My wife and I contracted Richard Nieto, dba Koi-R-Us and Dai-Ichi Koi Pond Construction and Landscaping, to build a koi pond by our newly constructed swimming pool. We also had a new stamped concrete deck around our pool.
Nieto and his father came in and destroyed my new back yard deck by carelessly getting cement all over it. I advised him to clean it immediately but he advised me that he would do it at the end of the project (which he said would be 12 days until completion). We signed a contract for payment at the completion of every phase of construction (i.E. Excavation, etc.).
At the end of the day when he destroyed my back yard, he also destroyed my front yard by dumping his left over cement onto my yard. He claimed that he would replace my sod and the tree that he killed. It has been four months and he has not finished the project nor has he cleaned my deck and replaced my sod.
I called him on 5/21 and told him I would be contacting a lawyer if he didn't contact me immediately regarding the project. The next day, he sued me in small claims court. My wife and I just had our day in court. The Judge will be sending the verdict in the mail. When Nieto was in court, he made one false statement after another. He basically lied. I owned him $500 at the completion of the project; however, he sued me for $2300 (citing that I owed him a labor charge of $85/hour for 20 hours of stone cutting). I didn't care as I had a copy of the contract, photos and testimony from neighbors. This guy is all about getting money from his clients/victims any way he can. I will be filing with the Better Business Bureau and the Contractors Board so that he doesn't rip anyone else off.
I also counter sued him when he sued me. I had a weird feeling that he was going to attempt to break into my back yard and steal the gravel filter that he left and didn't install so I pad locked my gate. It came out in court through his own assertion that he attempted to enter my back yard to get his "tools" but I had pad locked the gate. Needless to say he did not have any tools in my back yard. My hunch was right on and I felt a sense of justice.
I can attest to Traci's story as this guy claims he is "Mr. Christian." He brags about going to church every sunday, etc. While he lies, cheats, and steals the other six days out of the week. He claims to be the only koi breeder here in Fresno, CA. I have seen his koi (or should I say Traci's).
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