Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  05/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On 3May24 I contacted Leeside by telephone on their website. Asked to have a chimney cap put on my house at *************************************************************************, was quoted $2700 to install a steel crown and triple cap, including a 15% advertised discount which I asked for as a retired military Veteran. Same day, *********************** said the chimney was crumbling and needed to be rebuilt to the roofline. I told him I was not at the house on ********. I was at my other home (mailing address *************************************************). I asked for a contract to be sent to me via email. I never received one. He convinced me the major repair needed to be performed and quoted $20,000, for me to express mail him $10,000. He sent a back-dated invoice that showed no discount and inadequately described the work he promised would be done. Two days later, he said my foundation had cracks and needed immediate repair, quoting me another $15,000 ($35,000 total). I again asked for a contract and for him to meet with me at 8AM on 13 May so I could inspect the issue and work already done. He repeatedly called and demanded I pay him another $10,000 by express mail. So I finally gave in sending the second $10,000. He sent me another back-dated invoice for $35,000, no credit for $20K paid, and no discount. I rejected the invoice as invalid and instructed him to meet with me on Monday 13 May at 8AM. I waited for him for two hours on 13 May and talked to him by phone, he refused to meet with me. The chimney and promised front and porch brick work were not completed. Another trusted construction contractor (*********************) looked at the foundation and brick and mortar work said the foundation cracks were minor and normal for a 54 year old house. He estimated the work done should not have been more than $10,000 and that ********************* had conned me into paying him double that, plus fraudulently claimed the foundation needed immediate repair. A worker waterproofed the bricks on 16May. ************* evidence.

  Customer response

  06/02/2024

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint. The contractor, who defrauded me by claiming I needed to have foundation cracks patched for an additional $15,000 after already overcharging me (probably $10,000 according to another MA licensed very experienced contractor) for fixing my chimney at $20,000, and who refused to give me the advertised !5% off the total price (see their website) knew I could not see the work because I was in ********. But because he said his workers were at the house doing the work and he needed to be able to pay them and for materials, demanded I immediately pay him $10,000 in advance for the chimney and $10,000 for the foundation cracks, knowing I was in ** and not able to inspect the work. In telephone and text conversations, I told him at least 3 times to meet me at the house on Monday 13 May to discuss the additional work and to inspect the work done on the chimney, but he never showed up. He refused to meet me, sent an employee to give me an invoice for $20,000, claiming all the brick work was completed, not acknowledging the 15% discount as I demanded by law. Two days after starting the work on 3 or 4 May (sending me photos), originally mutually agreeing to only put chimney caps and a crown on the chimney for $2700, he called to say he had to take down the chimney to the roofline and to fix a crack in the foundation under the chimney, estimating the new price to be $20,000. I asked for a contract as required by MA law. He sent an invoice on 6 May for the $20K I told him it did not show the 15% advertised discount ($3000) and asked for a contract several times describing the work to be done and never received one. But in good faith, I sent him $10,000 by express mail as an advance payment. Then 2 days later, after calling me and telling me I had huge cracks in my foundation "all around the house," sending a photo of one crack that required immediate additional work, which he quoted at $15,000 (again without the 15% discount), demanded I send him another $10,000 advance payment. He then sent the same invoice number backdated to 3 May with newly added description and price of $35,000. I told him I did not want to send more money and to wait until I had a chance to inspect the work down on the chimney and bricks the following Monday, 13 May. But he demanded I pay the additional $10,000 in advance.  When I arrived on 12 May, I saw the chimney and brick work was incomplete and there was only one crack in the foundation needing any repair. I had arranged a meeting with him and another trusted contractor who was doing siding and windows for 8AM on the 13th. *********************** of Leeside Masonry refused to meet with me at anytime. He refused to refund the $3000 discount. He said he was finished with the chimney and brick work and sent an employee with an invoice for $20,000 showing I had paid it in full. He denied the attempted fraud concerning the cracks in the foundation and stopped communicating.

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