Hired Mr. Morgan to remove a 1/4 acre of weeds that were approx. 4 ft high. I told him I wanted the weeds removed, ground graded and leveled, the best top soil, because we were going to put in many garden sites, and the best centipede sod.
The contract was to spray, remove and clean up all vegetation. Remove all unwanted plant material and clean up material that stays.
The first day, a tractor came in and tore up the weeds, which were racked into a pile and placed in the corner of the yard. Three men showed up that day, and NONE of them were landscapers. They were men that stand on the corner waiting for a job to be handed to them.
The only tools Mr. Morgan had was a rake, and some roundup, which he applied several times, barely using the amount needed to kill any weeds.
Mr. Morgan did not turn up the ground that had the weeds dug up from, did not us herbicide to kill the existing weeds, or till the soil. He did not level or grade the ground.
He hired a company to bring in the soil. The bulldozer that was hauling the soil, cracked my driveway, with 3 witness seeing it happen. We confronted the driver, who continued to bring in several more loads up the drive way again.
There was another way to bring in the soil, from the front yard. Mmr. Morgan said he would go thru his insurance company to have the driveway repaired.
He said he needed 3 estimates, which we have, but we have not heard from Mr. Morgan since.
It was noticed, that glass in in the soil and many areas of where the soil was placed. Mr. Morgan said he didn't see any glass when he was racking the soil. It was after a heavy rain, and was witnessed by other people that were working in the area of my yard. Mr. Morgan almost insinuated that it was planted by us. We asked where he purchased the soil, because we paid $500 for 2 loads. Which wasn't enough to cover the areas needed. Two more loads were brought in.
The sod was brought in, and several of the people from another work force, surely with NO experience, laid down the sod. My daughter and I watched, and large pieces of sod were being drop, and little pieces here and their were patched in. The ground was NOT level, and the sod was just put on with not plan of meeting the pieces. They were just kicked together. Mr. Morgan siad he would put on Magic Sand that would level the ground.
On the contract, he has tractor to grade backyard, charged $700, and no such thing happened.
Two days after he left, the weeds were showing from the soil that had been laid down. We called him immediately. He did come down, and as usually, barely covered the weeds. We called again, and he returned, this time with a rented tiller from Home Depot. He had one of his men, who did not know how to use the tiller trying to use it. Behind him were 2 guys, hired from the work force, who did not even know how to use a rake, behind the fellow with the tiller. Finally Mr. Morgan took over the tiller.
The sod was like straw, and many pieces are dead, because it wasn't put down right. It cost $2500 for the sod. There were pieces left over from the job, but they were not anything that were usable.
Mr. Morgan has on his contract that there is a one year warrenty from the date on the invoice.
He has no equipment. No tractor, no backhoe. Just rakes. He said he contracted his jobs, because of the economy. How can you charge $4868 for a job with people of no experience?
Mr. Morgan was a sweet talking man. He would do anything you wanted, but would do it with professional expertist.
The sod was to be laid and cut in a way so that a walkway could be made, with access to gardens. The sod was not cut, but torn, The walkways were not cut evenly. Mr. Morgan was suppose to spray for poison oat in the back of the yard. That was 3 weeks ago, and we have not seen nor heard from him.
The weeds in the walkway, and anywhere else the soil was put down, if full of tall weeds. Because the ground under the sod was not treated, turned, leveled, or tilled, the weeds are coming up through the sod. Weeds, that have roots that spread, and are hard to put, and dollar weeds are all through the sod.
Mr. Morgan did not have money to pay his help, and asked me several times to pay part of the payment for his help. I thought he was an honet man in the beginning, but after seeing the help and what he had to offer, I know better now.
Any recourse you can provide me would be greatly appreciated. Mr. Morgan did not supply his license or insurance, and now that I think of it, f any of i help go hurt on the job, I would be responsible.
Sincerely
0 comments