This July I hired Bruce Barner of Premier Renovations & Constructions, Atlanta, from an internet advertiser website for the renovation of my house. His profile said he was a member of Better Business Bureau and he offered me left over marble from another job at a very low rate and I immediately fell for the fraud.
Even before we had finalized and signed the contract he talked me into giving him $ 4000.00 to order materials. Right away he started on some demolition work, before even getting a permit (resulting in stop work order from the city and a delay in getting the permit). For the next three weeks he kept making excuses on why the material had not arrived yet then asked me for another $ 5000.00. When I asked him to deliver the previous material and meet me to sign a legal contract before I paid him further, he promptly disappeared and stopped responding to my numerous e-mails, phone calls and certified letters.in the meantime, without my knowledge, he dumped a huge amount of possibly hazardous construction waste from his other construction projects in my property.
I contacted his references, Better Business Bureau and his advertisers to pressurize him to contact me. I finally received an e-mail full of false allegations that tried to shift the blame of his non-performance on me that I had breached the contract (that was never finalized or signed) by not paying him 40% upfront, stolen his material, had not respond to his multiple calls. That he would be more than happy to finish work if I paid him another $5000.00. Despite my anger and frustration at these white lies, I urged him to meet me again in the presence of a mediator to try settling this case peacefully. Guess, what? No response again. The deadline I had given him to respond is way past. That one e-mail was simply a weak attempt to not look dishonest to his advertisers and clients who I had contacted.
It is now almost a month and a half since I paid this crook for material that was never delivered. He has left my house horribly damaged with no windows, no cabinet doors, a hole in a roof, water damage from storms, a demolished wall, damaged plumbing and wiring and a dump of other peoples construction waste in the backyard, while defrauding me of $ 4000.00 that I had acquired as a loan. The office number (770) 934-7533 and the fax he provided me do not seem to work. I have now found that he had also lied about being a member of the Better Business Bureau. Not only was he not a member but had actually an unsatisfactory record and listed under multiple addresses and a different firm - Renaissance Renovations & Construction, LLC that according to BBB, seemed to have closed business. My only recourse now is to take legal action against this fraud; although I dont know how long it will be when I will finally be able to get my money back, if I can get it back at all.
I have learnt my lesson the hard way by allowing my self to be duped and posting my experience in the hope that other people will not be scammed by this deceitful person or his company.
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