ComplaintsforFlorence Building Company, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Estimate was made on 5/26 22. Workwent on through Sept. all invoiced work was paid for. Work was never finished. They do not reply. Unfinished paid work includes: attach garage down spout,fix deck and stairs and stain,hang shutters on garage get window and install, stain baseboards in garage, replace guttering on side of house,replace brick on chimney, replace or fix chimney cap. Ther was nothing the estimate that says there is a 20% marketplace in supplies. That should be refunded. Supplies could have been procured by and would have been if I had known.I would like the work finished or also a refund for that.

  

  Business response

  07/11/2023

  We worked until the homeowner stopped paying her bills and then she had to be turned over to collections to collect for work that was completed.   We never bill for labor or materials that are not completed or installed.  At one point the homeowner called and asked that we come back to do more work and we told her she would have to pay her bill.   She responded that we needed to come back and then she would think about paying us.   The gutter guy went to the job site to complete the gutters and the homeowners handyman refused to move his vehicle and there was no way to get his trailer down to install the gutters so he wont return because he lost time and was not able to complete the job. I dont continue work for customers that dont pay and cost us money in collection fees.  She signed our online estimate software which showed the markup on materials.  She also added work outside the estimate. The markup on materials helps offset the cost of shopping for the materials and transporting the materials.   We will not return to do work for fear of not receiving payment.   

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

   
  Complaint: 20304143
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

  Of course I delayed the last payment because the work was not finished and was payed for in the original payment. As to a handyman not moving his truck, he has worked for me over 30 years and has never not moved his truck. There may have been some tree trimmers working and could not move their truck and shouldnt have to. I contacted them several times to finish work. I have paid thousands more than the original estimate. The original estimate was paid before work was started and the things in the original estimate were paid for and not completed.

  

  Business response

  07/19/2023

  There was no payment made prior to work starting.  Payment was only required after work was completed.   We made the homeowner aware at the time of the estimate because of the extensive damage from the tree falling that we could not see everything in the attic of the garage.  We have only billed for what we have done.  We are a larger company and we do not pre-bill or accept deposits prior to work starting.  The only time a customer is build is if work is completed or product has been purchased.  The customers was not billed for gutters because gutters havent been done. The customer was not billed for masonry because the masonry hasnt been done.   We will not go work for a customer who will not pay.   I lost a large percentage of our feeder because a collection agency had to be used to obtain payment for what we had done.   There is no refund due and the customer has not been billed for the work not completed.  Our invoice states that if payment is not received in 7 days work will stop.  We didnt get paid so we stopped.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Florence Building Company continues to bill me for work that is not part of my project. They have sent the unpaid balance ($3,228.71) to collections and is affecting my credit. I have repeatedly communicated that the work described in the invoice is not for my project and asked for an explanation and have not heard from them in 9 months.FBC was contracted to build a patio which was completed in 3/22. On 7/18/2022 I received inv#**** for Double sided walls and brickwork for $3,228.71. I replied via email on the same day stating that this invoice was not for my job as my patio project does not have any walls or brickwork. I asked for a reply and explanation, I did not receive a reply. I received a 2nd email from FBC on 12/6/2022 about the invoice. I replied again via email to FBC that its a mistake and not for my project. I again asked for reply/explanation, I did not receive a reply.I received a collections notice from Capital Accounts on 4/24/2022 about this outstanding invoice.After I received the collection notice I again email FBC and received a reply that the description was the closest match the ***** could come up with. And the invoice was for stonework on columns. All stonework (materials and labor) was already invoiced and paid for and with the correct description. I provided an itemized list for the stonework, stating we already paid a total of $2275 for the stone work labor. And an additional $3746 in supplies totaling $6k for stonework they est. at $4,200. It's obvious that they are trying to make ** pay for someone elses work even after I provided proof that we paid for all stone work. Now they are trying to get ** to pay an additional $3,228.71 in labor which would be over %90 of the estimate. They still have not provide evidence that this is work that was done on the patio project.I am including all invoices for the stonework, my emails asking for an explanation dating back to 7/2022, and the work breakdown for the stonework.

  

  Business response

  04/25/2023

  All of the masons invoices have our clients address on them.  The client had a porch that required block work with a stone face on it.  The ***** billed this as a double sided wall.  This essentially is a double sided wall to a *****.  He has product to lay on both sides of the center line.  He lays block on one side and stone on one side which is billed as a two sided wall.  His invoice says ***** and not stone because he charges the same for brick and stone in this application.  The use of the masons description to avoid payment is unacceptable.  The homeowner knows the work was done and does not dispute this fact.  There was more stone and more block and more labor than originally estimated because we encountered soft soil and field lines when digging and the homeowner was aware that there would be increased costs.  An employee of Florence Building Company has responded to every message we have received from the customer explaining these things.   The customer continues to argue that we are billing him for someone elses work which we are not.  This was the only job the masons did in this area for ** in these months and the address is on the masons invoice.  Lack of payment resulted in the collection agency.  All will be resolved if the customer will accept the fact that this work was done at his house and pay the bill.  

  Customer response

  04/30/2023

   
  Complaint: 19980447
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The company continues to change the work done to justify the cost but it still does not make since when comparing the estimates and what I already paid. Would anybody pay an invoice that is not correct or belong to them? The company only cares about collecting money and not about a possible overcharge via mistake by them or the *****. I agree that the footer needed to be wider due to the soft soil.That means more concrete needed to be poured for the footer. That has nothing to do with the amount of decorative stone that was added to the block/wall. The dimensions of the block did not change. The company said the add. work/concrete due to the soil would be a couple of hundred more dollars. Not an extra $2.7k.The extra cost for the extra large footer and block was already paid in Nov 22.There is no extra cost to the decorative stone due to the footer because the block remained the same dimensions and the stone is installed from the top to a few inches below the grass line. That would not change no matter how low the block went. We already paid $2.2k in labor alone for the stone work. That would bring the total for the stone work to $6k that you estimated at $4.2k. Now you want to charge me an additional $2.7k which would bring the total to $8k. Is that really a cost your company stands behind? Doubling the estimate? I already proved many times we already paid for all work completed and even the extrafor the soft soil.  The new invoice of $2.7k is close to the $2.2k in labor we already paid.  Maybe the ***** or you made a mistake and double-billing, I dont know. But how can you justify how a larger footer, would more than double the original labor which I already paid?
  Saying your company responded to every message I sent is just a flat out lie. You sent me this invoice in July and then again in Dec. I responded each time asking for an explanation and I received no response.  You didnt respond until 9 months later when this escalated.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  05/04/2023

  We did reply to each request.  We are not double billing.  Maybe you didnt receive the reply but I was copied on each of them and I received the replies.  I have explained each invoice.  You did go over the estimate.   It is not the incorrect job.   The balance is due. 

  Customer response

  05/12/2023

   
  Complaint: 19980447
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Again, none of this is true and you provide no details or breakdowns.  If you replied to each email, then please provide the proof.  I attached each of my emails requesting an explanation to this complaint.  I did not receive anything from you.
  First you said the invoice was for double-sided walls and brickwork (which we do not have any).  Then you said it was for two days of stonework and the description was simply wrong (2nd changing of what invoice was for).  I provided evidence that I already paid for two days of work (breakdown/invoices attached to complaint).  All other invoices descriptions were correct why would it change now?  Then it was for overages due to additional material for footer and blocks (3nd changing of what invoice was for).  Materials were paid previously (inv 1529).  And there was no change to the dimensions of the block in which the stone was applied to.  I already paid for the two days of labor.  Are you saying it was four days of labor?  Simply provide a breakdown of what the changes were in dimensions and materials that you are claiming.  Simply justify in a breakdown where this doubling of labor would come in. 
  Trying to get me to pay for an invoice that clearly is not for my job is unacceptable.  As I proved, I already paid for all work you are describing.  I have no problem paying invoices that belong to my project, heck entire project was more than 28% over the estimate. You continue to provide no details/breakdown or proof otherwise that this invoice belongs to my project.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

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