ComplaintsforLoving Family Landscapes, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  08/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contracted this person for a Spring Clean. The past 20 years a Spring Clean up meant that the plants and beds would be cleared and prepped for mulching. This included weeding, edging, waste removal and mulch. I was required to pay in advance for phase 1, I did not get what I was induced to believe I was paying for $1200. My beds are approximately 400 square feet in total. This Crook (James M****** aka ***** *** aka Loving Family Landscapes aka I change my business name every year after screwing consumers), quoted me a Spring Clean Up for $1200 which had to be paid in advance. I paid this Crook $1200 cash in advance, he stated that he had to use 2 men on the job. On Day 1, only 2 guys showed up, the next day, only 1 worker arrived and complained that he had no help, as worker 2 did not show up. The worker arrived in his personal vehicle and was not able to remove the yard waste, I had to supply the worker with a 'blue tarp' to hold the yard waste in my driveway. Of course the material I supplied has not been returned and the yard waste was never removed from the drive way, I had to pay a 3rd party to remove the yard waste into trash bags, which if you know anything about yard waste this is not the proper disposal method, after 5 days of black trash bags sitting in my yard, I asked the owner James M****** to come and remove the yard waste, when asked if he was completing the job he replied, "were done we were only removing your weeds." I was perplexed as who pays $1200 for weed removal only. I did not get edged, I was not prunned, and I did not get mulch which I knew was a seperate charge. My yard is still full of weeds and no edging and paid in advance what can I do but warn others.

  Business response

  08/16/2022

  I have known this person for over 20 years and have done business with her many times in the past.  A few years ago she did not pay me for a job that we completed for her so I stopped doing business with her after that.  After a few years had passed she asked me to do some work for her again and I agreed on the condition that she had to pay me up front before we would complete the job.  So this is the reason why I required her to pay me in advance.  I have never asked any other customer to do this.

  The landscape beds at her house had not been cleaned up in a couple of years so they were severely overgrown with weeds and vegetation.  We had a verbal agreement that I would clean up the weeds and overgrown vegetation only for $1,200.  Edging and trimming of shrubs was not included in this agreement.  If she wanted mulch she would have to pay me another $1,500.  We agreed that she would pay me for the weed and vegetation removal first for $1,200.  And then if she wanted to move forward with the mulch she would have to pay me another $1,500 in advance.

  After we completed the removal of the weeds we were scheduled to come back the following day and pick up the weeds and install the mulch,  The morning that we were to install the mulch the customer called me and asked me not to come because she had hired a company to come out to power wash and seal her driveway.  The customer then told me that the seal on the driveway had to cure for 3-4 days before it could be walked on.   At this point She never gave me the $1,500 in advance as agreed upon to install the mulch and I had to go and start another job.

  She did call me to come back and pick up the weeds that were bagged in black plastic bags.  I did return to pick up the weeds.  She did not have to hire an additional company to remove the weeds. 

  I will return her blue tarp but I will not refund any of the $1,200 because I performed the job that I told her that I would do.  

  Anyone who gardens know that weeds are going to grow back if you do not mulch to suppress them or use round up or pull the weeds on a consistent basis.  I attached pictures showing the flowerbeds after we removed the weeds and overgrown vegetation that had not been taken care of for at least two years.

  Customer response

  08/18/2022

  James M****** is flat out lying. This company has done spring clean up for me approximately 10-15 times in the 19 years that I had lived in this home. I have had spring clean up every year, I have never missed a year and so his remarks that I had not had a clean up in several years is absolutely false and I will be able to show the Small Claims Court Judge my last year 2021 Spring Clean up reciept.

  This man knows that in the entire 20 years that he has known me, that I have never, would never, contract a parital and incomplete job, this man knew my agenda is always to care for my home, in addition this man knew that I was considering selling my home and preparing it for the market. This man also knows that you do not leave waste, you do not use trash bags to dispose of yard waste and that he did not return.

  This company did not provide a receipt for his admitted 1200 acceptance of cash because he does not pay income taxes and often takes money under the table. This man also knows that he agreed to return to place the mulch. This man also knows that weeds do not grow to 5 and 6 inches in height within a matter of days. The job was not complete.

  IF you google the growth span of a weed, it is impossible, implausible for his narrative to be true. He got the cash in advance, did a marginal job and ran off.

   I am expecting a 50% return of $600, or I will be forced to file a civil claim. He did a half job, he should return half my money. I sent the photos to the BBB, where it is apparently clear that the work was not done. My photos are dated, and IF he produces a reciept of payment you will see how close to the date of payment, and the age of weeds, his false response unravels.

   This is not acceptable.

  He is collecting cash, and not completing the work. This is illegal and unethical business practices and the list can go on and on if he should continue refusing to refund my monies. The list will go on and on all the way to the IRS, State of Ohio Business tax collection practices per the Ohio revised code.

  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

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