I am NOT in Jail.....yet!

There hasn't been a Killin'.... Yet....

that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

We are having a "little" issue with a man that took $7,500.00 dollars from us and seems to not be interested in finishing the job. We are a little job, not a priority to him .....his words....not mine. We started back in March finding a roofer. We have put this off for over a year and the check was in an envelope in Scott's "man" room just gathering dust. So after he talked to a few people and got bids, he selected this one person. Appearance R & R. They had a truck deliver shingles. Money needed. I wrote a check, got a copy of the receipt marked we had paid for the materials. Roofers showed up a few days later and did the roof. Nice job. Nice guys. No I did not ask if they were legal or not, but only one spoke a little English. Hard workers, I don't want to know anything more.

They put the roof on the portico and the nails went through. Scott told them to stop, nails were too long. They went from 1 1/2 " nails to 1 1/4. They still went through. Told Scott they didn't have any shorter nails for the nail guns. (hammer by hand....I did a whole roof that way back in the days!). Same thing for the patio, nails went through the decking! Good grief. Boards that had rotten were not replaced but were in the bid up to two sheets of plywood at $60.00 buck each. They took the guttering off and that was the next project. I was told they would be here on a Wednesday. I was going to Lawton, so Scott would have to stay home and I would go by myself. They didn't show up. We were told they would be here the next Wednesday. They didn't show up. I called. No answer. I called again. No answer. I called again and said I WANTED a call returned for I wanted to know when they were coming. Now Scott did not even know this guys last name. But I have now already written the second check for the roofing job and held out $1,000 for the guttering and and last bit of stuff to be done.

This phone call thing goes on for a few days, turns into weeks, since May 12th, with me being told soon as he gets out of his meeting he will call. He doesn't. He calls Scott few days later and says he can't do the job for what he told him, he was going to be an additional 1500 plus the last 1,000 was wrong it was 1250. So now we are up to 2700.00 more. Scott says he will call him the next day after he talks to me and decide what we want to do. I said, get him over here and let's talk about what we need to do and what the agreement WAS. Now once again he won't return phone calls. I call from the house, he didn't recognize the number and when his son answered, guess what....he was in another meeting and he will call soon as he gets out. I said REALLY? Will he REALLY call me this time because this is what you have said numerous times and it doesn't happen. He doesn't call.

I contacted BBB. Filed a complaint on line and received an email that stated he has until June 24th to respond. I got a phone call yesterday from guess who. It didn't start out too good. He was very rude and hateful. And you know what....he did NOT intimidate me one bit. I was so proud of myself. I held my guns and snapped right back at him. I never cussed at him, I never got hateful, I just stood my ground and stated facts. Problem? He never heard a word I was saying for we were both talking at the same time. I finally said to him...Mike, would you let me finish my sentence, finish my comment, and then I will shut up and listen to what you have to say in response. Because at this rate neither of us are accomplishing anything talking at the same time. He sighed and said ok. He let me have my say and he then started in on me. Said that I "pissed" him off. I told him I don't talk like that, and to not talk to me like that. I said I have done nothing but treat you with up most respect. He said, you keep bugging me, I told you and your husband that I was behind and I was very busy. I said yes, that is true. You also said you would be here Wed and you didn't show up. He said he NEVER said that. I guess I just pulled a day out of the week and made up that day being the day he would be here. He did too tell us that I promise you all. He said he was too busy to call me back. I said really? You could not take 2 minutes and tell me you were not coming or it would next week, or later. He said, no he was too busy or he would forget. I told him he needed to hire someone to take care of his correspondence or communications. He said no.

I told him I did not know him. He is in a business that is often shady and when he does not return a phone call and does not make business a priority, what am I to think. He left me with no recourse. He said he does not care about the BBB and he won't be a member of them. He said in 22 years he has never had a complaint and that we were too hard to please. Oh really?

He informed me that my husband this and that, and I was this and that. He just kept going on and on and I let him. Finally I told him I had heard enough. Was he going to keep griping at me or was he going to resolve the problem? I told him all this could have been avoided if he would have had the courtesy to return a simple phone call so I would not think I had been riped off.

Today his brother showed up and painted the trim boards. We bought them ourselves. Didn't know if he was going to ever return and finish the job or not. He didn't bother to call remember? We bought the paint and was prepared to do it ourselves. Now he sends his brother to paint and tomorrow they are going to start replacing boards. Today they sent a couple of his guys out to replace the boards that had rotted and he brought out cheap pressed particle board, not the plywood we had already paid for. Here we go again. Phone calls, attitude, it was getting ugly. I stayed in the house .

Wood was purchased, put up and they did not even follow the grains like the other wood. It looks shoddy, it is not right, but I want them to finish and get gone. He said we won't be able to please you, that was in one conversation. I told him I was not THAT picky if they just do what they are suppose to and do it right. I guess we have different ideas of that statements meaning.

He says we owe him 1250.00. I just bought 250. worth of lumber, 100 dollars of paint. Should I take that off what he says I owe him? I just want my guttering put up. He gave us a receipt stating we had paid in full and the job was completed. He even faxed it to our insurance. He charged them for stuff he did not do to our house. I don't think I like roofers.

I am not in jail, but somebody might need to check on me next week if this job doesn't get done.

He said I would not make it in his house.....He said I was HEADSTRONG. (you think?.....22 years of police work might have something to do with that!) I don't think I like roofers.