KJE Tiny Homes

To start, I am deeply saddened at the arise of this issue. We are just a small business trying to make it in a sea of larger businesses. We do not base our business off lies and deceit. We do not use sleazy sales tactics as claimed. We simply treat the customers as friends because that is how we view them. We are not meaning to continue with the back and forths but believe the allegations set forth need to be clarified. The customer designed his first tiny house. That was his design, his floor plan and his window layout. We have text message proof of him saying he had changes that he wanted to make which is why certain things like the plugs ended up in different locations. When the electrical was ran and the outlets were installed, each one was in a specific and dedicated location. The original layout had the loft extending over the living room. The customer stated he would like the loft cut back to give more head room in the living room which resulted in outlets no longer in the loft area. Of course, that looks odd but we would never leave that be. The customer never gave us a chance to finish anything. Shelving was installed on that wall to ensure that outlet had purpose. We can provide photo proof. The same goes for the window layout. The customer stated we took away promises such as the full size washer and dryer. As one can imagine, a full sized washer and dryer in a tiny house is not a common occurrence. As many know, a full size dryer is 220v. In order to qualify for a RV certification, a tiny house cannot exceed 50 amps which in turn means, only 1 item in the tiny house can be 220v. In this case, the customer’s stove was 220v. This is why we told him we could no longer provide the full sized washer and dryer. He did however have a full sized stove as he requested. We did not restrict any of his storage/closet area like he said. The tiny house ended up with a closet in the loft and a linen closet in the laundry area. Again, we have photo proof. Also, in no way do we use or purchase inadequate or cheap items and/or appliances. We use brand name items from the faucets to the appliances. I have photos, receipts and invoices to show. When we can, we also purchase from local distributors for items such as countertops. Again, I have photos, receipts and invoices to show. The customer also states that the tiny house was only 50% complete and 80% paid. The tiny house was not 50% complete. The framing was done, the windows were installed, the siding and trim were installed, the insulation was in, the walls were in, the electrical and plumbing were ran, the flooring was in, the couch was installed, the cabinets were installed, the countertops were installed, both sinks were in, the shower was installed and tiled, the bathroom was tiled, the staircase was built, the stove and refrigerator were in, and the roof was installed. The only things left to do at that point were the odds and ends such as finish work, testing sign offs, couch cushions, finish paint, etc. The tiny house was 80% complete and 80% paid. He still refused to pay the remaining balance. Instead he came in to our shop one day and saw a new build we were doing and stated he loved the layout. Our employee was witness to this conversation. He then wanted to sell his current tiny house and start over with a new layout. We tried to sell the tiny house as it was. Because it was his personal design and layout, it was not popular among the general tiny house population. Because of this and his refusal to pay the remaining balance(despite a signed contract), we had to invest money in to ensure it was sell worthy. I do not know where the customer is coming up with his information but it is incorrect. We had to put money in to the tiny house just to be able to show it. We installed an accent wall with a fireplace, stone and storage, we installed Pine on the interior walls and painted it, we changed the exterior look to give it more appeal. Those are just a few examples of our investment that we made prior to it being sold. The customer also states he attempted to write up a new contract multiple times. This is false. He refused to do a new contract for the new/second tiny house until he was sure the first was going to sell to avoid being stuck with 2 tiny houses, which is understandable. Therefore the new contract was not written until after the fact. I was not present during conversations regarding the new tiny house so I informed the customer that I would email him a contract draft for him to review. I also let him know that until I sat down with him to review everything, the contract info may be incorrect as I stated above, I was not present to know what should be included in the contract. We reviewed the first contract with him twice and even went through it with his mother to ensure he was comfortable with every aspect. So I wanted to sit down with him again this time and make sure everything was correct and everything he wanted was included. He was getting a 32 foot tiny house with many upgrades for $60,000(including taxes). That is an extremely discounted price. You can see on our website that our 28 foot tiny houses start around that price with no upgrades and taxes not included. Again, we were doing everything we could to appease him. During our contract meeting, he stated he wanted additional items at no extra charge and also the freedom to upgrade certain features like tile and flooring, again for no extra charge. I was skeptical as the price was already very low. I told him we would discuss it further and be in contact with him shortly. After discussing, I decided to give him every single feature and item he asked for and under the price he wanted. That is when he requested his refund, even though we did everything we could to give him what he wanted. We are a small business that does not hold a refund policy. Our contract, that the customer signed, clearly states that we do not offer refunds. Because of this, we did not know how to accommodate such a request. That is why we wanted to consult our attorney for the best possible route. Never did we deny the customer his refund. Unfortunately, advising with our lawyer took more time than both parties had hoped. I can provide a timeline of calls and emails. This business is our baby and we hope to pass it along to our son one day. We are not shady people and do not wish to take advantage of anyone in any way. We are very apologetic to our customer for the way he feels. He held much respect for him. With that being said, we are going to refund the customer his full $40,000, as he requested in his first email. Unfortunately, we cannot give him a lump sum. We will be paying him in payments. We will make the first payment on November 1st in the amount of $10,000. We will then pay him $10,000 each month following until the $40,000 is paid back with the possibility of a quicker pay back depending on our work load.

I am rejecting this response because:
KJE's response has no resolution in it.
The delay in the build was mutual. I had land to store it on since April. KJE enjoyed months of time using a show model tiny home to help would be customers visualize what they can build. The design was flawed due to [redacted]'s mishaps (power socket 8 feet above the couch (photo proof), windows where the walls should have been (photo proof), lack of full size appliances, loss of stacking laundry room/closet, etc. I was not happy with the broken promises and sleazy sales tactics/upcharges. [redacted] did not want to spend labor and material correcting his own mistakes. [redacted] also removed $3,000 worth of cedar siding to save money on material. We both agreed to sell my current tiny house so that I could build another with the; they could make two sales, 1 by making more profit from the first sale, and 2 by making more profit from the second sale.
[redacted] is still not communicating with [redacted]. This is why I am told one thing and in writing there is another. Here is her own admission as submitted via Email to me.
"I was working on your contract as you emailed me. I mentioned before our meeting that it was only going to be a draft since I was not present and was not aware of a lot of the agreements. I recently added certain details, model numbers(from the previous allowance sheet), deleted wording that did not apply to you, and even bumped up the allowances for you.

I apologize for this issues caused by miscommunication on our part. That is something I am trying to get [redacted] to work on.

I am honestly not trying to leverage you in any way, which is why we agreed to finish off your son's room.

I will attach the contract for your reference. Everything you wanted is in the contract. The total price is below/right at $60,000.

As far as the refund, I will have to get back to you shortly. It is my understanding that we have already ordered your trailer.

Once again, I apologize for any frustration and I hope you give me the opportunity to make it right."
Yes I refused to pay off the remaining balance on the first build. I had already invested $40,500 into it and I knew the more money [redacted] had from me, the more he would try and cut corners/change plans/short change me. Our original contract said we would go by percentage completed. He had money from a new buyer before he completed the build (to that buyers specs) and was never out any capital.
They are a tiny house business. They had sold the tiny home for a large profit. They were not hurt in any labor issues. They made MORE of a profit selling it to someone else rather than me. I helped them with a show model, capital, proof of a customer base, and lots of patience.
They responded by not fulfilling their promise to me, mainly [redacted], and with holding my money. There is no leg for them to stand on. Our prior contract ended when they sold my 1st tiny home.
They ruined our relationship/verbal agreement when they lied to me and made false promises to get more money for less work.
They have not been in contact with me since Monday Sept. 11th when [redacted] sent me this
"I am waiting to hear back from my lawyer. I will contact you as soon as I do."
$51,500 contracted amount for 1st build (taxes and fees)
KJE used my free labor, to help with the build.
KJE used my build in the home show.
KJE used my build for a display/floor model.
KJE messed up my build.
KJE avoided fixing those mess ups by selling my build.
KJE removed $3,000 of cedar siding on my build.
KJE sold my build for $8,000 more than I would have paid for it. ($59,000)
KJE completed my build/made changes to suit the next customer but refused to write a new contract, despite multiple requests, prior to selling my build.
I could have finished my build and sold it myself for a profit.
KJE lied to me, could not communicate with each other, and are lying/not communicating still. KJE breached our verbal contract because they did not provide everything that was promised to me. When we sat down to do the contract, they tried to pressure me to cut my own build down/pay more money, and let me walk out with no notion of them holding up their end of the bargain. In all honesty, I believe it ended in a fight between them.

I paid $40,500 into my 1st build. They made their original price of $51,500 plus $8,000 more. There relationship/business issues is not my issue. I tried to be civil with them over the last month but they are refusing to budge.
KJE sold my tiny house for a larger profit on August 9th.
They have been sitting on $40,000 in my capital for 2 months. There is no reason not to refund me other than being upset that they drove a good customer away. This is perfect example as to why they don't deserve to be backed by the Revdex.com.
I will also inform the local customer review/comment editorials tomorrow so I can protect future customers from this business.

This email is in regards to a letter we received via mail on October 5, 2017. We were notified that a customer has filed a complaint regarding a certain dispute. Our reply is below: The customer signed a contract for a custom built tiny house totaling $51,000. As stated in emails sent back and forth...

between the customer and KJE Tiny Homes, the customer paid $40,000 in to the build. This was a special type build as the customer agreed to a discounted price in exchange for allowing us to show the tiny house in a home show. As per my knowledge, the customer had issues with purchasing the land he was to place the tiny house on. Because of that the build time was extended and/or paused as the customer stated he was in no hurry to receive the tiny house. The customer came in to our shop to review the progress and revealed to us a personal matter he was going through and decided the layout of the tiny house no longer worked for him. He wanted to sell the tiny house and use the $40,000 he already paid for the next tiny house resulting in a new layout that better suited him. The customer also refused to pay off the remaining balance of the existing tiny house neglecting a contract he had signed. KJE Tiny Homes then had to pay to finish the tiny house including but not limited to material, labor, advertising, and time set aside for viewings. Once the tiny house sold, KJE Tiny Homes wrote up a contract that included everything the customer asked for within the price he wanted. However, he still refused to move forward with the new build disregarding the agreement we had. We have been in contact with the customer regarding this issue. We have also been in contact with our lawyer as a means to resolve this issue the best way possible, for both parties.   Thank you   [redacted] KJE Tiny Homes ###-###-####