K. Lawrence Construction

The [redacted] tornado damaged my property and my home.The K. Lawrence Construction Company MA [redacted]XXXXXX, was hired to perform the repairs and do a few renovations.They began mid-May [redacted] The repairs included but not limited to roof, gutters,replacment windows, walls and ceilings. The roof and gutter completed work appears o.k. inside my home and breezeway walls and ceilings were to be skim coated, repaired/replaced. There is evidence of work being started thoughout my home but not completed. Paneling removed in livingroom sheet rocked, base boards replaced do not match pre-existing ones floor left undone. Contractor hates to paint had family members paint did not skim coat walls some areas missed that should have been painted. Not pleased with painting unprofessional. Plaster and paint on wood floors,carpet, furniture, appliances and kitchen cabinets. Left trash and tools through my home. In dinning area window removed and replaced with french doors not set in correctly gap between floor and doors caused an awful draft this past winter.Outside of home prepared for a deck no deck. [redacted] and I did a walk through in late [redacted] to address my concerns surrounding poor work, no show work days and the lenght of time work remained incomplete. He returned to grout breezeway floor next day has not returned. I have e-mailed sent two letters one registered called once no response. Purchased paint colors with his approval and stated he would reimburse me he has not.The inside of my home looks like a work site and not a very good one. My kitchen is the worst incomplete area.Currently not aware of any health concerns. [redacted] has relocated to [redacted]Desired SettlementSeeking refund to hire another contractor/Construction company to complete original areas to be repaired as outlined in contract in addion to repairing damage caused by K. Lawrence Constrction Company.Business Response K. Lawrence Construction[redacted] XXXXX (XXX) XXXXXXX [redacted]. #XXXXXX [redacted] #XXXXXXJune 19,2014To whom it may concern/ [redacted].Please consider this letter as my answer to [redacted]'s complaint to the Revdex.com.I was contacted by [redacted] to do repair work after the 2011 tornado in [redacted] I submitted and estimate that included replacing the roof, siding and repair wall damage in the house. The first estimate included new sheetrock as part of the repair in the house, this estimate was beyond her budget. One year later I submitted a second estimate that offered patch and paint on the walls. The next year 2013 we came to an agreement that I was to do the work that included patch and paint no new sheetrock. New roof and replace vinyl siding.In Spring of 2013 we set a date to begin.Start day was delayed by Ms [redacted] because first deposit money was not released by the bank.Work began in may 2013.Roof was complete in 3 days.Siding job was delayed 3 weeks because bank did not release fund. Ms. [redacted] informed me at this point that her house was in foreclosure and that the bank controlled the insuranceproceeds.At this point Ms [redacted] added extras to the house. An atrium door opening to a deck in the back yard.Ms. [redacted] stated that the money was not available but would be in a few weeks for the extra work.The siding work began with allowances for the new deck and door. Window removed header added and ledger board added to the house to support the deck.Siding work was completed in 1 week.After siding was complete Ms [redacted] decided to add new work to the job. This work included a new kitchen with cabinets and new floor_ Remove the mantel in the living room and replace the baseboard and repair the wall where the mantel was located.Work to begin inside.The agreement with Ms [redacted] was that she would remove the contents of the house and store it in Pods while the work was going on. She was to move in with her parents.That Monday start day when I arrived to begin work Ms [redacted] was asleep and complained about the early start time. Time and start date was arranged the week before.No furniture was moved from the house.I left the job site§ Ms. [redacted] assured me at this point that she would be ready, ( have things moved out ) by the following Monday. I returned the next Monday with 3 men to begin work.Nothing was moved even personal items, clothes and dishes were still out . It was clear that Ms. [redacted] made no effort to move furniture out.At this point I had men there to work . Ms [redacted] agreed that we could start upstairs with plastic over her belongings and drop cloths on the floor.This new arrangement was to work room by room where we would complete one room and then move on to the next. Ms [redacted] was to clear out the next room ahead of us.Extra work added. Wall was to be removed in the master bed room to gain access to a window that walled in. and new closet was to be added.I wrote an estimate for this work to be started when funds were available_Ms. [redacted] continued to live in the house during this time.I spent extra time moving stuff to create work space.Work was complete on second floor except where the new wall and closet was to be installed.Move to first floor. Patch and paint walls and skim coat the kitchen walls and ceiling.Extra work. No charge. Drew up a plan for a new kitchen , new counter, new cabinets, built in microwave, new floor and appliances. The new agreement was that she would provide the cabinets and material and I would install the kitchen.Ms. [redacted] got her own plan from a kitchen designer and represented to me that the appliances and cabinets would be ordered.The old cabinets were to be used until the new ones arrived. The existing cabinets included a soffit that extended to the ceiling. I skim coated the ceiling to that point and planned to repair that part that butted the soffit after the new cabinets were laid out. The walls were also finished to where the existing cabinets were set. Ms. [redacted] asked that I removed the appliances and dispose of them, I explained then that we would do that when the new ones were delivered.The kitchen was not painted only primed. I hired an electrician to move outlets and lights for the plan. Ms [redacted] was to deal direct with the electrician for fixtures and payment.New deck. Ms [redacted] was given an agreement, plan and permit application for the deck. After 4 meetings about this work she has not returned a signed agreement, a signed permit application or made any deposit to begin this workI stopped work. Late July The city of Springfield inspected the work that I had permits for, closed these permits and issued a c.o. I met with Ms. [redacted] to discuss finishing the work which was limited to kitchen, kitchen floor, deck, and new wall and closet in the master bedroom. For this work I have no contract.Ms [redacted] told me that she would be ready in a few weeks.In September I met with her again and did a walk thru.I explained that the kitchen was primed only, paint after cabinets were in.Ms [redacted] did say that she wanted the work done asap definitely before winter.Again, Ms [redacted] was to order cabinets for the Kitchen.I was to install the kitchen the following week. She also added other work to repair walls in the downstairs bath. Also I was to finish grout on the tile in the breezeway. This work was started by someone else.The following Monday I returned to do the work. Ms. Show ell was not at home. Her son was home but did now answer the door. Ms. Show ell did not return my call until after 12 noon that day.I returned the next day and again I was locked out.- That following Monday I returned , the breezeway was open but no one was home_I grouted the tile in the breezeway, adjusted a storm door, collected my tools and left. I have been in this business for over 30 years. I don't advertise, I am a one man shop.My work comes from referrals and recommendations. I enjoy what I do and take pride in my work. I go the extra mile to deliver a quality product. I've done work in most of the hospitals in the area, the YMCA, many schools, businesses, churches and numerous homes.Having said that I have to add that in all these years I have not ever had such an experience as this experience in dealing with Ms. [redacted].Finally if Ms. [redacted] thinks that I am the cause for these delays I will make an offer. I will complete all of this extra work at no cost for labor if she can produce invoices that shows that she purchased kitchen cabinets or appliances or flooring during that time frame. Same deal with the deck. I agree that this work is not complete but I will say that I completed more than my part of the bargain. How can I finish this job when Ms.[redacted] does not provide the materials or keep her part of the bargain.I am frustrated with the entire situation. How many times am I supposed to return to this situation.It is obvious to me that Ms [redacted] is not telling the whole story. I am taking this very personal. I will protect my license, my registration, my reputation and my name. I have hired a lawyer.Someone needs to decide what is fair.[redacted]Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)I do not accept Mr. [redacted]'s response to my complaint. I have pictures that show the condition of the work he has done or attempted. I also have copies of my efforts to contact him to finally finish the necessary repairs and the additional mess created by this company. He did not respond until now since I filed this complaint with the Revdex.com.I too have been frustrated. Mr. [redacted] did not return as he stated. There have been no-show work days during the time he was working on my home. I am not intimated by his threat to get an attorney the condition of my home speaks for its self. If and when Mr. [redacted] was to be at my home I would leave the door unlocked, make arrangements or be there myself even when I have had to leave work to open the door. He even had a key to the French doors that he had installed for a period of time. This is an unfortunate situation. Being a contractor in business for over 30 years I am sure that he encountered various personalities nonetheless the attack on dealing with me means nothing. He was hired to do a job one that he did not complete. My expectation was that I would be satisfied and pleased with the work; a job he was being paid to do. I interviewed and sought recommendations for a contractor and based on the information and previous work of his that I saw I hired him. The incomplete work and additional mess created by K. Lawrence Construction was not expected and falls very short of my expectations. I am now getting estimates and there are areas that these contractors have pointed out to me that should have been done a different way and should be redone. I am not sure what Mr. [redacted]'s argument is he is well aware of the condition he has left my home since fall 2013 and I have continued to share with him the areas that I have had concerns as he and his company progressed. He should have been up front that he was not a painter and did not like to paint. I still am not please with the painting that he got his daughter and her boyfriend to do not professional. I will forward photos at the appropriate time. Final Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)I have reviewed the information that Mr. Lawrence has shared on behalf of his company. It is clear that we are at least in agreement that he as the owner of K. Lawrence Construction Company did not complete the job they were hired to do. Overall my experience with K. Lawrence Construction has been challenging Mr. [redacted] often debated with me regarding my expectations, criticisms or requests.Mr. [redacted] has claimed that there were issues regarding payments, my home not being prepared adequately and a lack of access. Yes he was correct about the slow start as I did not have previous knowledge about how to handle the funding received from my insurance company. Once the escrow account was setup there were no further issues when I requested a check for payment for K. Lawrence Construction. He also stated that I was to store the contents of my home in a unit outside of my home. This was never the case since my insurance provider did not make financial provisions for this. I spoke to Mr. [redacted] early on about the flimsy plastic his company was using to cover areas and items in my home, as they were not securely protected. Lastly, Mr. [redacted]'s allegations about access weren't entirely true. As I had stated the entrance door on the breezeway would be left open, someone was here, I was a phone call away (a six minute ride) and lastly once he put in the French doors he had the keys for a period of time. There were a few occasions that the timing was off. There were times when he was short on staff, and when no one showed up coupled with the juggling of additional jobs that brought about absent work days.I initiated the walk through to bring this project to a close. As we walked through and Mr. [redacted] listed the areas of concerns on a pad and identified areas such as where the walls should have been skimmed coated by marking them with Blue tape they are still present. He asked that I allow him an opportunity to complete the repairs and make the requested corrections. To start he offered to grout the breezeway floor prior to reattaching the closet door and painting the breezeway. In the contract Lawrence Construction was responsible for repairing the wall and replacing the window that was damaged by the tornado. [redacted] Construction had damaged the breezeway door by over-extending it. I had to request that the door be fixed many times before it was finally fixed. They did replace the window and repair the wall however the painting still remains undone. The recollection of the time and events continue to be miss-stated by Mr. [redacted]. At the conclusion of grouting the breezeway floor Mr. [redacted] assured me face to face he would be back the following day he did not return. His work crew created messes and additional damage throughout my home. There are paint drippings on my hardwood floors. They sanded in a bedroom while the curtain was still hanging; the residue saturated the curtain and a worker took it down and threw the curtain into the closet. The residue spread on clothing and accessories. Mr. [redacted] offered to have this cleaned up but I assumed responsibility for it and took care of it. When they were putting the siding on my home a basement window was broken. It was not until after it was replaced that he told me it was done, however it was not replaced with glass as it was originally. Mr. [redacted] made decisions that I did not have advance consideration and I still don't agree with. Another example of this is the wood door frame in the kitchen Mr. [redacted] added a piece of wood instead of getting the correct width wood boarder, it looks pieced together. I told him I did not like it and it still remains.When the repairs were being done in the living room a tall plant remained it was not covered by plastic now the leaves are covered with paint. There are horizontal blinds at the windows that are missing panels since the workers were in the living room. I have continued to ask Mr. [redacted] to replace them to date he has not. The paneled wall with a mantel was removed and replaced with sheet rock it has a hearth in front of it. Although Mr. [redacted] put new woodwork it does not match the pre-existing woodwork and the hearth was left still needing repairs. I spoke to Mr. [redacted] about this it remains the same. The walls were painted with the existing imperfections no skim coating evident. As I previously stated the painting performed by this company I am not satisfied with at all. I still disagree with him at the onset of my complaint I communicated with Mr. [redacted] on three separate occasions he did not respond he is well aware of the condition that he left my home since September 2013.The Jun 1, 2011 tornado was four years ago and my house has not been restored to the home environment it once was. There is evidence of work throughout my home however there are repairs that remain incomplete in conjunction with additional repairs that are now necessary because of K. [redacted] Construction. I suggest he review his original contract it speaks for itself as it will remind him of the work that his company was contracted to do and fail to complete. I am frustrated and weary as he has taken payment for a job that the incompleteness and poor workmanship do not deserve. My claim was not submitted based on one or two items that remain undone it is because the inside of my home looks like a worksite at a standstill. I will also add that a contractor has pointed out to me that the gutters are in need of some adjustment as well. Mr. [redacted] made some home improvement suggestions any that were performed he was paid in full for. Mr. [redacted] continues to imply that the additional work is the issue. My issue is that he did not perform all of the repairs per the specifications as outlined in the contract and left repairs incomplete. My home has been out of order much longer than it should have been. The condition of my home is awful, switch plates still not replaced, blinds missing (safety issues) plaster damage through my home, paint drippings on hard wood floors. I am still seeking reimbursement there is still work that remains per the original contract undone and payment for the additional areas damaged due to poor workmanship by K. [redacted] Construction, the areas of concern and incomplete work is all very visible. I choose my paint colors with advance approval from Mr. [redacted] with the understanding that he would reimburse me to date he still has not. I contacted him to finally complete all work and I did not get a response I had no idea that he decided not to complete the job until I filed this claim. Mr. [redacted] concluded our business however did not fulfill the work that his company was hired to do, additionally cause more damage. I have not been unreasonable; K. [redacted] Construction Company received payment for services that failed to meet the specifications of the contract and my expectations. I would like to continue to move forward with my position with this claim. I need to conclude the necessary repairs before another winter returns. The snow last winter was quite high and it abutted the French doors there is still a gap in between the bottom of the door and the kitchen floor as well as the doors are sealed needs to be adjusted so the doors will closed tightly from the top to the bottom as it has been during the winter it caused an awful draft. As I previously stated I am seeking another contractor and I am having this entire project reviewed. The current state of my home speaks for itself. The manner in which Mr. [redacted] has handled the project of my home has been unprofessional. Final Business Response I am trying to figure out where this job turned into this problem. I did stop this job and at this point I have nothing more to add that would contribute any new information. The pictures seem to show. The old stove, the old cabinets, the ceiling where the work was stopped, the space at the atrium door where the new hardwood floor and transition was to be installed. I am not sure what the floor pic is. That unfinished wall is the wall that was to be removed in the upstairs bedroom. I am not in the habit of taking money for shoddy work, this job was stopped at a point where I could go no further without the material that we agreed on. This extra work was above and beyond the scope of the contract . Ms [redacted] assured me that this was more than a wish list and she was ready to move on this extra work. About the atrium door with gaps and needing caulk. The bottom is flashed over and ready for the deck and finish on the outside. The inside gap that was mentioned is to receive the new hardwood floor that was to be installed. The new floor is to meet the door at this threshold. I would suggest that to resolve this matter we could all meet at this site. Sincerely [redacted]baseboards and colonial trim is for the kitchen only. all is completed up to the old kitchen cabinets.doors and windows that I installed have colonial casing.all ceilings are primed. Kitchen ceiling is not painted because the soffits above cabinets were to be removed and that part of the ceiling was to be repaired when the new cabinets were laid out and installed. Wood trim was painted.second floor was complete up to the rear wall that was to be removed to enlarge room and add closet. This work was okayed but stopped.I am not aware of any peeling paint issues. The door questioned is not intended to be used until the deck is finished. this door was locked and blocked. It functioned perfectly. It should abloultly not be left unlocked because it opens out to a 2 ft drop.To finish this deck I needed a written agreement and a signed permit. To continue with the kitchen the deal was that I would install the cabinets at no charge while we were still working. That deal is off, the dumpster is gone and the cabinets were never delivered. The only reason that I prepped the wall for the deck outside was that It allowed me to finish the siding that extended alongside the deck.The ledger and the prep work for this deck along with the drawings for this deck was supplied by me, not paid for.