Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Back in either Feb or March of 2021, I had hired Jacobszoon and associates to prepare a report for me towards obtaining a permit and had given them a thousand dollar retainer to get the project going. They came out to my property for about 30 minutes and looked around. The next communication with them, I believe, was a couple of weeks later when they said that I needed a 150' setback for my project in order to get the permit. I let them know that ********************* of **** and Wildlife as well as Mendocino ***************** of ******** and Planning had been out and were both in agreement that a 50' setback was all that was required for the permit, and they continued to argue that the agencies issuing the permit were wrong and they were right. So at that point, it was apparent that we were not going to agree and Jacobszoon and Associates were told that their services were no longer necessary. I didn't hear back from them for 8 or 9 months, at which time they got in touch saying I owe them $1622.25. They had never sent anything prior. They never did any real work for me, never gave me anything, they took my thousand dollars and now they want another $1600. Now they have threatened to send me to collections, and may have done so already.

  Business response

  04/18/2022

  April 11, 2022

   

   

  Better Business Bureau, ****

  PO Box 218

  ***********, ** 94577

  Complaint ID ********

   

   

  To Whom it May ********

   

  I am writing in response to an April 4^th, 2022, complaint made against our company by a former client. The client entered into a contract with us on March 31st, 2021, for the development of a Disturbed Area Stabilization Plan (DASP). The signed contract included an estimated cost of $2,000.00- $3,500.00 with a $1,000.00 required upfront retainer. Following a site visit from our company and development of the ***** the client disagreed with our professional recommendations. On May 14^th, 2021, we were asked to cease all work and to put a pin in this project for a few months. The client was billed a total of $2,622.50, less than 75% of the project budget, but to date no payment beyond the initial $1,000.00 retainer has been received.

   

  Pursuant to State ***************************** (SWRCB) Order No. 2019-0001-DWQ, a DASP is required for cannabis cultivation sites designated as High Risk (any part of the disturbed area exists within the riparian setback limits). This document must be prepared by a licensed professional (********** licensed civil engineer, professional forester, or professional geologist) and approved by the ******************** (RWB) Executive Director prior to implementation. The document was prepared, but per the client's request, was not submitted to the ****

   

  In the complaint, the client states that the ********** ********** of **** and Wildlife (CDFW) as well as Mendocino County ********** of ******** and ***************** ***** were both in agreement that a 50' setback was all that was required (a reference to the state riparian setback requirements for cannabis cultivation sites). We were never provided documentation that either entity had authorized this reduced setback, and even if this documentation did exist, neither CDFW nor *** have the authority to override SWRCB policy by issuing reduced setback requirements. This was communicated to the client, but they insisted that they were right and that we were wrong.

   

  The complaint also states that we did not reach out to them for 8 or 9 months. Following the clients May 14th request to put the project on hold, we sent what would be the final invoice on June 8th, and continued communication regarding the delinquent account from September 2021 through March 2022 when we advised them that we would be referring the account to a collections agency if we did not receive payment.

   

  We are offering the client a final chance to pay their outstanding balance ($1,622.50) before we refer the account to collections.

   

  Please feel free to reach out to us with any further questions or concerns in this matter. We are happy to provide any documentation to support these facts as well.

   

  Sincerely,

   

  Allie Jacobszoon

  Operations Assistant

  Jacobszoon and Associates, ****

  ***********************

   

  Customer response

  04/22/2022

   
  Complaint: 16983817
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I had never heard from Jacobszoon and associates during the year. They did not attach any proof of that. I also never received any kind of work from them and they also did not attach any proof that they had. All that was done was a quick site visit and 1 short conversation during which they were told that their services were not needed. There was no reason why they would have prepared any documents after that, and they never did. They are mistaken about the necessary setback for my project, and this is why it was quickly apparent to me that they did not have the knowledge necessary to complete my project. Furthermore, they were going against the recommendations of state and county officials. They were told immediately during the first discussion we had after the visit to cease any progress. If they have done a bunch of work that warrants payment, I never received anything and they can not provide proof because it doesn't exist. They took my thousands dollars and are attempting to steal another ****.
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  05/04/2022

  We had been communicating with the Client through their agent, as evident in Attachment 1 and Attachment 2.

  Per our company policy, the draft document was not released to the Client but was discussed with the Client's agent. The Client's agent asked us to stop working on the document "for a few months" (Attachment 1). To demonstrate the document's existence, I've attached the draft document showing work completed prior to our company being asked to stop work (Attachment 3). 

  Our company is not mistaken about the necessary setbacks. Attachment 4 details the 150' setback required by the *********** for ponds.

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