Mr Charles Bradley Parks first came to my home at the request of my wife to see about finishing a basement bathroom and a bedroom. After being shown where she wanted the project done, he asked me if there was anything I wanted. I replied that along with what my wife wanted, he was to include the cost of finishing the basement staircase and to provide a 30 amp RV plug outside and a 220 vac dryer plug in my garage for other uses. My wife specifically ordered a name brand whirlpool tub and repeated the name at least three times. Mr. Parks was busy writing notes and said that he would get back to us.
Well, he never got back to me and delt with my wife in private assuring her that all would be well. My wife told me the bid price and it seemed reasonable. I asked her if the price included the stairs and electrical work I wanted and she assured me that it did. On 01/12/09, the day I left twon on business, Mr. Parks and his crew arrived to begin work. My wife told Mr. Parks that he needed an insurance certificate before he could begin. He said it was FAXED and gave my wife a contract and began work. My wife (knowing his wife) believed that he was on the level and thought little more about it. Meanwhile, he piled things to where my wife couldn't get to the FAX. The insurance certificate provided us is dated 01/16/09 by the insurer. Some time on the first or second day of work, my wife found that the stairs were not on the contract. She contacted Mr. Parks about it and he assured her that it was an oversight. This was the first bait and switch. When I returned from my business trip, I was greeted with the sight of my belongings strewn accross the lawn. This included my workbench, tile saw, scroll saw, about 50 lbs. Of nails in my nail bin, shovels, rakes, hoes, canoe paddles, important papers, bow saws, etc. Did I mention that it was sleeting/raining? I went down and brought in the things that I could and had my wife call Mr. Parks and convey my feelings about this and his obvious disrespect for me.in the morning I looked out in the lawn and found that they had driven accross my lawn until it had the look of a driveway. I had that stopped as well. I went down to see the progress and found that they had installed a generic whirlpool and told my wife about it. She looked at the contract and found that he had simply written "jetted tub". (Second bait and switch I found). My wife told Mr. Parks to install a particular type of sink and tub mounts and when I looked they were not what we asked for and he had installed some cheap Chinese parts. I made him replace these with what we wanted and heard how what he had installed were just as good. I then went up to see the RV plug and found standard 30 amp service, but no RV plug. I gave him the benifit of the doubt and told him what an RV plug was and told him to keep the standard service, but to install it and the RV plug in a service box on the side of the house. (Mr. Parks took notes and even drew a picture) Later when I returned from another trip, the first words out of his mouth were something like "you didn't get the electrical you wanted, but you are going to like what you got". Well, Guess what, I dont like it. I had him stop there on the electrical and decided to use it as installed so that he would not put any more holes in my siding. He had also installed a welder plug and not a dryer plug. I told Mr. Parks to install standard incandecent light sockets in the closets and the next day he was worrying my wife how that might be dangerous. She asked me if I wanted her hurt, so of course I said no and go ahead and install a safe fixture. What he installed were shop lights with no guard over them.
Moreover they are not installed over a proper electrical box. They are just screwed to the wall and a wire dropped down through the dropped ceiling and tied in. I found this when I went to replace them. When I tried to plug in my motorhome, they had installed the socket upside down. I finally just fixed it myself. On with the story. I went in and looked at the work on the tub surround and found that they had trimmed it in using a circular saw. Mr. Parks asked me how I liked it and after pointing out how it looked, Mr. Parks said "it looks like s@%t". I had to agree. I asked why the corners were not mitred and the trim routered and I was given a look like I was from another planet. The next day the crew arrived with a new router and a round over bit that looked nothing like the rest of the moulding installed. Finally I ended up loaning them my router bits to complete the job. The fellow that actually did the work told me that it was the first time he had run a router. I asked if they had an exterminator treat the dirt where they installed the grinder pump and was told no. They had to remove a wall to expose the pump so that an exterminator could treat the area around the pump. (I hope it is satisfactory) I ended up contacting our cleaning lady to do the cleanup after the job and took that amount out of their check. I also had to take four days off work and see to the work being done since Mr. Parks had more important things to do than quality control on my house. Some of the work done had to be redone up to five times before it was adequate. I am fully aware that it was my fault entirely for allowing any work to be done without first reading the contract. My wife is a good hearted soul and really didn't believe that the husband of a work associate of hers could do anyone the way they did us. She still would like to believe that the omissions in the contract were mistakes. Why didn't I stop the project the first day you ask? Well the truth is that I didn't find out about the contract omissions until a week later. Seems my wife was to ashamed to tell me the truth about the matter. (She found out the first day.) The contractor however, had he any honesty would have told me himself. I allowed this project to begin trying to spread some money around where needed. I had finished the rest of the basement previously myself and was really waiting to complete a shop outside before the rest of the basement work would be done. On a footnote, the work is complete although just adequate. I'm glad that Mr. Parks didn't do the stairs. I had them done by some very professional people who did it right the first time. I have found some of my tools missing after Mr. Parks crew left and also found that they must have had the electricity off to my motorhome basement heaters since I have had about a hundred dollars PEX damage from freezing. I have replaced the missing tools at my expense. I have fixed my motorhome at my expense. Parks Construction is unwelcome at my home.
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