Complaint Review: FANTASIA HOME IMPROVEMENT - JOHN C TRIMPIN AND JAN CONTRACTING CORP A/K/A NICK GERARDI

I have been a victim of a Home Improvement Contractor, who has $47,650 of my hard earned money since December of 2006 and refuses to refund my money.

Here is my story, I am a divorced mom who has worked very hard to realize the American Dream and purchased a home for me and my daughter to live in. I have done this all on my own. My ex-husband is and has been a deadbeat Dad. He has not lived with us since my daughter was 3 years old. My daughter is going to be19 years old in December.

In the past year I had health issues, where I was having trouble breathing. I have had asthma since my early 20s but this past year I was also diagnosed with GERDs as well as Sleep Apnea (I stop breathing 90 times an hour for 15 second intervals).

So I decided to try and make my house healthier. I have a small house that the crawl space has sand (dirt). There is always a lot of dust.

I wanted to put a second story addition onto my house, so that the bedrooms would be upstairs.

My first step was to go to the Better Business website, I put in the search engine for contractors. A website popped up www.ServiceMagic.com.

I filled out the information and stated that I was looking to build a second story addition to my home. It came up with 5 contractors.

One of the contractors was Fantasia Home Improvement LLC, the owner John Trimpin I called and set up an appointment for him to come on November 26, 2006. The site gave Fantasia Home Improvement LLC a 5 star rating, which is the highest.

When he came to my house Mr. Trimpin told me that he built modular extensions. I told him of my health issues and that I was actually going into the hospital that night to stay over for more tests for my breathing problem. He said that this would be the perfect situation for me as the construction is done mostly offsite and that when it is brought to my house it would be 10 days from start to finish. There would be a lot less dust and mess.

Mr. Trimpin told me that it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $70,000 - $85,000. Mr. Trimpin told me that if I was interested and I came up with the money within the next couple of weeks that the project would be completed by March and the latest April of 2007. This seemed ideal to me and my situation.

At this point Mr. Trimpin gave me addresses in Bellmore, on Fenimore Street and told me to go and take a look at the houses that he had done. After he left I took a ride and saw the houses they were beautiful.

At this point I went looking to refinance my home. I refinanced my home, and called Mr. Trimpin.

He came to my home on December 21, 2006 and Mr. Trimpin stated that he could not put an actual date of when it would be performed but he still stated verbally that it would be done in March, April 2007 the latest. But because of unforeseen circumstances, such as weather he could not put an actual start date. The contract stated Time being of the Essence which means in the consumers favor.

The project ended up being $87,500.00 plus $3,900.00 totaling $91,400.00. The $3,900.00 was for the Architect, plans and surveys and permits, according to Mr. Trimpin. At the signing of the contract I gave Mr. Trimpin a check for $3,900.00 payable to Fantasia Home Improvements LLC. Mr. Trimpin at this point told me that his architect (EB) would need to draw up the plans.

In early January 2007, John called and said he was going to stop by with his foreman Nick to take a look at the house. Nick pulled up in his own SUV and John introduced us as Karen this is Nick. They looked at the house and left.

Architect (EB) came in early January 2007 and did the plans. On January 21, 2007 John Trimpin came with the plans and I signed the plans and gave Mr. Trimpin another check in the amount of $15,000. I was told at this time that the time frame for my house to be completed would be 6 to 9 weeks before they started to actually build the Modular.

On February 23, 2007 Mr. John Trimpin came to my home and I gave him a check made payable to Fantasia Home Improvements LLC for the remaining portion needed to build the modular which was $28,750.00.

John Trimpin at this point told me that he was going to be at the Suffolk County College Home Improvement Show and that I should stop by and visit him and at that time he would give me samples to pick out for the modular, such as carpeting, cabinet (bathroom vanity). He told me that he would be at his partners booth JAN Contracting Corp.

I went to the Home Show and Mr. Trimpin was the only person behind JAN Contracting Corp.s booth. The houses that he sent us to were on the backdrop. He told me when I was finished walking around to meet up with him and he would give me the samples.

After getting a run around from John Trimpin for many months I called the factory in July 2007 to find out about the Modular, was told by APEX Homes, Inc. Long Island Representative Jim Ross that they did not know who John Trimpin was that they were dealing with Nick Gerardi of JAN Contracting and that the delay was due to the plans by EB (Architect) and that after repeated telephone calls and voice mail messages they heard nothing from him. He informed me that my house could not hold the load.

Later I found out the EB (Architect) was not licensed as an Architect with the State of New York. I have over 100 emails going back and forth between John Trimpin, myself, Nick Gerardi (JAN Contracting) and EB (Architect).

Where I was informed by John Trimpin as early as April that the plans are stamped and all is in the hands of the builder. In July 2007 I reported John Trimpin to Service Magic, after their review they found that I was a victim and I received a $500 Service Guarantee from them, the highest amount that they give.

On September 29, 2007 a friend was working at the Bellmore Street Fair and called me to come down that JAN Contracting was there. At this point I went to the fair and I spoke to Nick and his wife, they stated to me that they had the permits from the Town of Babylon and now I needed to come up with the money and the modular would be built on my house in the next couple of weeks. I was taken aback. I said to him you have the money for the modular. I already paid $47,650.00 and he said he did not receive the $47,650.

At this point I said to him. I was first introduced to you by John Trimpin as his foreman. Next I was told that you were partners. I pointed to the pictures of the houses that John Trimpin had sent me to see on Fenimore Street in Bellmore and said those are the houses that John had built. Nick said John Trimpin had nothing to do with those houses.

In fact John Trimpin has never done a modular. In fact one of the houses was his house, he pointed to a lady at the next booth and said that is her house and the other is another neighbor of mine.

He was upset that John represented to me that John Trimpin was his partner.

As of right now they have $47,650.00 of my money. Besides the above, this past year has been very stressful with my family, as our lives have been basically been put on hold.

As John Trimpin always told me that it would be done shortly, I have not been able to take any vacation time, my daughter had her High School Graduation and I could not plan a graduation party and my daughter had her Senior Prom (the house was in disarray, as over half of it has been packed up in preparation for the construction).

Mr. Trimpin has caused a lot of emotional distress to me and my family, due to his lies. I have also been contacted by another couple, Gary G of Brentwood who have also been a victim of John Trimpin. You can contact them to learn more about the heart wrenching story and the pain and suffering that they have endured also this past year, because of John Trimpin.

We have both filed complaints with Consumer Affairs and also have contacted the Suffolk County DAs office, as well as I have contacted every Government Official that I can find as well as I have written to all media channels.

Mr. Trimpin is not willing to give back all of the money. He has done absolutely nothing to my house.

He stated to me that he paid EB(Architect) $3,900.00 and I have proof from EB that he only received $1,152.00.

Also Mr. Trimpin has moved and refused to give his new address. Gary G had to pay a service to find Mr. Trimpins address.

I can not afford to lose this money, it would be a great hardship on me and my family. I know that Gary Gs family will also be greatly harmed if they do not get back the money that they have given to Mr. Trimpin and it would be a hardship on their family.

Please help us to expose Mr. Trimpin for the thief that he is and help us get our money back. I have many pages of documented proof that prove the deception and lies that have been told to me.

Karen v
West Babylon, New York
U.S.A.