Complaint / Review
Joe Longobardi, Absolute Professional
Kept and Spent my downpayment of $13,850 when I fired him after about $2,000 work

I hired Joe (end of August) to do a kitchen remodel 300sq ft addition rebuild front steps for $41,500. As is common in my area I gave him a 1/3 downpayment. He immeadiately set to work tearing out the front steps and digging out the electric service entranc for examination.

I was left without access to the home's main entrance for the next two months. He did not return, made and broke numerous promises, and finnaly came one day after a "firm" phone call for missing another date.

When he came, he spent less than 2 hours at the house, laid about 36 bricks, and left, explaining that briks could only be laid a couple of courses at a time. Either he doesn't know the first thing about masonry or he blatently lied!

Either way I fired him the next day. I asked him to work up a fair bill for the work he completed and please refund the rest of my money. He agreed and said it would be a few days. It was late December when He finnaly even quoted me a figure... He said he would refund HALF! Contractors I contacted in November to complete the work estimated "Joe's Hole" to be worth $1,000-$2,200.

I worked through my countie's Department of Consumer Affairs for several months, trying to get my money back. Twice he promised them he'd pay me
back "something" and twice he renegged.

I reported him to the NY State Attorney Generals Office in Poughkeepsie but that went nowhere. It seems that Unless they get "numerous" complaints they don't expend the resources to investigate.

In the end Joe filed for bankruptcy, my lawyer bungled the filing of my challenge (so it was never heard by the court), and the "debt" was discharged. I never had enough money to complete the whole job after that.

Ironicly, my lawyer's brother-in-law also had a claim against Joe for a botched replacement window job discharged as well.

Beware! Some counties, like mine, do not require licensing and bonding for contractors. You are on your own. Check your state's Attorney General's website for guidance and tips when dealing with contractors. I didn't and you see my story.