Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  04/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed a contract with ********************************* of Lands Design to design a home to replace the one that burned up in the ******** Fire. The purpose of the contract was for "design and construction documentation of a one-story home...." At the time of contract signing on August 24, 2022, there was ample time for me to get into a new home by the end of December 2023 when the insurance company would stop paying for my living expenses. Very important for me since I have a financial hardship rebuilding a home, I live on Social Security and rents in this area exceed my monthly income. By Dec. 1 I had only a preliminary design for a basement and a main level of a **** sq. ft. home. . I started requesting that ********************************* please expedite getting to the construction documentation necessary for a building permit. By mid-January I didn't have much more than what I had on Decenber 1. Because of the very slow progress, I took what I had (a basement plan and main level floor plan) to architects that were volunteering their expertise to help ******** Fire survivors who were seeking advice. They were alarmed at how little had been done and showed me what a complete set of construction documents and a structural engineering report looked like which was so much more than we had gotten done in 5 months. It was disheartening to see what was undone. After my consultation with the helpful architects, on January 19, I wrote ***** an email telling her what the architects told me and that I was only going to pay for work that was required for the building permit and nothing unnecessary. Her response on January 20 was to cancel the contract due to our struggles. Her contract states any party could cancel the contract, but it is unscrupulous when she did it after I paid her $14,684, leaving me not only out the money I paid her in good faith, but out the 5 months she strung me along.

  Business response

  05/09/2023

  Please review the (3) attachments submitted in response.

  Thank you for the opportunity to provide these.

  ***** Lands

  Owner, LANDS DESIGN LLC
  

  Customer response

  05/11/2023

   
  Complaint: 19992268
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Customer response

  05/15/2023

  May 11, 2023
  Resolutions ************************************** Great West + Pacific
  
  Re: Complaint Notification
  ID: ********
  
  Reading her response to my complaint, you would think that ***** Lands went above and beyond to work with me despite my bad attitude and non-cooperation.  Nothing could be further from the truth.    I was totally engaged, responded to every email she sent, most within a day.   I initiated my own ideas while also asking for her design suggestions, all to facilitate a building permit for a home I would love to live in.  Why would I sabotage the very thing I needed to have done in a timely way, knowing that building a home can have delays such as supply chain and back orders, weather and other issues.   I lost a beloved home and did not go into this process by choice with unlimited funds and unlimited time.  Getting a building permit was my goal with ***** so I could be in a new home by Dec. 30, 2023.  I cant afford to pay thousands for rent after that date when my insurance will discontinue to pay my living expenses. 
  I realize this is very lengthy, but I want to be thorough with this response, to defend myself.    The actual emails between ** will show important context and how it came to an end.   NOTE:  I have eliminated all of the niceties in our emails in the interest of brevity, but I felt our relationship was mostly cordial.  I did not feel our relationship was contentious; I was not attempting to undermine her throughout the process.  I treated her as my partner in this endeavor.
  The things I want to emphasize below are in red.  The email contents are in small font bold.  ***** is my builder.  The background ***** told me that a woman (*****) walked into his office one day and asked him to refer any rebuilding homeowners who needed a designer to her and in turn she would refer ******** Fire rebuilds who hired her who needed a builder to him.  That would be me.
  -------------------------------------
  I made an initial contact with ***** Lands after a neighbor recommended her.  ***** had designed a kitchen for this neighbor among other things, which was the basis for her recommendation.   From 8/12/2022 through 9/2/22, we started the process by my sending ***** many emails with property/subdivision information, photos of home finishes I had seen on the internet to give her my preference of colors and styles for flooring, cabinetry, sinks, etc.  Our contract was signed on 8/24/22.  We had an initial get acquainted zoom on 8/31/22.  We met with ***** on 9/2/22.    Following that meeting, there were many more emails from me with more dcor ideas I liked, the level of energy performance I wanted (2021 IECC),  looking over the vendor/supplier list from *****, etc.  On 9/5/22, I sent her a floor plan I downloaded from the internet that I really liked, that took me months to zero in on.
  After many, many emails describing things I wanted in my home but no face to face with ***** where I could show her what I would do with the floor plan I selected, I sent her this email on 10/2/22 asking for a brainstorming session:
  Whenever you are ready for it, I would like to sit down with you and go over the floor plan I am interested in, so that we can discuss any tweaks that make sense.  I do have a few questions, and also I know you will have suggestions.
  Just letting you know that I hope we can get on the same page with it when the time is right.
  On 10/6/22,***** sent an email to me explaining that she was working with an oddly corrupted file, but that she was trying to resolve it as quickly as possible.
  On 10/8/22 I emailed her again:
  I hope by now you have fixed the corrupted file situation.  Does the file involve my floor plan?  What have you done with it so far, if anything?  I am asking for a session of just looking at my floor plan, which I have "on paper" or as it appears on the website, to look at tweaks and things that I might change.  I'm trying to get together on what your vision is and my vision so that we are on the same page. 
  When might we be able to do that?
  Again same day I sent this:
  This is a follow-up to the email I just sent
  And am I wrong to think that there would be an initial meeting between ** to go over the floor plan in detail before much time is spent on your end.  I do know you have put in time with the survey data but I assumed you would want my input about the actual footprint.   Is there something I should be involved with before much else is worked on?
  I've never done this before, and I had expectations of coordinating together on the floor plan as the initial sequencing of the design.
  What am I missing about the process?
  After receipt of that email, ***** called me and asked me to trust her.  In response, I sent her this on 10/9/22:
  Thanks for giving me a call yesterday and easing some of my anxiety.  For the record, I am trusting you.
  I am wondering how you got the idea of a **** or **** sq. ft. home, when the sample floor plan I submitted to you was **** sq. ft.  This makes a big difference in how you are approaching the footprint, or any other design aspect, doesn't it?  Do you know how that happened?  Do you have the floor plan I emailed to you on Sept. 5?  And I indicated there were tweaks to be made, such as in the master bathroom.  I am wondering if a Zoom is a way to go over the plan before you know what else I am thinking about (within the parameters of the layout).
  Has the corrupted file been fixed?
  She followed that up on 10/10/22 with a major word salad explanation of how she managed to misunderstand the size of home that I was interested in.  Even though I sent her the floor plan I liked a month ago, she attached floor plans she created with this email for my review -that she admitted all have multiple issues.  (Based on emails I sent her two days before asking her to brainstorm over the floor plan I favored, why did she think I wanted her to create new plans?)  You can read this wordy email if you would like, but you will get the jist just scanning through it.  My initial thought about the email was that it probably took at least an hour for her to write, so it cost me at least $155 (her hourly rate) to explain this misunderstanding with the following (its a piece of work!)
  Please, again, excuse the misspeak of a ***** sf home (for you).  I do know how that happened.  I continue to believe,(based upon further research into materials, vendors and prices and comparing them to ****** estimate that he provided for you) that ****** estimating is underselling his construction price and in my minds eye, you caught me in simply a design / conservative thought process of: what if we had to scale down (the size of) charlottes home in order to give her what she wants (in the end).  So, it was only an intellectual exercise of late to be prepared for next steps well for you and that is what spilled out (as our call was unprepared on my behalf and not the goal of the call; however, I apologize where that created a bit of confusion).  I am planning for a ***** ** home for you;period.  I was simply being frugal as well as using the tools available to me to consider alternates ahead of the game.  Last, in case you think of it, no physical time in my office (ergo, your money) was or is ever spent on these exercises because they are an exercise as a professional that I provide towards a positive goal and creating successful relationships to progress a positive,effectual and intelligent set of services each year in my business as the economy changes, material prices fluctuate, trends occur and builder relationships are furthered (or not).
  
  
  Yes / of course / definitely and it has been referenced as well as the additional details, website and product links we have requested from you since our initial call.  These were also supplemented since then with a word document of likes /dislikes as well as added columns and questions to ***** on the excel spreadsheet we created to reference your budget even at this early stage these are in play in our creating a home for you alongside site-specific, code and zoning related aspects within your property being considered, allocated and addressed.  Each effort and time spent is documented roughly in our activity log so you can track them.
  Now, you mentioned your original plan am I simply placing (that home) onto your property with just a few tweaks? Or am I creating a new home for you based upon your property, its wind affects,its solar affects, your views, your personal preferences and budget?  I was under the impression I was creating, but I can simply revise an existing plan!  (Lets get this cleared up as soon as doable please as I have been mulling over (creating) a home for you but I dont want to waste your time and money if that is the incorrect scope. (Please advise as soon as doable in writing). 
  Next, since you emailed this morning and to be responsive, I just created (3) very rough sketches for you to indicate your plan (#1) is fully available and considered in the process; (#2) the plan with the master flipped roughly, with a total square footage of the home noted in this arrangement; and, (#3) that plan transposed upon your property.  Again, please, please (do not) pick apart these sketches there are (many, many) things wrong with them (as you can see) ergo, yes, the master can be where the bedrooms are and the bedrooms pushed towards the street, but I simply left the entrance coat closet where it was located for simplicity of this effort yes, we can tweak / design layouts for the right one; that is what I can do for you and with you, but I can/will/thought I was also (creating) a home for you based upon your input; again, please advise as soon as doable) but it confirms at the top level that your plan has been / is present, reviewed, revised and allotted in space upon your property (not successfully).
  It is all of this that I am working on for you and I am attempting to absorb last weeks interruption without causing further concern (for you personally).  Within this phase, I evaluate, collate and use all of the data received in the initial programming phase (the custom fact-finding effort of likes/dislikes/links/websites/products/budget) to understand, develop and create a home for you.  It is typical for my office to then set up a meeting to review findings, constraints and opportunities discovered while showing you a few schematic floor plans /layouts that would work well for you (and upon your property.) and that includes starting with your initial floor plan then moving it towards intelligent and customized tweaks so that your home is well considered for you;bespoke.  And, at that meeting everything is very much still fluid so we can / will move things (walls, materials,functions) around in real time based upon your reactions / considerations and our discussions so I share and then we collaborate like you had previously hoped you would be a part of. That meeting is really only the start to creating an informed foundational layout and set of spaces / movement upon which we develop from there.  You can look at this time recently spent as my going up the learning curve to come alongside you as an informed agent towards a successful design and execution; thats all it is and what I have been doing for you and within standard practice.  I hope this data is relevant to you and helpful at this time and this week. Can you give me day or two to get on top of this well please (& I will await your reply to our scope of work and well set up a zoom after that is confirmed & schedule available)!   
  I let her know on 10/10/22 that I did not like any of the floor plans she sent that she took the liberty to create for me.  I still wanted my plan I sent to her on 9/5/22.  And because she was still not committing to a face-to-face meeting with my plan so I could explain my vision to her, I wrote this:
  It is going to be very time consuming and not cost efficient (for me) for ** to send back and forth through emails these kinds of layouts that are not what I have in mind.   That seems like a tedious way to get on the same page.  
  I wasn't thinking about you creating a design from scratch.  I thought it would be cost efficient for me to find a plan that would save money by not having to design from zero.  I spent months looking at floor plans and narrowing down what I liked.  I envisioned **  sitting ** down together with a basic floor plan and you helping me visualize it.     That floor plan is my initial input, but I have questions about what is doable.  I definitely want your expertise on solar, wind, the survey, (there are no views)and how the home is placed on the lot, whether angled or not.  I also wanted your cool, contemporary elevations.  I need you to figure out where the partial basement will go so that it doesn't interfere with my ground-level patio and front porch.  Can't it be a combination of my personal preference and your expertise?  I know what the required setbacks are, and I picked out plans that would sit within those setbacks without crowding the lot.
  I have all kinds of time.  Let me know some times that work for you.
  Instead of setting up an in-person meeting, she requested a Zoom meeting for 10/11/22, and I nixed that as not my idea of brainstorming over a floor plan.  So she relented and we finally met in person to look at my preferred floor plan on 10/12/22, 2 months after I initially contacted her.
  After our meeting and my input on my preferred plan, I emailed her on 10/17/22 to tell her that my builder was anxious to get the drawings with my changes I discussed with her and I was, too, so I could get a preliminary cost estimate.  Very important when money is tight and insurance isnt adequate.  She emailed me on 10/21/22 that she had a preliminary floor plan and we met that day to have a look at it. (2 months after contract signing.)
  Between 10/21/22 and 11/22/22, there was a lot of back and forth with tweaks that I wanted to make to the design regarding a wall of windows, windows in general, roof line ideas I sent to her, etc.  While it was difficult trying to design a home just by emailing ideas back and forth rather than face to face not efficient, but I felt stuck with that process, since it was so hard to meet with her.  Then on 11/14/22, I got an email with the basement level and main level drawings attached.   I have highlighted in red something important that I took note of:
  She wrote:  Per your request, we have created full PRELIM. Floor plans for your review Therefore, please review the plan as a potential layout in terms of planning ahead for those items & let me know if you would like to make any revisions. 
  **Please do not distribute these plans to other professionals at this time until I can receive your approval of the overall footprint and effort.
  Keep in mind that my builder was anxious to see the drawings we had worked on so that he could come up with an estimated cost to build, and I needed that so I could do some financial planning.  However, I was warned not to distribute the plans. 
  We continued a constant back and forth via emails with changes after I took a look at the preliminary drawings of the floor plan, the kitchen and laundry room details, etc. Normal stuff.  Then  on 11/22 I asked her if I could show the drawings to my builder since she had said on 11/14/22 not to show them to any professionals, and she said
  I dont see any reason why not go ahead and share what you have with ***** as preliminary plans and images.
  NOTE:   3 months after contract signing, I was finally allowed to show the preliminaryplans to the man who was going to build my home!
  Between Thanksgiving week and ****** schedule,it wasnt until 12/8/22 that I  sat down with ***** to go over the preliminary plans very thoroughly.   Then we set up a meeting for 12/21/22 for me to get my cost estimate so I would know if I was on the right track moneywise before proceeding with any more of the design phase.   I notified ***** on 12/9/22 that I would have my really close building costs from ***** on 12/21/22, but that from what I heard from him I believed that his costs would be in my ballpark and that I wanted to continue to press forward.  She responded with this on 12/9/22: 
  I remain fascinated that ***** can provide you with a quote with so little information on the plans!!!
  (She said that about a builder who has 40 years in the business and has built hundreds of homes.  This was the builder I thought she had vetted, since she referred me to him.)
  On 12/12/22, she sent me this email.  Note my response to her in red):
  Follow-up. Question:  When does ******************* to dig foundations?  Not discussed yet.  I think a lot depends upon getting your plans and permitting??  his data would be very helpful to **.  Please let ** know if you receive this information from your contractor as soon as doable.  Historically, prices for excavation incur hardship fees when the ground is frozen therefore, your contractors intent of construction schedule would be very helpful in our planning as well to understand the length of time we have to produce construction documents. 
  ****** response to this was:  We plan to break ground the day after we are issued the building permit.  I know of no instance where we have been charged a "hardship fee" for frozen ground. 
  In the same 12/9/22 email, she asked me for the third time just for clarification what level of energy performance and rebates I was targeting, which I responded with the same answer as I previously responded every other time.
  On 12/16/22, I sent her this email in response to her asking among other things what color I wanted my window frames to be:
  I would like for you to proceed with whatever gets me to permitting with the scope we have so far. Wiggle room on finishes and windows probably won't make a difference. 
  And again on 12/16/22 in another email I sent in response to an email she sent regarding where outlets will go:
  Let's focus only on things that ***** can't build without knowing.  Some of these details can wait until I get inside the skeleton and see the actual design in person.  ***** and I can figure a lot of small things out.  For instance, I am not sure about where to put outlets in the living room.  I will wait until there is an actual electrician asking me for those details.
  
  During this back and forth, I was making  changes, to windows, to bathroom and kitchen,etc.  This was the time  to do that, of course, while it is still a concept drawing on paper.  I was giving thought to everything day and night.  It is hard to be exact without multiple revisions when you suddenly need to build a home when it was the last thing you thought you would ever have to do.
  On 12/16/22 after I told her I was going to have the electrician help me with a lot of the outlets.  Her response:
  Ahhhh. Wow / ok / Will do.  So, for the electrical layout portion of the construction set as well as all of the other details towards construction, you are requesting me to put in only the code required minimums then and leave the rest to you and *****?
  My response on 12/16/22:
  I am asking ***** what exactly he needs prior to "breaking ground".  Of course, I'm a newbie at all of this.
  I answered in a way that let her know I didnt know the process, but I wanted her to do only what ***** required to get a permit.
  On 12/22/22, her response was:
  Yes, an informed newbie!, however, we are obliged to build the home on paper prior to your contractor and trades arriving on site as an official document-set indicating intent.  Therefore, our offices effort, not only provides clarity of intent for the officials and professionals watching over your homes construction planning, but we have a professional responsibility to you to guide decision making while we are working with you.  This includes informing you that while you may pay for our services now for thorough and clear planning, the time saved later by leaving less to go over with a tradesman significantly reduces the anxiety of a consistently progressive chronological build as well as the timeline of your expected construction build as it relates to insurance rental reimbursements.  Please confirm understanding and intent.
  I responded to her with: 
  I don't understand.  What are the items that you are referring to that will get me into the home before my rental reimbursements run out-  or not!  I do have a list of things that I plan to shop for, make decisions about, etc.   There are many! This is what my life is going to be all about for most of 2023.  But I'm interested in your thoughts about what I might be missing or not timely about.
  This was to let her know that was looking forward to shopping for my decor and finish materials while the build was happening not have it all pre-determined before I even had a hole in the ground.   I was having indecision about some of the decisions she was pressuring me to instantly make and I didnt want to rush some of those decisions.   If I had to decide everything first, I couldnt do it.  I needed to make some decisions in my own time.    And this was 4 months after contract signing and I had yet to see a single construction document or hear about other professionals brought into the process.  I had only floor plans, elevations, and her questions I couldnt answer on the spot.
  On 12/22/22, after I met with ***** for my build cost, she emailed asking me where I was at cost-wise and I emailed her with this:
  Yes, moving forward.  I think waiting for what you need to do to get to permit stage, site plan, construction drawings, structural eng.  Floor plan is not changing.
  On 12/23/22 I sent an email asking if I could use a particular HERS rater that my neighbors had recommended.  She said yes, because her HERS rater was several weeks out, but she didnt indicate that she was going to place the call to my company anytime soon. (Actually, a HERS rater should have been already busy at work on my plan.) 
  On 12/28/22, I sent her this pointed email (edited for brevity):
  Have I answered all of the questions you have in order to finalize the drawing and get to the permit process? 
  I don't think there is anything else I need for you to do regarding the design of the house.  I've looked through your emails and I think I have answered all the questions you had for me other than window sizes.  ***** will help me with ******************* so that he can control and manage what is his "domain".   I know there is the structural engineering to do still, and I assume you have a structural engineer because you said you did.  ***** is going to call you about something confusing you wrote to me about the site plan and some wording about the previous piers.  Have you yourself been to my lot?
  I assume you have made the changes to the angled wall and any other modifications since my last 8 x 10 images.   I need those updated drawings for my visits with vendors, such as cabinets, flooring, etc.
  Accessing various grants and donations depends upon having a permit in hand, so I'm pushing to get there so I know my real budget.  
  And I would appreciate some kind of list of what you still must do that I don't know about and time-line for having them done
  Her response on 12/28/22 (edited)
  All we are attempting to REMIND you of is that as much as we can determine today will save you appreciable time, stress and money later in the field = common sense, right?
  All of the list of things that [you]plan to shop for, make decisions about are what we indicate on the plans (and the domino effect of each decision that you make is considered as well) so that your build time goes smoothly, effectively and you know what youre expecting (and getting) = minimizing surprises, errors and omissions, good?
  So, let me pull together the plans to a concise point and Ill simultaneously make a list of the items that would be prudent for you to consider / decide / sooner than later, and well get together and discuss in person for further clarity = good
  The VARIABILITY of each companys schedule (trade) and attention to YOU while onsite will be undoubtedly divided therefore, its better to have as many considerations figured out ahead of time (and drawn on the plans) than not, so that each company can review their relevant scope of work, discuss with the builder / me / you for clarifications and then provide a thorough bid and then execute with effectiveness and efficiency.  The way anyone would prefer to work = success for them and you, right?
  
  Me to ***** on 12/29/22 (edited):
  *****,what needs to be done before a building permit is the next step... things that get me a permit? 
  What needs to be done now for the structural engineer to get involved.  The Civil engineer?  What are the absolute important things right now?  Is the mechanical room ready, the ducts?  I have plenty of time to decide on finishes.  Mostly what I have is time.   I'm looking forward to my "field trips" and talking to the vendors.  It's my job that I have waited a year for. 
  Please help me get the building permit.  If it doesn't move that process forward, then it can wait.  (My emphasis)
  Again, me on 12/29/22:
  As far as your interest in saving me money, it will save me a lot of money to be able to get moved into my home by the end of the year, when my ALE expires.  And it will be helpful for my finances to get the final contract price from *****, which depends upon your finalized drawings and construction documents.  Then I will know how much I can spend on pendant lights, sconces, everything else.
  Me on 1/5/23 to ***** (edited):
  Also, do you have any kind of a timeline for finishing your design and the other aspects of being ready for a final contract price and a permit?
  ***** to me on 1/6/23 (edited):
  Weve been focusing on tightening up the drawings for the next round of professionals and you like we mentioned before so we apologize for the delay in getting back to you.  Wed like to have the prelim. architectural set done for you in the next couple of weeks  but we cant say timelines, responsiveness or availability of the others involved, of course but well keep abreast of pushing this along for you.  Well have that list of questions for you as well  
  Me to ***** on 1/6/23 (edited)
  *****,your response here has no information.  No answers to anything I've asked you, just an apology and vaguely saying you will get something done in a couple of weeks, but not really because of others, but you'll keep pushing.   This response makes me think you are going to take another 3-6 months getting my  small **** sq. ft home ready for permitting.  What about all of that money and time you say you would like to save me? 
  My questions that have cropped up with this response:
  What about the drawings need tightening up?  Are you really still drawing?
  What is a preliminary architectural set?  How many are there?
  Who are the others involved?  I assume you have spoken with them, what have you asked them to do and what do they tell you?   I would like to be kept more abreast of who they are, what they do, and what they say their timing is.  Why so little transparency about what you are telling me exactly?
  And what is the list of questions that you will have for me?  What have I not answered?  Maybe about the ** connectors,but do you really need those before a building permit can be issued?
  Have you kept up with my changes as i have sent them to you?  Please send to me another set of 8-1/2 x ******************************************************************************************************************************************** so. 
  
  Me to ***** on 1/7/23:
  *****,your lack of clarity about what else needs to be done and who needs to do it is causing me so much stress.  But if you are waiting for any information from me, please itemize what to me asap.  I don't want to be the blockade to progress.  And please don't ask me for anything that won't be critical to getting the permit.   You know what the dimensions of my appliances are because you have put them into the kitchen elevations.  The appliance guy saw those and completely understood the sizing and he will work with ***** from now on.  Don't ask me about the colors of window frames because I don't know and that isn't important to the permit or the engineering.    If there are any change in window sizes, I will let you know. 
  
  
  What I want from you next week is for you to send me everything you have done that I have paid for and done since in terms of plans, construction documents,anything else.  I want to correlate your invoices with actual product for me to see.  I see 13+ hours towards construction documents on your last invoice.  I want see what those documents look like.  I am an involved homeowner,wanting as much up-to-date information as I can get and to inspect the progress so far to make sure I understand the status of my new home.  I assume everything can be emailed, so I'll expect them to show up.
  
  
  I see a lot of reviewing of the same things (emails about solar tube, skylight, window sizes, etc.)  Have I answered everything about those so no more review is necessary, right?   Have you put onto the plans everything you have reviewed, such as window size changes here and there?    I have a list of things I've sent to you and I want to see if they are on the plans, not just "reviewed"  Your one-liner "received/reviewed/considered" doesn't tell me very much in terms of what was done afterwards.   You apparently emailed back and forth with me about the scope of effort as of 12/15.  Where is that email thread?  I am interested in that scope email, but I can't find it, so re-email me that one, please.
  
  
  I need at this point to know if we are stuck, why we are stuck, where we are stuck,who is making ** stuck.  is there something behind the scenes that is happening? Fill me in!
  
  
  You should have some kind of an idea, based on your years of being an architect, of what else needs to be done.  I'm not your first home.   You should have an idea of when it will be ready for the next phase, like the structural engineer, or the civil engineering phase.   I need to know these things.  A lot is on the line for me this year.
  
  
  My little house shouldn't take much longer, should it? 
  Thank you for a clear and concise response, with actual answers, with emails of construction documents and current plans, whatever you have done, by Monday.  Or an explanation of why not on Monday.
  
  At this point, on 1/7/23, ***** requested a meeting with me at the library, at which time she said she didnt think she could serve me anymore.  I got the feeling I was being canceled.  She actually said that ***** was going to build me a c*** house.  But after 2 hours of talking, and me knowing how invested I was in this house design, and the money and time, I asked if there was a way we could continue to work together, and we left the meeting with her asking me to trust her once again.  So we went back to the design phase, with her asking me what kind of light switches I wanted, and questions about my survey (?) and other miscellaneous non-critical things. 
  On 1/9/23, I requested a 3-way meeting with my builder, which up to this point had been virtually non-existent.  This was to tour a home that ***** was in the process of building, so ***** could see it wasnt a c*** house, so she could see an example of his construction.   ***** insisted on a late afternoon meeting (in January).  At this stage, the home didnt have any electricity, so it would be dark that time of day and a useless tour.   The tour never happened.
  After the decision on 1/7/23 after the library meeting to continue to work together,there was a flurry of emails for the next ***************************************************** as she was indicating that it was her intention to engage a structural engineer and a HERS rater.  I asked her to provide me with her updated drawings which I got on 1/18/23.
  On 1/19/23,out of curiosity and because almost 5 months had passed before the words structural engineer and HERS rater were uttered to me by *****,  I decided to find out if what I was experiencing with this process was typical.  Despite what ***** states about me establishing an environment of discrediting Lands Design LLC as she went to other design professionals, this visit to the ******** ROC architects was completely impromptu on that day.  This was not a campaign to discredit her, but for me to become informed.
  I showed them the most updated drawings from 1/18/23, which was a lower level, a main level, kitchen, bathroom and laundry room designs, to architects that were offering free consultations for ******** Fire rebuilders at the ******** ROC facility.  What I showed them was my red flag.  They proceeded to show me a sample of construction documents of what I should have for a typical home design that was ready for permitting.  To my utter dismay, I was nowhere near a building permit.  I was distraught and in a panic
  On 1/19/23,the same day I visited with the architects, ***** sent this email to me (edited):
  We hope to have preliminary drawings to you by Monday if not sooner, fyi
  We just realized that we have been servicing you by our standards and as noted in our contract.  We signed up with you to design a home and produce plans and specifications regarding the details of that home.   Youve been telling us that you will make decisions on your own and with relevant professionals.  In light of that, wed like to take a moment to verify that this portion of our service offerings is no longer requested by you.  Therefore, from here forward, we wont be held responsible for the specifications or guiding your home build decisions before construction begins.  Does that agree with your thoughts?
  Finally she had gotten the message that I wanted to change the scope, which by contract I was allowed to do and had been trying to do.  But this was right after my visit with the architects, so I responded with this (edited):
  You are only to focus on getting me a full set of construction documents including site plan, zoning and code, floor plan, elevations, sections, details, etc. 
  When will I have these all of documents?  Not piece-meal!
  Surely you must know that I do not have unlimited funds to spend on a home design complete with all the materials.  Materials will often be changed out anyway, depending upon me changing my mind, availability, cost, efficiency, etc.  I did not go into this for a joy ride.  I was in a natural disaster, was forced to find someone to help me with a house PLAN, without enough insurance  and no insurance for the soft costs such as architecture, and a limited amount of time that ends this year.  You have been a complete blockade since mid November.  I didn't realize this until i sought out advice from two certified professional building designers who are volunteering their time to help out victims of the ******** Fire.  They know how much I've spent so far, seen what you have provided to me by way of floor plans, etc.   I showed them everything you have sent me,through today so they could see the progress from then (November) and now. They were alarmed and believe I should have had my building permit way before now.What did I know before this - I thought I was doing everything right to get things done. 
  If you cannot expedite this, then we need to talk.
  The final email from ***** on 1/20/23 was this:
  Given the struggles we have been having,I think it would be best if we cease working together.  Please consider this email the seven days'notice of cancellation per our contract. 
  --------------------------------------
  I wanted to know after our contract was terminated how many complete homes in **********, with the 2021 IECC energy code that ***** had submitted for a building permit.  I asked my contact at the ********** ******************* to research this for me.  She said only one permit had ****** name on it, however, it was not a complete project like mine was going to be. So, naturally I feel that I was Nancys guinea pig.  I was going to be her first complete project, from a blank piece of paper to an issued building permit.  She oversold her qualifications to me when we discussed my new home prior to contract signing.  She certainly made it sound to me like this was what she spent her time doing.
  Subsequently, I had to find a new architect,since her contract stated the design we worked on belonged to her.  He started on my home design in February 2023.  He engaged a structural engineer and a HERS rater very early on during the design stage so he doesnt have to wait for their availability after the design.  He includes my builder in our in-person meetings  so that they can bounce ideas off each other and understand each others processes.   I appreciate the importance of this for a smoother rebuilding process.  ***** did minimal engagement with ***** and I was unaware of any structural or HERS rater or anyone involved with ***** on my behalf.
  I stand by my complaints, my reviews of her business, and my social media posts.  What I stated is my truth.  She canceled me after I paid her $14,684.  ** her response to my complaint she states there were 250+ emails.   I paid for our emails.  No wonder she preferred to email back and forth, keeping face to face meetings at a minimum!  Only 4 meetings in 5 months!  A large part of the $14,684 was for emails,not trying to make any real progress.  Emails with my current architect are FREE!
  I could have had a **** sq.ft. home designed and built in 16 months if she was truly committed.   I am skeptical that ***** really had produced construction documents and all her professionals lined up ready to go.  If so, why did she suddenly cancel the contract?  I would have stuck it out with her if I knew, but she kept it secret.  ********* was her choice, not mine.

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