Kenny's Home Improvement Company

My property is worse than before the thousands I paid Douglas Jones to fix it. He screams, I felt threatened. Then another home improvement company told me that they've heard FOUR stories like mine! Someone needs to do something about this guy

Review: I hired [redacted] to prevent water seepage by filling in dirt in my back yard. My garage wall is now showing seepage from the area his was supposed to correct.Desired Settlement: fix the problem for pay for someone else to correct this.

Business

Response:

17 April 2014Dear **. [redacted]:This lady does not understand the written contract. She also has a creek on each side of her house and lives in the middle of both of them.All I was hired to do is to bring top soil in to raise the grade at the back of the house to divert ground water not water proof her foundation as she believes I was hired to do.Prior to me being called in she had someone else install the sump pump and they bored holes in her foundation wall of the garage for the exit pipe. Had I been the one to install the pump I would have diverted the water in a different direction. The water is now under the slab of the house and is being pumped out right outside of the garage wall which is keeping the back yard saturated.I was hired to extend the sump pump drainage pipe, build a retaining wall and bring in dirt to fill in where her yard was badly eroded. As I previously stated her house sits between two creeks. Her yard was badly eroded in many places because of this.I created a proper grade, seeded and put down straw. I stacked rocks found on the property in front of the newly built retaining wall.I corrected grade and created a swale in the backyard and additionally to help correct ponding with top soil in the backyard. I did additional grade work filling in indentations in numerous places where the yard was badly eroded with screened topsoil. I planted trees she supplied at her direction and moved rocks in her yard where she directed. I also supplied mulch.I cannot be held responsible for the constant erosion that will continue to occur because of the fact that her house is in between two creeks. She will continue to need dirt brought in and erosion control performed on a regular basis. The erosion in her yard has been especially bad over the last year because of all the rain and snow our area has experienced.Please note that this project was signed on 17 November 2012.Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Review: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:

**. [redacted],

I contacted **. [redacted] as a home contractor to alleviate any drainage issues I may have in my back yard relating to the brink wall in my garage so I could sell my home in the future. He is listed as a "home contractor". I informed him of my purpose and he assured me he could correct this issue. He was supposed to fill in dirt in my back yard to address any water issue I may have. He put down the dirt without any vapor barrier and built up the dirt against my concrete block that supported my garage wall. He filled in the retaining wall I was told would be permanent. I suggested a cement filling against the rock barrier but was told it was not necessary because he rock would not move.

I do not have two "creeks" surrounding my property. My builder addressed drainage issues from the properties behind me by installing a drain pipe that directs any water runoff through a pipe that goes beneath my property and to a creek that runs over 200' from the area that Kenny's Home Improvement was supposed to address.

My invoice reflects my water proble** with [redacted] and how they would be resolved.

My contract with [redacted] occurred in 1212.

In 1213, before any actual evidence of proble** occurred I called **. [redacted] and asked if he put down any kind of water barrier against the soil and the brick facing. He replied that he had not because I had not asked him to. It was later in this year that the water seepage I feared occurred. I called **. [redacted] again and told him what was happening on his answering machine. I received an answer on my phone from him did not address our invoice but reported he would fix the drainage issue separately.

Please note that at this time I was transporting his mentally handicapped brother to and from work 2 days a week at his repeated requests. I applied what he owed me on my balance. I also have evidence of payments for the work he performed.

**. [redacted], please look for my supporting documentation to follow.

Regards,[redacted]

Business

Response:

KENNY’S HOME IMPROVEMENT CO.

Confidence Means Quality

204 Kenwood Lane

Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

17 April 2014

The Revdex.com

Subj: Response to Complaint

Ref: Complaint ID#[redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

She does have a creek on either side of her property. Also the home behind **. [redacted]’s drains directly into her backyard. She stated that her builder addressed that drainage issue. So obviously there was a problem before her home was even built. I have no idea what her builder did below ground level to address the drainage issues.

Once again I was not hired to waterproof her garage. I was only hired to divert the ground level water and divert that ground level water away from the area in question. Her yard will continue to need dirt brought in as it continually washes away because of the creeks and the enormous amount of snow and rain we have been experiencing. When I first came to look at her property there was moss growing on the ground and the soil was saturated.

We have had way above normal snow and rain during the last year. Just last Wednesday, March 14th and Thursday, March 15th we had four inches of rain in less than 24 hours.

I did not install her sump pump. That also is another example of the fact that she has had drainage problems for some time. I only extended the sump pump drainage line. Whomever installed the sump pump did not extend it far enough away from the wall. They simply put it through the wall. There again, had I been the one to install the sump pump I would not have installed it where it is and in the manner in which it was done. I have installed many sump pumps and have never had an issue with any of them.

To bring my handicapped brother into this is uncalled for. But since she brought it up I will address how that came about.

One weekend I asked **. [redacted] if she would take my brother to work and pick him up for one weekend to give me and my wife a break. My wife had been dealing with some serious health issues and we needed a break. I told her I would deduct the amount I normally pay someone to do it from what she owed me if that was acceptable to her. She liked that idea. I pay someone $10.00 per ride. So that weekend I deducted $40.00 from her bill.

She had already asked if I could put her on a payment plan for the remainder of the balance she owed me. I rarely do that. And when I do it is only for a customer that I have done several projects for and known for years. She was experiencing financial difficulty which is why she asked for a payment plan after I had completed the project. I absolutely did not repeatedly or even once again request her to take my brother to and from work. She approached me as asked if she could continue those rides on the weekends only, two days per week, in lieu of her paying the balance she owed me. I agreed to that request from her. I deducted $40.00 per week from the balance she owed me. She continued to do that until I was paid in full.

Once again, I cannot be held responsible for the constant erosion that will continue to occur because of the fact that her house is in between two creeks. She will continue to need dirt brought in and erosion control performed on a regular basis. The erosion in her yard has been especially bad over the last year because of all the rain and snow our area has experienced.

The total contract price is not all for the ponding of water in the back yard. There are other various projects included in the total contract price.

If there had been water proofing of the exterior wall it would have involved digging up the entire back fill dirt down to the footing in order to find where water is coming in. She did not ask me to do that. That effort would cost approximately anywhere from $8,500 to $11,000. It’s difficult to determine exactly how much it could cost because it is an unforeseen problem. Not the $1,505.00 that I charged her to bring in top soil to create a swale to redirect the ground water as well as grass seed and straw. **. [redacted] had difficulty in paying me the small amount I charged her.

I do have an opinion of possibly where water is coming in. And that would be at the location of the holes where the sump pump line goes through the wall thereby filling the block with water. There also could be cracks in the mortar in between the blocks of the wall.

Thank you for you understanding. Please keep in mind that this contract was signed November 17, 2012.

Sincerely,[redacted]. [redacted]

Kenny’s Home Improvement Co.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:I do not live between two creeks.I had the dirt filled in to preclude any drainage problems. That was to sole purpose of the work. The invoice I sent to you clearly states "drainage" in the body of the invoice. The rock they placed on the side of the house has moved and I was previously assured it would stay in place. **. [redacted] did not separate the charges on the invoice so I do not concur with his assessment of the cost.**. [redacted] asked me repeatedly to taxi his brother to and from work. I did him a favor and accepted this duty. At no time did I suffer a financial hardship and offered to pay the bill immediately. **. [redacted] reported he would just take what he owed me out of the balance due.I am dismayed **. [redacted] has become so disingenuous.

It is also apparent **. [redacted] refuses to be held accountable for the work his company did.

Regards,