RF Landscape Services

After a year of research, which included gathering plans of the subdivision, the subdivision retaining wall and obtaining numerous bids, I hired RF Landscape Services because I knew [redacted] and knew he had been working in our area for many years [redacted] told me he had the experience to handle this project because he was familiar with the scope of the project and this areaHe also showed me supposedly another project he had done that was similar, but ours did have more challengesWe also hired him to build a retaining wall in the front yardThat will be addressed later The work started the week of April 18, They were to build a "rock garden" with landscaping inside the garden, setting a perimeter with stone edging around the perimeter and the design was suppose to be a zero maintenance designI chose to take this route because getting a mower on this hillside was becoming impossible When [redacted] and I discussed the project, he took note of some particular areas in very poor condition on the hillsideHe said that he would bring his Dingo in to fix these spots and work on some other grading issuesHe did confirm he would not be able to re-grade the entire hill, but he said that once he completed the repairs, the hillside would hold the stone(See page of “Original Bid” exhibit to support original discussion of using the Dingo) On the first day, when the work started, the workers were already laying the perimeter and no grading had been doneI mentioned it to [redacted] when we met that evening and he said that they would have problems with the Dingo on the hillside, but that everything would be fine and they took the necessary steps to fix the grading issues After the project was completed, on May 13, 2016, I took note of the rock sliding and already grass growing through the rock in various areas, which [redacted] told me would not happen(See exhibits May Photos #1, #2, and #3) Also, I could see the erosion mat in several areas, which told me the rock was continuing to move(See exhibit Black Mat #1) He responded and accused me of walking on the rock, which I have not walked on the rock because it is virtually impossibleIf you step on this rock, you will probably slide down the hill and take all the rock with youIt is that steepThe only rocks I stepped on were the stepping-stones [redacted] sent his crew out to pull the grass and also put mulch in the vegetable gardenThe garden area had dirt in it and since we were experiencing the spring rain season, the dirt was turning to mud and flowing over the garden wall and onto the rockAt this point, [redacted] had responded and took some action and my hope was that the problems would subside On June 13, 2016, I emailed [redacted] again because unfortunately the rock was starting to slide and go over the edging and into the grass(See exhibit “Rock slide” #2) and look at the stone along the bottom of the hillsideMany rocks were beginning to cover the stone edgingThere is also rock in the grass that you cannot see from this photo He responded to my email and he blamed the blasting in the rock quarry behind our house for the problemFirst, [redacted] grew up in this area and is well aware of all the blasting going on in the quarries around usThe blasting is not causing any problems with the house so I find it hard to believe it is affecting this rock gardenHowever, if that is the case, he should have noted that as the designer for this projectIn June, I received two professional opinions about this theory and his theory is seemingly falseThey both mentioned that if the rock were sliding because of the blasting, then the windows and walls of our house would all be cracking and shattering too Also, I addressed the grass and weeds growing in the rock garden againHe came by when I was not home and then responded via emailHe said, “The good news is that the grass is not growing through the erosion mat, but it is just growing on top of the rock.” I couldn’t understand this analogy and how grass could grow on top of the rockHe responded that it is a phenomenon called Mother NatureI found that to be false(See exhibit Grass #to prove that the grass and weeds are growing through the mat) (See exhibits Weeds #1, #and #to prove all of the different types of weeds growing through the rock.) This rock garden was to be a zero maintenance solution After trading several emails, he finally agreed to come outWe met and as he stood on the deck (he mentioned he couldn’t walk down to the hillside due to a medical problem), I pointed out all of the issuesHe agreed that the rock sliding was an issue and he would add a second layer of stone to the edging to hold the rock from coming over the edgeHe said he would also continue to put down grass and weed killer to control the growth on the hillside.? As a reminder, ***’s contract states that he gives a 5-year warranty for craftsmanship problemsDuring this conversation, he never once mentioned about charging me and said he would send his crew out to repair the problems After it was completed, a couple weeks later I received an invoiceI immediately responded and told him that he didn't mention a charge and his warranty should be covering these issuesHe chose to respond with a cynical email, stating I was wrong for not paying him On August 6, 2016, the second layer of the stone edging installed in July broke apart from the bottom layer in one area and one piece of the stone edging rolled down the hill.? At this time, due to the numerous issues arising and the lack of communication from ***, I began contacting other landscaping companies to come assess the situation They all noted the poor craftsmanship with the project One landscaper also noted that the new trees that were planted on the hillside were not staked properlyHe said with the steepness of the slope, the trees would grow at an angle, if they were not staked properly.? [redacted] at this point began to become very challenging and started to become hostile through email conversationsI decided to contact the Revdex.com to see how they could help After my first submission to the Revdex.com In early August, [redacted] responded and emailed me stating he wanted to work out a solution that would satisfy my concerns I told him I was willing to work with him outside of the Revdex.com to address these issues, but I needed permanent solutions at no costI told him that I would prefer to settle this in the easiest way possibleHowever, I did tell him that based on my findings with other companies coming to the property that I may need to hire a third party to help consult/engineer/inspect the re-work he is proposingHe continued to avoid any solutions that would take more of his time and cost his company to fix correctlyAt that time, I asked for a full refund and he ignored my request By late August, two more stones fell off the stone edging and they have also caused the first layer of stones to move as well.? (See pictures of Wall Issues Aug #and Stone at Bottom of Hill) On August 31, 2016, I hired F3, Inca/k/a Aspen Engineering, who specializes in design, build and audits of landscaping projectsThe engineer came to the property on August 31st and assessed the situationThe engineer was hired by myself to assess the back hillside and the retaining wall we had installed in the front yard As I had landscapers come look at the problems on the hillside, they noticed that the wall was not built properlyThis was now the second big problem that I had come to realizeThey said the wall was not built correctly because the stones needed to offset each other Eric, from Aspen Engineering confirmed that the retaining wall was not built to specificationsHe also stated that the rock on the hillside was not secured and as seasons change from summer to winter, we would probably begin to see more rockslide and the stone edging begin to move.? He also confirmed that the mat under the rock was not the proper material for this jobIt is a mat that allows water to soak through and allow weeds, grassEtcto grow under and through the mat The engineer drafted his letter making his recommendations to modify the project and correct the current issuesI had to spend more money ($700) for this work to be completed since [redacted] was not willing to address the issues with permanent solutions.? (See “Engineering Letter for Landscape”) I received one bid addressing the modifications and it came in around $17,350.? The other companies didn’t bid in the fashion requested I reached out to [redacted] again in late September/early October twice and mentioned that although I would prefer another qualified company to come in and complete the modifications, I was willing to respect the cost factor [redacted] did not respond to any of my emails.? In early October, I confirmed with StLouis County that [redacted] Franey did not pull a permit for the retaining wall, which was a violation of code The StLouis County inspector met [redacted] at the house in October and it was determined that a permit was necessary and the wall would need to be re-built according to manufacturers specifications.? That work was completed in November StLouis County issued their approval of the rebuild shortly thereafter While that work was being complete, he also had another crew come pull weeds from the rock garden and re-glue the blocks that had fallen off the stone perimeter Once again in Mid-December, those rocks began to fall down the hillsideYou can take note in the pictures that they also tried to secure the block using metal stakesAs the rock fell, it bent the stakes in half(See 12/10/Broken Stone Pics #4, 5, 7, 8, 9) The blocks continued to fall throughout the winter(See photos 12/26/Photos #3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 16, 1/29/#3,4,5,6) I contacted [redacted] in December asking him to give these issues of the rock falling some thought and to get back to me in January or early FebruaryOn February 27, 2017, I followed up because I had not heard from himI explained what had occurred since my email in December Due to the continuance of the issues, I asked him to review the engineer’s letterI asked for the block to be set as the engineer recommendedI also requested that a new mat be laid on the hillside to control the weeds this coming yearI asked him to draft a new contract and that all the costs would be incurred by his companyHe chose to respond telling me that I would incur the costs because it was beyond the scope of the projectThese issues are not beyond the scope of the project What I want: ***’s design has failed numerous times and has multiple problemsHe is also not adhering to his warrantyThis project is only less than ten months old and there are significant problems I am requesting a full refund of $11,due back to me in the form of a cashier’s check or official check for the back hillside.? This covers the costs that I paid for the hillside and the engineering costsI am requesting that after that payment is presented that his company comes back to the property seven business days thereafter to remove all landscaping they installed on the back hillside

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: For anyone that reads his rebuttal, one will know that he simply is uneducated in his profession and certainly lacks any sort of knowledge to try to prove otherwiseHowever, what one cannot depict in his responses are the liesLet me offer the facts in my rebuttal to his response to debunk his continuous liesFirst, [redacted] lied in his response about "not knowing" about the movement on the hillsideThe entire reason why we chose to do this project was to stop the erosion on the hillsideI was no longer able to maintain it with a mower or weed eater and therefore I embarked on figuring out what my options wereHe speaks about a contractor in his last responseThis contractor will remain confidential since he is not involved through contract, but this contractor is also an engineerI spoke to this gentleman before I ever engaged [redacted] and his services and due to some extenuating circumstances, we could not completely feel confident in building a retaining wall to stop the erosion issueHowever, this gentleman recommended a topical solution, which could include rock, plants, etc., as a means to stop the erosionThat is why I decided to hire [redacted] since he apparently understood the nature of the job at that timeThis contractor emailed both [redacted] and I on February 28, and reinforced what he told us both about the erosion issues therefore confirming there was an erosion issueFurthermore, [redacted] emailed me numerous times on February 28, reminding me that he and this contractor had “talked” and “confirmed” that a landscape solution was best due to erosion [redacted] certainly knew of the erosion and ground movement I hired [redacted] with [redacted] Engineering as I mentioned in my complaint because [redacted] was unresponsive for some time, was belligerent in emails and offered no permanent solutions (as I saw it at the time) for the problems occurring less than days from when the project was completed [redacted] was a disinterested third party and was hired to give his engineering adviceI needed engineering advice as to how to resolve the issues I was seeingI decided not to hire the original contractor/engineer that [redacted] and I both talked to originally since I knew he and [redacted] knew each otherI wanted a party completely unrelated to the project***'s recommendations pertained solely to structural integrity of the designNothing is mentioned in his recommendations about the ground movement because he stated the design would work with the proper supportHe saw significant flaws that would not make this a permanent solutionThis letter from the engineer is online and part of this complaintHowever, I will state some of his recommendations in my rebuttal againFirst, he recommended that the stone edging be properly installed in the groundAs you can see by the vast amount of pictures incorporated into this complaint, those stones are not properly secured and therefore the pure weight of them is causing them to fall and roll down the hillsideSecond, he recommended either a bench cut approach to the hillside or Geoweb as a way to secure the rock that was in the rock gardenHe observed that the rock in the garden did not have any support and he noticed that rock had moved in several areasThis is what I complained to [redacted] about within days of this project being completed and why I had him come out in June, which I will later discussLastly, he recommended a weed preventative mat since that was not originally installed in the projectHe recommended this because the hill is too steep to maintain regularly and according to ***’s email on May 14, 2016, this design was to be a "maintenance free solution"Due to the improper mat being installed, there were numerous weeds growing throughout the hillsidePlease see pictures provided [redacted] then went onto note other issues that are contained in the letter.As I mentioned, I called [redacted] out in June, which was less than days after the project was completed to show him all the rock that was sliding down the hill and over the stone edging at the bottomHe agreed that more needed to be done and said he would add a second layer of stone to keep the rock from sliding into the grassI wasn’t content with that because it didn’t address the issue of the rock sliding all together, but I was willing to at least get that resolvedHe never once mentioned charging me and as a consumer I never thought he would since the project was just completed and I had called him several other times before thisThe first being May 14, which was less than days after the project was completedFurthermore, he supposedly according to his contract has a 5-year craftsmanship warranty that he has yet to adhere to during the last monthsMore to come on that later [redacted] mentions that he is willing to work with me and he has mentioned that numerous times outside of this Revdex.com complaintHowever, he wants to charge me more for the errors of his design and project, which have been proven by an engineerAgain, a disinterested third party and one who has the expertise when dealing with these situations Yet he still tries to make uneducated excusesLastly, [redacted] stated in an email on February 28, and I quote: “Furthermore from the vast research you have done and the conversations you have had you know that this is much more involved than simply creating a low maintenance solution for your hill side.” As a homeowner, consumer and someone who is not in this business I relied on [redacted] and how long I had known him that he understood this project and knew how to accomplish the goal of curing the erosionAt least, that is what he led me to believeHowever, he makes this remark in his email months laterAll of my research did not come until after this project was completed and there were serious problems that I was noting shortly after the project was finishedYes, I am more educated today because unfortunately, I was lied to by someone I knew for over years and wanted to try to do an unprofessional job and get away with the lack of quality his design currently showsI have given [redacted] over months and multiple times to make this design function properly and he continues to decline any sort of responsibilityThat is why I have asked the Revdex.com, Missouri Attorney General and StLouis County inspectors to get involvedOn a side note, I would like to reiterate (For multiple reasons noted above), that last fall [redacted] had to rebuild the retaining wall in our front yard because he was sited for not pulling a permit and not building the wall according to manufacturer’s specificationsHe tried to lie to me at that time, which I have on recording that the wall didn’t need a permit and the engineer was incorrect in his analysis of the wallHowever, after StLouis County came out, he sent me an email stating the wall needed to be rebuilt with a permit pulledHowever, he never once apologized for his lies and his combativeness through that part of the processAgain, this just proves that he is a perpetual liarTherefore, my request still standsI request that [redacted] draft a new contract that cites that he will remove everything from the hillside at his costHe will reimburse me $11,since it has been proven by a licensed engineer that this design lacks the means to be a permanent solution to the problemThis number is derived by his bids and invoices and it also includes the $fee I had to pay to the engineer to prove that [redacted] has lied to me multiple times Sincerely, [redacted] ***

We are aware of the issues that [redacted] hasThere are issues that are outside the scope of work we performed and are beyond the original scope of workWe have been and are willing to work with Mr [redacted] to come to a reasonable and agreeable solution to this issueAs I have stated in all previous correspondence with Mr ***I look forward to continued conversation to see if we can resolve his issues.?

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:Simply stated, my requests all along have NOT been beyond the scope of work performedI have asked *** *** numerous times over the last months to properly address the design he made to be a permanent and long lasting solutionThe work performed was inaccurate thereby resulting in the problems, which are reflected in the numerous pictures I have sent to the Revdex.com.Furthermore, I had to spend more time and money to address the problems and hire an engineer to help me understand what solutions were available to make this a long term solution since *** was not willing to find permanent solutionsFor example, he wanted to treat the weeds with chemicals in AugustHowever, his crew had already done that three times previously and the weeds came right back thereby making this design not a maintenance free solution as he stated to me numerous times and then again in an email dated May 14, I did send the engineering results to *** back in the fall of and he rejected all of itI have not asked for any additional work beyond correcting the problems that exist todayFor example, his company installed the stone perimeterThe blocks have fallen apart and rolled down our hillside numerous timesHis crew even came back in November while rebuilding the retaining wall in front and they tried to re-glue and use metal stakes to support the blockAll of which have failed againAgain, these solutions he is trying are simply not correct for what is there today.I will further note that because of the engineering results I received, I was able to site ***'s company for improperly installing our front retaining wall and not pulling a permit, which was also part of the problemHis crew had to come back and take down the wall and rebuild itHe spoke to me in a demeaning way one day, which I have on recording and telling me the wall was ornamental in nature therefore a permit was not necessaryHowever, after one call to STL County I proved he was wrong yet againTherefore, I believe that the engineering results speak for themselves and this work requested was not beyond the scope of the project.Lastly, I have requested to have the money reimbursed via cashiers or official check and then after seven business days, RF Landscaping can come and remove all of the product they installed on the back hillsideI will also want a new contract completed for this work that states that if his company damages our property (including but not limited to the irrigation system on the hillside), our neighbors property during the removal of the product, it will be his company's responsibility to correct the issues.I stand firm on my request since *** has been the utmost unprofessional business owner I have ever worked with in my lifetimeHis emails are unprofessional, the work his company did at our home was all wrong and he has been combative to the last degreeAnd again, I have proved that his "knowledge" surrounding the items I paid him to do is lacking severely and he flat out lied about being able to accurately complete this job
Sincerely,
*** ***

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
For anyone that reads his rebuttal, one will know that he simply is uneducated in his profession and certainly lacks any sort of knowledge to try to prove otherwiseHowever, what one cannot depict in his responses are the liesLet me offer the facts in my rebuttal to his response to debunk his continuous liesFirst, *** lied in his response about "not knowing" about the movement on the hillsideThe entire reason why we chose to do this project was to stop the erosion on the hillsideI was no longer able to maintain it with a mower or weed eater and therefore I embarked on figuring out what my options wereHe speaks about a contractor in his last responseThis contractor will remain confidential since he is not involved through contract, but this contractor is also an engineerI spoke to this gentleman before I ever engaged *** and his services and due to some extenuating circumstances, we could not completely feel confident in building a retaining wall to stop the erosion issueHowever, this gentleman recommended a topical solution, which could include rock, plants, etc., as a means to stop the erosionThat is why I decided to hire *** since he apparently understood the nature of the job at that timeThis contractor emailed both *** and I on February 28, and reinforced what he told us both about the erosion issues therefore confirming there was an erosion issueFurthermore, *** emailed me numerous times on February 28, reminding me that he and this contractor had “talked” and “confirmed” that a landscape solution was best due to erosion*** certainly knew of the erosion and ground movement. I hired *** *** with *** Engineering as I mentioned in my complaint because *** was unresponsive for some time, was belligerent in emails and offered no permanent solutions (as I saw it at the time) for the problems occurring less than days from when the project was completed*** was a disinterested third party and was hired to give his engineering advice. I needed engineering advice as to how to resolve the issues I was seeingI decided not to hire the original contractor/engineer that *** and I both talked to originally since I knew he and *** knew each otherI wanted a party completely unrelated to the project***'s recommendations pertained solely to structural integrity of the designNothing is mentioned in his recommendations about the ground movement because he stated the design would work with the proper supportHe saw significant flaws that would not make this a permanent solutionThis letter from the engineer is online and part of this complaintHowever, I will state some of his recommendations in my rebuttal againFirst, he recommended that the stone edging be properly installed in the groundAs you can see by the vast amount of pictures incorporated into this complaint, those stones are not properly secured and therefore the pure weight of them is causing them to fall and roll down the hillsideSecond, he recommended either a bench cut approach to the hillside or Geoweb as a way to secure the rock that was in the rock gardenHe observed that the rock in the garden did not have any support and he noticed that rock had moved in several areasThis is what I complained to *** about within days of this project being completed and why I had him come out in June, which I will later discuss Lastly, he recommended a weed preventative mat since that was not originally installed in the projectHe recommended this because the hill is too steep to maintain regularly and according to ***’s email on May 14, 2016, this design was to be a "maintenance free solution"Due to the improper mat being installed, there were numerous weeds growing throughout the hillsidePlease see pictures provided *** then went onto note other issues that are contained in the letter.As I mentioned, I called *** out in June, which was less than days after the project was completed to show him all the rock that was sliding down the hill and over the stone edging at the bottomHe agreed that more needed to be done and said he would add a second layer of stone to keep the rock from sliding into the grassI wasn’t content with that because it didn’t address the issue of the rock sliding all together, but I was willing to at least get that resolvedHe never once mentioned charging me and as a consumer I never thought he would since the project was just completed and I had called him several other times before thisThe first being May 14, which was less than days after the project was completedFurthermore, he supposedly according to his contract has a 5-year craftsmanship warranty that he has yet to adhere to during the last monthsMore to come on that later*** mentions that he is willing to work with me and he has mentioned that numerous times outside of this Revdex.com complaintHowever, he wants to charge me more for the errors of his design and project, which have been proven by an engineerAgain, a disinterested third party and one who has the expertise when dealing with these situations Yet he still tries to make uneducated excusesLastly, *** stated in an email on February 28, and I quote: “Furthermore from the vast research you have done and the conversations you have had you know that this is much more involved than simply creating a low maintenance solution for your hill side.” As a homeowner, consumer and someone who is not in this business I relied on *** and how long I had known him that he understood this project and knew how to accomplish the goal of curing the erosionAt least, that is what he led me to believeHowever, he makes this remark in his email months laterAll of my research did not come until after this project was completed and there were serious problems that I was noting shortly after the project was finishedYes, I am more educated today because unfortunately, I was lied to by someone I knew for over years and wanted to try to do an unprofessional job and get away with the lack of quality his design currently showsI have given *** over months and multiple times to make this design function properly and he continues to decline any sort of responsibilityThat is why I have asked the Revdex.com, Missouri Attorney General and StLouis County inspectors to get involvedOn a side note, I would like to reiterate (For multiple reasons noted above), that last fall *** had to rebuild the retaining wall in our front yard because he was sited for not pulling a permit and not building the wall according to manufacturer’s specificationsHe tried to lie to me at that time, which I have on recording that the wall didn’t need a permit and the engineer was incorrect in his analysis of the wallHowever, after StLouis County came out, he sent me an email stating the wall needed to be rebuilt with a permit pulledHowever, he never once apologized for his lies and his combativeness through that part of the processAgain, this just proves that he is a perpetual liarTherefore, my request still standsI request that *** draft a new contract that cites that he will remove everything from the hillside at his costHe will reimburse me $11,since it has been proven by a licensed engineer that this design lacks the means to be a permanent solution to the problemThis number is derived by his bids and invoices and it also includes the $fee I had to pay to the engineer to prove that *** has lied to me multiple times
Sincerely,
*** ***

After a year of research, which included gathering plans of the subdivision, the subdivision retaining wall and obtaining numerous bids, I hired RF Landscape Services because I knew *** and knew he had been working in our area for many years *** told me he had the experience to handle this project because he was familiar with the scope of the project and this areaHe also showed me supposedly another project he had done that was similar, but ours did have more challengesWe also hired him to build a retaining wall in the front yardThat will be addressed later The work started the week of April 18, They were to build a "rock garden" with landscaping inside the garden, setting a perimeter with stone edging around the perimeter and the design was suppose to be a zero maintenance designI chose to take this route because getting a mower on this hillside was becoming impossible When *** and I discussed the project, he took note of some particular areas in very poor condition on the hillsideHe said that he would bring his Dingo in to fix these spots and work on some other grading issuesHe did confirm he would not be able to re-grade the entire hill, but he said that once he completed the repairs, the hillside would hold the stone(See page of “Original Bid” exhibit to support original discussion of using the Dingo) On the first day, when the work started, the workers were already laying the perimeter and no grading had been doneI mentioned it to *** when we met that evening and he said that they would have problems with the Dingo on the hillside, but that everything would be fine and they took the necessary steps to fix the grading issues After the project was completed, on May 13, 2016, I took note of the rock sliding and already grass growing through the rock in various areas, which *** told me would not happen(See exhibits May Photos #1, #2, and #3) Also, I could see the erosion mat in several areas, which told me the rock was continuing to move(See exhibit Black Mat #1) He responded and accused me of walking on the rock, which I have not walked on the rock because it is virtually impossibleIf you step on this rock, you will probably slide down the hill and take all the rock with youIt is that steepThe only rocks I stepped on were the stepping-stones *** sent his crew out to pull the grass and also put mulch in the vegetable gardenThe garden area had dirt in it and since we were experiencing the spring rain season, the dirt was turning to mud and flowing over the garden wall and onto the rockAt this point, *** had responded and took some action and my hope was that the problems would subside On June 13, 2016, I emailed *** again because unfortunately the rock was starting to slide and go over the edging and into the grass(See exhibit “Rock slide” #2) and look at the stone along the bottom of the hillsideMany rocks were beginning to cover the stone edgingThere is also rock in the grass that you cannot see from this photo He responded to my email and he blamed the blasting in the rock quarry behind our house for the problemFirst, *** grew up in this area and is well aware of all the blasting going on in the quarries around usThe blasting is not causing any problems with the house so I find it hard to believe it is affecting this rock gardenHowever, if that is the case, he should have noted that as the designer for this projectIn June, I received two professional opinions about this theory and his theory is seemingly falseThey both mentioned that if the rock were sliding because of the blasting, then the windows and walls of our house would all be cracking and shattering too Also, I addressed the grass and weeds growing in the rock garden againHe came by when I was not home and then responded via emailHe said, “The good news is that the grass is not growing through the erosion mat, but it is just growing on top of the rock.” I couldn’t understand this analogy and how grass could grow on top of the rockHe responded that it is a phenomenon called Mother NatureI found that to be false(See exhibit Grass #to prove that the grass and weeds are growing through the mat) (See exhibits Weeds #1, #and #to prove all of the different types of weeds growing through the rock.) This rock garden was to be a zero maintenance solution After trading several emails, he finally agreed to come outWe met and as he stood on the deck (he mentioned he couldn’t walk down to the hillside due to a medical problem), I pointed out all of the issuesHe agreed that the rock sliding was an issue and he would add a second layer of stone to the edging to hold the rock from coming over the edgeHe said he would also continue to put down grass and weed killer to control the growth on the hillside. As a reminder, ***’s contract states that he gives a 5-year warranty for craftsmanship problemsDuring this conversation, he never once mentioned about charging me and said he would send his crew out to repair the problems After it was completed, a couple weeks later I received an invoiceI immediately responded and told him that he didn't mention a charge and his warranty should be covering these issuesHe chose to respond with a cynical email, stating I was wrong for not paying him On August 6, 2016, the second layer of the stone edging installed in July broke apart from the bottom layer in one area and one piece of the stone edging rolled down the hill. At this time, due to the numerous issues arising and the lack of communication from ***, I began contacting other landscaping companies to come assess the situation They all noted the poor craftsmanship with the project One landscaper also noted that the new trees that were planted on the hillside were not staked properlyHe said with the steepness of the slope, the trees would grow at an angle, if they were not staked properly. *** at this point began to become very challenging and started to become hostile through email conversationsI decided to contact the Revdex.com to see how they could help After my first submission to the Revdex.com In early August, *** responded and emailed me stating he wanted to work out a solution that would satisfy my concerns I told him I was willing to work with him outside of the Revdex.com to address these issues, but I needed permanent solutions at no costI told him that I would prefer to settle this in the easiest way possibleHowever, I did tell him that based on my findings with other companies coming to the property that I may need to hire a third party to help consult/engineer/inspect the re-work he is proposingHe continued to avoid any solutions that would take more of his time and cost his company to fix correctlyAt that time, I asked for a full refund and he ignored my request By late August, two more stones fell off the stone edging and they have also caused the first layer of stones to move as well. (See pictures of Wall Issues Aug #and Stone at Bottom of Hill) On August 31, 2016, I hired F3, Inca/k/a Aspen Engineering, who specializes in design, build and audits of landscaping projectsThe engineer came to the property on August 31st and assessed the situationThe engineer was hired by myself to assess the back hillside and the retaining wall we had installed in the front yard As I had landscapers come look at the problems on the hillside, they noticed that the wall was not built properlyThis was now the second big problem that I had come to realizeThey said the wall was not built correctly because the stones needed to offset each other Eric, from Aspen Engineering confirmed that the retaining wall was not built to specificationsHe also stated that the rock on the hillside was not secured and as seasons change from summer to winter, we would probably begin to see more rockslide and the stone edging begin to move. He also confirmed that the mat under the rock was not the proper material for this jobIt is a mat that allows water to soak through and allow weeds, grassEtcto grow under and through the mat The engineer drafted his letter making his recommendations to modify the project and correct the current issuesI had to spend more money ($700) for this work to be completed since *** was not willing to address the issues with permanent solutions. (See “Engineering Letter for Landscape”) I received one bid addressing the modifications and it came in around $17,350. The other companies didn’t bid in the fashion requested I reached out to *** again in late September/early October twice and mentioned that although I would prefer another qualified company to come in and complete the modifications, I was willing to respect the cost factor *** did not respond to any of my emails. In early October, I confirmed with StLouis County that *** Franey did not pull a permit for the retaining wall, which was a violation of code The StLouis County inspector met *** at the house in October and it was determined that a permit was necessary and the wall would need to be re-built according to manufacturers specifications. That work was completed in November StLouis County issued their approval of the rebuild shortly thereafter While that work was being complete, he also had another crew come pull weeds from the rock garden and re-glue the blocks that had fallen off the stone perimeter Once again in Mid-December, those rocks began to fall down the hillsideYou can take note in the pictures that they also tried to secure the block using metal stakesAs the rock fell, it bent the stakes in half(See 12/10/Broken Stone Pics #4, 5, 7, 8, 9) The blocks continued to fall throughout the winter(See photos 12/26/Photos #3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 16, 1/29/#3,4,5,6) I contacted *** in December asking him to give these issues of the rock falling some thought and to get back to me in January or early FebruaryOn February 27, 2017, I followed up because I had not heard from himI explained what had occurred since my email in December Due to the continuance of the issues, I asked him to review the engineer’s letterI asked for the block to be set as the engineer recommendedI also requested that a new mat be laid on the hillside to control the weeds this coming yearI asked him to draft a new contract and that all the costs would be incurred by his companyHe chose to respond telling me that I would incur the costs because it was beyond the scope of the projectThese issues are not beyond the scope of the project What I want: ***’s design has failed numerous times and has multiple problemsHe is also not adhering to his warrantyThis project is only less than ten months old and there are significant problems I am requesting a full refund of $11,due back to me in the form of a cashier’s check or official check for the back hillside. This covers the costs that I paid for the hillside and the engineering costsI am requesting that after that payment is presented that his company comes back to the property seven business days thereafter to remove all landscaping they installed on the back hillside

We are aware of the issues that *** *** hasThere are issues that are outside the scope of work we performed and are beyond the original scope of workWe have been and are willing to work with Mr *** to come to a reasonable and agreeable solution to this issueAs I have stated in all previous correspondence with Mr ***I look forward to continued conversation to see if we can resolve his issues

Yes I am aware of Mr ***s complaints However Mr *** was told that we would use a DIngo to move the rock from the street to the hillsideHowever after we engaged the project it was determined that this would not be the prudent methow to move the rockFurthermore we wheel barrowed the rock at our
expense to the hill side for the safety of the employees and the quality of the job I will have a further response once I have an opportunity to get my information together I have an will continue to respond to any of Mr ***s emails in the mean time

Yes I am aware of Mr ***s complaints However Mr *** was told that we would use a DIngo to move the rock from the street to the hillsideHowever after we engaged the project it was determined that this would not be the prudent methow to move the rockFurthermore we wheel barrowed the rock at our
expense to the hill side for the safety of the employees and the quality of the job I will have a further response once I have an opportunity to get my information together I have an will continue to respond to any of Mr ***s emails in the mean time

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:Simply stated, my requests all along have NOT been beyond the scope of work performedI have asked *** *** numerous times over the last months to properly address the design he made to be a permanent and long lasting solutionThe work performed was inaccurate thereby resulting in the problems, which are reflected in the numerous pictures I have sent to the Revdex.com.Furthermore, I had to spend more time and money to address the problems and hire an engineer to help me understand what solutions were available to make this a long term solution since *** was not willing to find permanent solutionsFor example, he wanted to treat the weeds with chemicals in AugustHowever, his crew had already done that three times previously and the weeds came right back thereby making this design not a maintenance free solution as he stated to me numerous times and then again in an email dated May 14, I did send the engineering results to *** back in the fall of and he rejected all of itI have not asked for any additional work beyond correcting the problems that exist todayFor example, his company installed the stone perimeterThe blocks have fallen apart and rolled down our hillside numerous timesHis crew even came back in November while rebuilding the retaining wall in front and they tried to re-glue and use metal stakes to support the blockAll of which have failed againAgain, these solutions he is trying are simply not correct for what is there today.I will further note that because of the engineering results I received, I was able to site ***'s company for improperly installing our front retaining wall and not pulling a permit, which was also part of the problemHis crew had to come back and take down the wall and rebuild itHe spoke to me in a demeaning way one day, which I have on recording and telling me the wall was ornamental in nature therefore a permit was not necessaryHowever, after one call to STL County I proved he was wrong yet againTherefore, I believe that the engineering results speak for themselves and this work requested was not beyond the scope of the project.Lastly, I have requested to have the money reimbursed via cashiers or official check and then after seven business days, RF Landscaping can come and remove all of the product they installed on the back hillsideI will also want a new contract completed for this work that states that if his company damages our property (including but not limited to the irrigation system on the hillside), our neighbors property during the removal of the product, it will be his company's responsibility to correct the issues.I stand firm on my request since *** has been the utmost unprofessional business owner I have ever worked with in my lifetimeHis emails are unprofessional, the work his company did at our home was all wrong and he has been combative to the last degreeAnd again, I have proved that his "knowledge" surrounding the items I paid him to do is lacking severely and he flat out lied about being able to accurately complete this job
Sincerely,
*** ***

We are aware of the issues that *** *** hasThere are issues that are outside the scope of work we performed and are beyond the original scope of workWe have been and are willing to work with Mr *** to come to a reasonable and agreeable solution to this issueAs I have stated in all previous correspondence with Mr ***I look forward to continued conversation to see if we can resolve his issues.?

As I have stated previously I am willing to work with Mr *** to try and come to an agreeable solution to this problem.There are additional issues that must be considered as to why the hill side appears to be moving and stability issues that may or may not be caused by the Quarry blasting by his homei was never made aware of these issues before the project began or while completing the projectAfter the project was completed Mr *** did make me aware of an issue with the hillside and stated that I "should of known" that the hillside was unstable and that it was moving due to blasting at the QuarryNot only was I not aware but he is 100% correct that our solution for his hillside did not take into account that the hillside was movingAfter the project was completed at Mr ***s request we added another layer of stone to the previously installed wallThere is a dispute between us about the cost of this material and at a future date I am sure we will settle that disagreementHowever after we installed that stone Mr *** Refused to pay for it saying we should of added from the beginning and he wasnt paying for itI do not want this become a trivial battle but I will restate my position, RF Landscape will be glad to come to an agreeable solution to fix this problemMr *** was told from the very beginning from myself and another contractor that we would provide a landscape solutionThis solution was never meant to address what appears now to be an issue with the stability of the hillside.? I totally understand that Mr *** is frustrated and he is now trying to make this personalThere is nothing personal about it I am not angry nor upset and have and will continue to try and work with Mr *** to come to an agreeable resolution to this situation

After a year of research, which included gathering plans of the subdivision, the subdivision retaining wall and obtaining numerous bids, I hired RF Landscape Services because I knew [redacted] and knew he had been working in our area for many years. [redacted] told me he had the experience to handle this project because he was familiar with the scope of the project and this area. He also showed me supposedly another project he had done that was similar, but ours did have more challenges. We also hired him to build a retaining wall in the front yard. That will be addressed later. The work started the week of April 18, 2016. They were to build a "rock garden" with landscaping inside the garden, setting a perimeter with stone edging around the perimeter and the design was suppose to be a zero maintenance design. I chose to take this route because getting a mower on this hillside was becoming impossible. When [redacted] and I discussed the project, he took note of some particular areas in very poor condition on the hillside. He said that he would bring his Dingo in to fix these spots and work on some other grading issues. He did confirm he would not be able to re-grade the entire hill, but he said that once he completed the repairs, the hillside would hold the stone. (See page 5 of “Original Bid” exhibit to support original discussion of using the Dingo) On the first day, when the work started, the workers were already laying the perimeter and no grading had been done. I mentioned it to [redacted] when we met that evening and he said that they would have problems with the Dingo on the hillside, but that everything would be fine and they took the necessary steps to fix the grading issues. After the project was completed, on May 13, 2016, I took note of the rock sliding and already grass growing through the rock in various areas, which [redacted] told me would not happen. (See exhibits May Photos #1, #2, and #3) Also, I could see the erosion mat in several areas, which told me the rock was continuing to move. (See exhibit Black Mat #1) He responded and accused me of walking on the rock, which I have not walked on the rock because it is virtually impossible. If you step on this rock, you will probably slide down the hill and take all the rock with you. It is that steep. The only rocks I stepped on were the stepping-stones. [redacted] sent his crew out to pull the grass and also put mulch in the vegetable garden. The garden area had dirt in it and since we were experiencing the spring rain season, the dirt was turning to mud and flowing over the garden wall and onto the rock. At this point, [redacted] had responded and took some action and my hope was that the problems would subside. On June 13, 2016, I emailed [redacted] again because unfortunately the rock was starting to slide and go over the edging and into the grass. (See exhibit “Rock slide” #2) and look at the stone along the bottom of the hillside. Many rocks were beginning to cover the stone edging. There is also rock in the grass that you cannot see from this photo. He responded to my email and he blamed the blasting in the rock quarry behind our house for the problem. First, [redacted] grew up in this area and is well aware of all the blasting going on in the quarries around us. The blasting is not causing any problems with the house so I find it hard to believe it is affecting this rock garden. However, if that is the case, he should have noted that as the designer for this project. In June, I received two professional opinions about this theory and his theory is seemingly false. They both mentioned that if the rock were sliding because of the blasting, then the windows and walls of our house would all be cracking and shattering too. Also, I addressed the grass and weeds growing in the rock garden again. He came by when I was not home and then responded via email. He said, “The good news is that the grass is not growing through the erosion mat, but it is just growing on top of the rock.” I couldn’t understand this analogy and how grass could grow on top of the rock. He responded that it is a phenomenon called Mother Nature. I found that to be false. (See exhibit Grass #1 to prove that the grass and weeds are growing through the mat) (See exhibits Weeds #1, #4 and #5 to prove all of the different types of weeds growing through the rock.) This rock garden was to be a zero maintenance solution. After trading several emails, he finally agreed to come out. We met and as he stood on the deck (he mentioned he couldn’t walk down to the hillside due to a medical problem), I pointed out all of the issues. He agreed that the rock sliding was an issue and he would add a second layer of stone to the edging to hold the rock from coming over the edge. He said he would also continue to put down grass and weed killer to control the growth on the hillside.  As a reminder, [redacted]’s contract states that he gives a 5-year warranty for craftsmanship problems. During this conversation, he never once mentioned about charging me and said he would send his crew out to repair the problems. After it was completed, a couple weeks later I received an invoice. I immediately responded and told him that he didn't mention a charge and his warranty should be covering these issues. He chose to respond with a cynical email, stating I was wrong for not paying him. On August 6, 2016, the second layer of the stone edging installed in July broke apart from the bottom layer in one area and one piece of the stone edging rolled down the hill.  At this time, due to the numerous issues arising and the lack of communication from [redacted], I began contacting other landscaping companies to come assess the situation. They all noted the poor craftsmanship with the project. One landscaper also noted that the new trees that were planted on the hillside were not staked properly. He said with the steepness of the slope, the trees would grow at an angle, if they were not staked properly.  [redacted] at this point began to become very challenging and started to become hostile through email conversations. I decided to contact the Revdex.com to see how they could help. After my first submission to the Revdex.com In early August, [redacted] responded and emailed me stating he wanted to work out a solution that would satisfy my concerns. I told him I was willing to work with him outside of the Revdex.com to address these issues, but I needed permanent solutions at no cost. I told him that I would prefer to settle this in the easiest way possible. However, I did tell him that based on my findings with other companies coming to the property that I may need to hire a third party to help consult/engineer/inspect the re-work he is proposing. He continued to avoid any solutions that would take more of his time and cost his company to fix correctly. At that time, I asked for a full refund and he ignored my request. By late August, two more stones fell off the stone edging and they have also caused the first layer of stones to move as well.  (See pictures of Wall Issues Aug #1 and Stone at Bottom of Hill) On August 31, 2016, I hired F3, Inc. a/k/a Aspen Engineering, who specializes in design, build and audits of landscaping projects. The engineer came to the property on August 31st and assessed the situation. The engineer was hired by myself to assess the back hillside and the retaining wall we had installed in the front yard. As I had landscapers come look at the problems on the hillside, they noticed that the wall was not built properly. This was now the second big problem that I had come to realize. They said the wall was not built correctly because the stones needed to offset each other. Eric, from Aspen Engineering confirmed that the retaining wall was not built to specifications. He also stated that the rock on the hillside was not secured and as seasons change from summer to winter, we would probably begin to see more rockslide and the stone edging begin to move.  He also confirmed that the mat under the rock was not the proper material for this job. It is a mat that allows water to soak through and allow weeds, grass. Etc. to grow under and through the mat. The engineer drafted his letter making his recommendations to modify the project and correct the current issues. I had to spend more money ($700) for this work to be completed since [redacted] was not willing to address the issues with permanent solutions.  (See “Engineering Letter for Landscape”) I received one bid addressing the modifications and it came in around $17,350.  The other companies didn’t bid in the fashion requested. I reached out to [redacted] again in late September/early October twice and mentioned that although I would prefer another qualified company to come in and complete the modifications, I was willing to respect the cost factor. [redacted] did not respond to any of my emails.  In early October, I confirmed with St. Louis County that [redacted] Franey did not pull a permit for the retaining wall, which was a violation of code. The St. Louis County inspector met [redacted] at the house in October and it was determined that a permit was necessary and the wall would need to be re-built according to manufacturers specifications.  That work was completed in November 2016. St. Louis County issued their approval of the rebuild shortly thereafter. While that work was being complete, he also had another crew come pull weeds from the rock garden and re-glue the blocks that had fallen off the stone perimeter. Once again in Mid-December, those rocks began to fall down the hillside. You can take note in the pictures that they also tried to secure the block using metal stakes. As the rock fell, it bent the stakes in half. (See 12/10/2016 Broken Stone Pics #4, 5, 7, 8, 9) The blocks continued to fall throughout the winter. (See photos 12/26/16 Photos #3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 16, 1/29/17 #3,4,5,6) I contacted [redacted] in December asking him to give these issues of the rock falling some thought and to get back to me in January or early February. On February 27, 2017, I followed up because I had not heard from him. I explained what had occurred since my email in December. Due to the continuance of the issues, I asked him to review the engineer’s letter. I asked for the block to be set as the engineer recommended. I also requested that a new mat be laid on the hillside to control the weeds this coming year. I asked him to draft a new contract and that all the costs would be incurred by his company. He chose to respond telling me that I would incur the costs because it was beyond the scope of the project. These issues are not beyond the scope of the project. What I want: [redacted]’s design has failed numerous times and has multiple problems. He is also not adhering to his warranty. This project is only less than ten months old and there are significant problems. I am requesting a full refund of $11,611.19 due back to me in the form of a cashier’s check or official check for the back hillside.  This covers the costs that I paid for the hillside and the engineering costs. I am requesting that after that payment is presented that his company comes back to the property seven business days thereafter to remove all landscaping they installed on the back hillside.

As I have stated previously I am willing to work with Mr [redacted] to try and come to an agreeable solution to this problem.There are additional issues that must be considered as to why the hill side appears to be moving and stability issues that may or may not be caused by the Quarry blasting by his home. I was never made aware of these issues before the project began or while completing the project. After the project was completed Mr [redacted] did make me aware of an issue with the hillside and stated that I "should of known" that the hillside was unstable and that it was moving due to blasting at the Quarry. Not only was I not aware but he is 100% correct that our solution for his hillside did not take into account that the hillside was moving. After the project was completed at Mr [redacted]s request we added another layer of stone to the previously installed wall. There is a dispute between us about the cost of this material and at a future date I am sure we will settle that disagreement. However after we installed that stone Mr [redacted] Refused to pay for it saying we should of added from the beginning and he wasnt paying for it. I do not want this become a trivial battle but I will restate my position, RF Landscape will be glad to come to an agreeable solution to fix this problem. Mr [redacted] was told from the very beginning from myself and another contractor that we would provide a landscape solution. This solution was never meant to address what appears now to be an issue with the stability of the hillside.  I totally understand that Mr [redacted] is frustrated and he is now trying to make this personal. There is nothing personal about it I am not angry nor upset and have and will continue to try and work with Mr [redacted] to come to an agreeable resolution to this situation.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
For anyone that reads his rebuttal, one will know that he simply is uneducated in his profession and certainly lacks any sort of knowledge to try to prove otherwise. However, what one cannot depict in his responses are the lies. Let me offer the facts in my rebuttal to his response to debunk his continuous lies. First, [redacted] lied in his response about "not knowing" about the movement on the hillside. The entire reason why we chose to do this project was to stop the erosion on the hillside. I was no longer able to maintain it with a mower or weed eater and therefore I embarked on figuring out what my options were. He speaks about a contractor in his last response. This contractor will remain confidential since he is not involved through contract, but this contractor is also an engineer. I spoke to this gentleman before I ever engaged [redacted] and his services and due to some extenuating circumstances, we could not completely feel confident in building a retaining wall to stop the erosion issue. However, this gentleman recommended a topical solution, which could include rock, plants, etc., as a means to stop the erosion. That is why I decided to hire [redacted] since he apparently understood the nature of the job at that time. This contractor emailed both [redacted] and I on February 28, 2017 and reinforced what he told us both about the erosion issues therefore confirming there was an erosion issue. Furthermore, [redacted] emailed me numerous times on February 28, 2017 reminding me that he and this contractor had “talked” and “confirmed” that a landscape solution was best due to erosion. [redacted] certainly knew of the erosion and ground movement.  I hired [redacted] with [redacted] Engineering as I mentioned in my complaint because [redacted] was unresponsive for some time, was belligerent in emails and offered no permanent solutions (as I saw it at the time) for the problems occurring less than 90 days from when the project was completed. [redacted] was a disinterested third party and was hired to give his engineering advice. I needed engineering advice as to how to resolve the issues I was seeing. I decided not to hire the original contractor/engineer that [redacted] and I both talked to originally since I knew he and [redacted] knew each other. I wanted a party completely unrelated to the project. [redacted]'s recommendations pertained solely to structural integrity of the design. Nothing is mentioned in his recommendations about the ground movement because he stated the design would work with the proper support. He saw significant flaws that would not make this a permanent solution. This letter from the engineer is online and part of this complaint. However, I will state some of his recommendations in my rebuttal again. First, he recommended that the stone edging be properly installed in the ground. As you can see by the vast amount of pictures incorporated into this complaint, those stones are not properly secured and therefore the pure weight of them is causing them to fall and roll down the hillside. Second, he recommended either a bench cut approach to the hillside or Geoweb as a way to secure the rock that was in the rock garden. He observed that the rock in the garden did not have any support and he noticed that rock had moved in several areas. This is what I complained to [redacted] about within 15 days of this project being completed and why I had him come out in June, which I will later discuss. Lastly, he recommended a weed preventative mat since that was not originally installed in the project. He recommended this because the hill is too steep to maintain regularly and according to [redacted]’s email on May 14, 2016, this design was to be a "maintenance free solution". Due to the improper mat being installed, there were numerous weeds growing throughout the hillside. Please see pictures provided. [redacted] then went onto note other issues that are contained in the letter.As I mentioned, I called [redacted] out in June, which was less than 60 days after the project was completed to show him all the rock that was sliding down the hill and over the stone edging at the bottom. He agreed that more needed to be done and said he would add a second layer of stone to keep the rock from sliding into the grass. I wasn’t content with that because it didn’t address the issue of the rock sliding all together, but I was willing to at least get that resolved. He never once mentioned charging me and as a consumer I never thought he would since the project was just completed and I had called him several other times before this. The first being May 14, which was less than 15 days after the project was completed. Furthermore, he supposedly according to his contract has a 5-year craftsmanship warranty that he has yet to adhere to during the last 10 months. More to come on that later. [redacted] mentions that he is willing to work with me and he has mentioned that numerous times outside of this Revdex.com complaint. However, he wants to charge me more for the errors of his design and project, which have been proven by an engineer. Again, a disinterested third party and one who has the expertise when dealing with these situations.  Yet he still tries to make uneducated excuses. Lastly, [redacted] stated in an email on February 28, 2017 and I quote: “Furthermore from the vast research you have done and the conversations you have had you know that this is much more involved than simply creating a low maintenance solution for your hill side.” As a homeowner, consumer and someone who is not in this business I relied on [redacted] and how long I had known him that he understood this project and knew how to accomplish the goal of curing the erosion. At least, that is what he led me to believe. However, he makes this remark in his email 10 months later. All of my research did not come until after this project was completed and there were serious problems that I was noting shortly after the project was finished. Yes, I am more educated today because unfortunately, I was lied to by someone I knew for over 12 years and wanted to try to do an unprofessional job and get away with the lack of quality his design currently shows. I have given [redacted] over 10 months and multiple times to make this design function properly and he continues to decline any sort of responsibility. That is why I have asked the Revdex.com, Missouri Attorney General and St. Louis County inspectors to get involved. On a side note, I would like to reiterate (For multiple reasons noted above), that last fall [redacted] had to rebuild the retaining wall in our front yard because he was sited for not pulling a permit and not building the wall according to manufacturer’s specifications. He tried to lie to me at that time, which I have on recording that the wall didn’t need a permit and the engineer was incorrect in his analysis of the wall. However, after St. Louis County came out, he sent me an email stating the wall needed to be rebuilt with a permit pulled. However, he never once apologized for his lies and his combativeness through that part of the process. Again, this just proves that he is a perpetual liar. Therefore, my request still stands. I request that [redacted] draft a new contract that cites that he will remove everything from the hillside at his cost. He will reimburse me $11,611.19 since it has been proven by a licensed engineer that this design lacks the means to be a permanent solution to the problem. This number is derived by his bids and invoices and it also includes the $700 fee I had to pay to the engineer to prove that [redacted] has lied to me multiple times.
Sincerely,
[redacted]