In Feb., we signed a contract w / Joseph Santarelli (SJ) to build our new house in 9 months. It is now 23 months, the house is incomplete, and JS has stopped work on the house.
We paid JS according to his payment schedule & even gave him an advance when he asked for it. We also paid him for every upgrade of material & labor as he requested.in September of this year, JS advised us that his company was failing and in order for him to complete our home, we would have to pay him money from the last 10% due upon receiving the CO. If we did not pay him that money, he would stop work immediately. He also said that we would have to pay the remaining balances due the
"mechanicals" (plumber, painter, tiler, electrician), from that last 10% due in order for the job to be completed. Under duress, we agreed, but have since found out that this can be considered extortion. We also found out that the monies owed to the "mechanicals" exceeded the amounts he told us, and also the
contract amount.
In addition, since September, JS had emailed us that he no longer had any money to pay for the labor & material that we had already paid him for under the contract and change orders. And, in order to get the job done, we would have to pay for these items again. This is consumer fraud and theft by deception.
We have since learned that suppliers and quality subcontractors will no longer deal w / JS unless they receive payment up front.
BEWARE OF JOSEPH SANTARELLI - HE IS A GREAT TALKER, BUT A LIAR & A THIEF. He currently has his home up for sale & plans to leave the state as soon as possible.
We are senior citizens with health issues & JS has only made our health worse over the past 2 years and hurt us terribly financially. He was never on site of the job except to collect money. When we would point out problems to him, he would say he would take care of it and it never was taken care of. CONSUMERS BEWARE OF THIS MAN!
If he has ripped you off, and you have proof, see a lawyer. Also report him to the Better Business Bureau and the N.J. Department of Consumer Protection. Best yet, notify the IRS -it is a federal entity and can persue him throughout the country for ill-gotten gains, unreported income, or falsifying tax reports.
This man must be stopped from hurting other people. We have proof of all of the above and would be willing to be part of a class action suit against JS or any local TV/Newspaper expose.
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