G.S Engineering

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/09/09) */ GSENGINEERING September 06, Revdex.com Serving San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California Broadway Suite Oakland, CA XXXXX ATTN: [redacted] RE: Case# [redacted] Dear [redacted] This is in response to your letter dated August 26, 2015, regarding to the house remodeling and addition project I performed for Mr [redacted] and Ms [redacted] (the clients) The clients contacted me about their house project in the middle of April this yearThey intended to remodel their interior master bedroom, family room, and kitchen area, and add a two car garage and a porch in the front yardWe signed a contract on April 22, No overall plan for architecture and split the project into two phases Before we signed the contract, I explained to Ms [redacted] the total estimate time for their project design and city permit application processing is about two months, which cannot meet their request to get building permit and start construction as soon as possiblePer their request, we discussed the project in great detail and made a final decision to split the project into two phasesThe first phase is interior remodeling design and second phase is house garage and porchBoth parties agreed the decision and signed the contract on April 22, We got our building permit for 1st phase design on May 6, and contractors started construction soonI prepared the 2nd phase design for garage and porch during the interior construction periodWe got building permit for 2nd phase on July 14, (Contract is attached for your reference) The existing window location is conflict with the new porch column The owner never told or discussed with me they wants to change the existing window The change on existing window is not in our contract and work scope in two permit plansIt's illegal that the owner asked his contractor to change the window without city's authorizationAlso, the contractor has not built the porch yet, we can revise plans and remove the porch column in front of the window if the owners don't want to move the existing windowIt's unreasonable the owner ask me to pay for this possible construction issue (1)Garage size The owner's complaint is not trueThis is not design mistake! I talked to the clients regarding city setback requirements in the front yard before I designed the garage and porchNormally city will require a property survey plan from a licensed surveyor if exterior walls on the front side of new addition cross over the exterior wall line of existing house in the front yardBecause we don't know the exact property line location in the front yardHowever, the clients refused to provide it to me as design reference and didn't want to take any responsibility if new addition caused setback violationAfter talked to them the issue and the plan proposed, I designed the new addition exterior wall aligning up existing house exterior wall in the front yardFollowing this exterior wall line, the proposed garage depth is exact 20'I also followed Sunnyvale Building Code( Minimum sf per two car garage) and designed the width of the garage is ft20ftx20ft is a standard dimension for a two car garage and meets California and Sunnyvale building codeThe remaining width of ft is designed for interior hallwayThat's also a reasonable dimension because typical width of residential hallway is 3ft-3.5ftI submitted my preliminary floor layout with garage and hallway dimensions to the clients for review, and they said OK and asked me to finish the rest work of all architectural, structural plans, and structural calculationsWe went to the city together and got building permit on July (2)On August 4, Ms [redacted] sent me an email and asked me to change the garage size from original ftx20ft to ftx21ftI said OK and we reached an agreement for this plan revision because this is additional service per our original contractThe clients agreed to pay $additional design service fee and would be fully responsible for the possibility of setback violation in the front yard because the exterior wall of new size garage would cross the existing house exterior line in the front yardI finished my revision plans and sent to the Ms [redacted] On August 11, (3) Payment issue for the additional design service The owner's complaint is not trueThe second agreement Ms [redacted] wrote to me didn't show payment timeThe clients and I met on my service jobsite on August 12, They argued with me regarding the dimensions and told me they refused to pay for my addition serviceSo I rejected to stamp and sign the printed revision plans Also, they breach our earlier contractPer our earlier contract, the clients should be paid in full upon issuance for building permitHowever, Ms [redacted] said she didn't bring a checkbook when we got the second building permit on July and promised me she would mail me the final invoice payment once she got homeUnfortunately Ms [redacted] didn't do it like this as she promisedI waited almost two weeks and she never picked up my phone callFinally she paid me till I asked for their contractor's helpContractor told them that they would need me to cooperate in construction inspectionBased on my earlier experience and their language and action, they don't want to pay for $additional service fee at all, I decided the clients should paid first before I sign the revision plans, and assured I would help and got permit after they paidAlso I provided a solution and suggested Ms [redacted] leave a check of $to their contractor, I get the check from the contractor after the revision plans approved by cityThe clients rejected again (4) Word personal attack in the client's complaint What Mr [redacted] wrote is not trueI only wrote a comment for one thing in my emailWe argued regarding the additional service charge of $on August 12, Mr [redacted] was very angry when he knew I refused to sign the revision plansHe called and lied to operator he got a safety threateningI walked away in order to not to disturb contractor's construction work Another thing I want to mention is Mr [redacted] sent me an email and requested a mental compensation of $2000? for their marriage relationshipThey said they Argued a lot on the project and they thought their marriage relationship was hurt and I, the engineer should be responsible for the compensation I gave him a comment "æï��ï��为æï��ï��"in my later emailI don't think this is word personal attack, that's just comment for his manner at that time I keep all the emails with the Ms [redacted] & Mr***I can provide for your review if needed (5) The compensation list in the Client's complaint These are unreasonable! $800, please see my explanation in the paragraph1.(2) For garage and porch design, I have completed my tasks per original signed contractFor the plan revision, I have completed my revision plans per our agreementThe client failed to pay for my additional serviceThis is a breach of agreement, which caused we cannot cooperate in the later workIf the client hired another engineer to redo this garage design and asked me for compensation, I don't think this is fair As an engineer working in bay area for more than years, I take pride in providing my clients with high quality design work more than projects each year, and I make a point of treating each client with the utmost of dignity and respectWhile I truly regret that Mr [redacted] and Ms [redacted] were dissatisfied with me and my firm, I believed I worked diligently for them on this projectI wish them only the very best for all their future endeavors Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns Attached please find supply documents (1) Original contract (2) Additional service agreement (3) sunnyvale building code regarding garage size (4) original floor plan and contract work scope Very Truly Yours, [redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/09) */
G. S. ENGINEERING
September 06,2015
Revdex.com Serving San Francisco Bay Area
and Northern Coastal California
1000 Broadway Suite 625
Oakland, CA XXXXX
ATTN: [redacted]
RE: Case#...

[redacted]
Dear [redacted]
This is in response to your letter dated August 26, 2015, regarding to the house remodeling and addition project I performed for Mr. [redacted] and Ms. [redacted] (the clients).
The clients contacted me about their house project in the middle of April this year. They intended to remodel their interior master bedroom, family room, and kitchen area, and add a two car garage and a porch in the front yard. We signed a contract on April 22, 2015.
No overall plan for architecture and split the project into two phases
Before we signed the contract, I explained to Ms. [redacted] the total estimate time for their project design and city permit application processing is about two months, which cannot meet their request to get building permit and start construction as soon as possible. Per their request, we discussed the project in great detail and made a final decision to split the project into two phases. The first phase is interior remodeling design and second phase is house garage and porch. Both parties agreed the decision and signed the contract on April 22, 2015. We got our building permit for 1st phase design on May 6, 2015 and contractors started construction soon. I prepared the 2nd phase design for garage and porch during the interior construction period. We got building permit for 2nd phase on July 14, 2014. (Contract is attached for your reference)
1.2 The existing window location is conflict with the new porch column.
The owner never told or discussed with me they wants to change the existing window.
The change on existing window is not in our contract and work scope in two permit plans. It's illegal that the owner asked his contractor to change the window without city's authorization. Also, the contractor has not built the porch yet, we can revise plans and remove the porch column in front of the window if the owners don't want to move the existing window. It's unreasonable the owner ask me to pay for this possible construction issue.
(1)Garage size
The owner's complaint is not true. This is not design mistake! I talked to the clients regarding city setback requirements in the front yard before I designed the garage and porch. Normally city will require a property survey plan from a licensed surveyor if exterior walls on the front side of new addition cross over the exterior wall line of existing house in the front yard. Because we don't know the exact property line location in the front yard. However, the clients refused to provide it to me as design reference and didn't want to take any responsibility if new addition caused setback violation. After talked to them the issue and the plan proposed, I designed the new addition exterior wall aligning up existing house exterior wall in the front yard. Following this exterior wall line, the proposed garage depth is exact 20'. I also followed Sunnyvale Building Code( Minimum 400 sf per two car garage) and designed the width of the garage is 20 ft. 20ftx20ft is a standard dimension for a two car garage and meets California and Sunnyvale building code. The remaining width of 4 ft is designed for interior hallway. That's also a reasonable dimension because typical width of residential hallway is 3ft-3.5ft. . I submitted my preliminary floor layout with garage and hallway dimensions to the clients for review, and they said OK and asked me to finish the rest work of all architectural, structural plans, and structural calculations. We went to the city together and got building permit on July 14.
(2)On August 4, 2015 Ms [redacted] sent me an email and asked me to change the garage size from original 20 ftx20ft to 19 ftx21ft. I said OK and we reached an agreement for this plan revision because this is additional service per our original contract. The clients agreed to pay $180 additional design service fee and would be fully responsible for the possibility of setback violation in the front yard because the exterior wall of new size garage would cross the existing house exterior line in the front yard. I finished my revision plans and sent to the Ms. [redacted] On August 11, 2015.
(3) Payment issue for the additional design service
The owner's complaint is not true. The second agreement Ms. [redacted] wrote to me didn't show payment time. The clients and I met on my service jobsite on August 12, 2015. They argued with me regarding the dimensions and told me they refused to pay for my addition service. So I rejected to stamp and sign the printed revision plans.
Also, they breach our earlier contract. Per our earlier contract, the clients should be paid in full upon issuance for building permit. However, Ms. [redacted] said she didn't bring a checkbook when we got the second building permit on July 14 and promised me she would mail me the final invoice payment once she got home. Unfortunately Ms. [redacted] didn't do it like this as she promised. I waited almost two weeks and she never picked up my phone call. Finally she paid me till I asked for their contractor's help. Contractor told them that they would need me to cooperate in construction inspection. Based on my earlier experience and their language and action, they don't want to pay for $180 additional service fee at all, I decided the clients should paid first before I sign the revision plans, and assured I would help and got permit after they paid. Also I provided a solution and suggested Ms. [redacted] leave a check of $180 to their contractor, I get the check from the contractor after the revision plans approved by city. The clients rejected again.
(4) Word personal attack in the client's complaint
What Mr [redacted] wrote is not true. I only wrote a comment for one thing in my email. We argued regarding the additional service charge of $180 on August 12, Mr [redacted] was very angry when he knew I refused to sign the revision plans. He called 911 and lied to operator he got a safety threatening. I walked away in order to not to disturb contractor's construction work.
Another thing I want to mention is Mr. [redacted] sent me an email and requested a mental compensation of $2000? for their marriage relationship. They said they
Argued a lot on the project and they thought their marriage relationship was hurt and I, the engineer should be responsible for the compensation.
I gave him a comment "æï��ï��为æï��ï��"in my later email. I don't think this is word personal attack, that's just comment for his manner at that time.
I keep all the emails with the Ms [redacted] & Mr. [redacted]. I can provide for your review if needed.
(5) The compensation list in the Client's complaint
These are unreasonable!
$800, please see my explanation in the paragraph1.(2).
For garage and porch design, I have completed my tasks per original signed contract. For the plan revision, I have completed my revision plans per our agreement. The client failed to pay for my additional service. This is a breach of agreement, which caused we cannot cooperate in the later work. If the client hired another engineer to redo this garage design and asked me for compensation, I don't think this is fair.
As an engineer working in bay area for more than 10 years, I take pride in providing my clients with high quality design work more than 40 projects each year, and I make a point of treating each client with the utmost of dignity and respect. While I truly regret that Mr. [redacted] and Ms [redacted] were dissatisfied with me and my firm, I believed I worked diligently for them on this project. I wish them only the very best for all their future endeavors.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns.
Attached please find supply documents (1) Original contract (2) Additional service agreement (3) sunnyvale building code regarding garage size (4) original floor plan and contract work scope
Very Truly Yours,
[redacted]