouraging more of the problem that the excavation was meant to correct.

And in the winter, melting snow will puddle there, held by the snow bank,

freezing into a skating rink for a broken bone. This needs to be

corrected.

I also explained to you that you may

have a water drainage issue because of your downspout. The moss tells us that

you had a water problem before. There is no standing water problem on the

bricks I re-laid, which is the only guarantee I can give you with regards to

water draining on your walkway. The only ways to prevent standing water on the

walkway would be to re-lay the entire walkway, which again you did not want

because of the price I quoted and because we thought the moss was unique and

charming, or if you would re-route or move your downspout.

5. The porch walk also pitches

toward the house as of the third course, but not as dramatically. There

is one brick in particular that sticks out a fourth inch that catches the

foot.

You were asked to and agreed to

participate in the re-laying of the bricks per our conversation. You did not.

If you had helped in this part of the process, you would have learned what to

do when a brick or two rises or settles. This is a common occurrence,

especially when not starting completely from scratch and just adding on to the present

walkway. However, a simple resolution would be to tamp the brick down with a 2x4

to the level of the rest of the bricks.

6. The broken glass squares need to

be replaced. In talking with different glass block workers, they report

that this is not uncommon when there is excavation work done on the glass block

wall. Reportedly, the damage comes not from hitting the glass directly,

but by bumping into the wall that holds the glass block. The impact on

the wall is what causes the glass to break.

You shared with me that you had the

same issue with your windows ten years ago. I disagree that this was my doing

but that in fact you have an issue with hydrostatic pressure which was

exacerbated by the improper stone backfilled from your last foundation repair.

Hydrostatic pressure is the weight

of water/fluid due to gravity. This pressure increases the farther down you go,

as there is more water weight from gravity. Feel free to share that information

with your glass block specialist, although I’m sure they would have understood

if you had mentioned the issue ten years ago to them as well.

I also spoke with my engineer; he

stated the wall moved back ever so slightly after excavation due to the release

of pressure on the wall, which may have caused the glass block to fail. It was

bound to happen eventually, it was just a matter of when. In an effort to

satisfy an unhappy customer, which I pride myself on, I would be willing to

replace the entire window for an additional $150 or I would pay for half of

your lowest estimate for replacement.

7. The broken wooden trellis from

the south side of the entry, also damaged during excavation, needs to be

repaired as to be usable. The trellis was nine feet from the excavation

site. You admitted to breaking it, and said you would repair it, but have

not yet done so.

The trellis was rotten and likely

broke due to moving to it out of way. Neither myself, nor my team even realized

it had broken because there was no noise or movement that indicated breaking.

It was literally rotten in the ground. I offered to match the other trellis to

the broken one, which would have only shortened the trellis by approximately 10

inches, but you did not agree to that repair. Our contract required that you

bake a pie, which I have not yet received, and frankly do not want, so let’s

call it even for the trellis.

You conveniently left out that I did

admit I caused some damages – to the fence and your figurine lawn ornament –

and fixed those things accordingly. My integrity in this matter is what

contributes to my A rating with the Revdex.com.

Finally, I wanted to let you know

that I have used your job as a drive-by reference for my work. Your job looks perfect

and others have agreed. It has already brought me two more jobs in your

neighborhood because of the beautiful work, and I expect many more to follow.

I have forwarded a copy of your

email with the concerns above and this response to the Revdex.com

with regard to your complaint with them. Please feel free to contact me if you

have further questions or concerns.

Happy

Holidays,

[redacted] Enterprises, LLC

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Description: Concrete Contractors, Excavating Contractors, Home Improvements

Address: 10651 S. Nicholson Rd., Oak Creek, Wisconsin, United States, 53154

Phone:

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