Complaint Review: LMP Homes Leo Proctor

As an out of state person in Midland TX,  needing diagnosis and repair of kitchen faucet, i asked a neighbor for referral.  He told me that this man treated him fairly and gave me the phone number.

When  I called, Leo Proctor said that 'his man' would come on Monday morning.  When no one showed up, I called him.  He told me that his man could not find the location and gave me the number for 'Tim'.  i called Tim and explained how to find the house.

On Tuesday, Tim and a helper showed up about 10am.  He said that the faucet was plugged with dirty water.  The water for the house comes from a huge tank, which must be filled by hauled water.  The faucet that was on there, plugged, was new and installed 7 months ago, was working with clear water that had been pumped into the tank from a commercial source in September 2012. 

The house had been occupied since Oct 1, 2012 by tenants, who had brought water from a different souce.  The water had a noticeable discoloration, when poured into a white cup.

Tim told me that he could get a faucet as he ran his errands and come by later in the day, not going out of his way, to install it.   Believing that the bill would be fair, I told him OK. 

Instead, Tim and his helper arrived in less than one hour, telling me that they had gone directly to the supply house to get the faucet.  After installation, I asked Tim for the bill.   He said that I would have to discuss it with Leo Proctor.   He then called someone on the phone.  When the call ended, he said that he had spoken with Leo Proctor, who told him that the bill would be $200 labor plus the cost of the faucet, about $35.00.

i told him that I would speak with Mr Proctor.   I called Mr Proctor, who quoted me a price of $235.55.  I told him that seemed expensive.  He told me that it was $200 labor and the cost of the faucet.  i was not happy but asked him if I could give him my credit card number.  He said no, but he would take a check.  i told him that I need a bill in writing.  He took down my mailing address in my home state and i wrote down his address to mail the payment. 

I arrived at home on May 8, 2013 but there was no bill in my mailbox.  i called Mr Proctor and discussed it with him.  I asked him if Tim had told him that the faucet was damaged by the bad water.  He said yes and said that he would send another bill, since the one that he had sent did not mention the bad water. 

So, I waited for the bill.  It has not come yet.  Mr Proctor called me several times, calling me a liar for not paying him and threatened to file charges in court and file a mechanic's lien against the property.  It would have been a hardship for me to go back there to go to court, so i sent him a cashier's check for the payment.  He has not sent the bill.

i filed a complaint with BBB in Midland, TX for his not giving me the paperwork.  He called to tell me that he received the letter and that he was going to report me to the health department for providing dirty water.  Of course, that did not matter to me, since the responsibility was with the tenant by written contract.    But he has not sent a letter to BBB.

i have spoken to the licensing board for plumbing contractors in TX, and have been told that he can be prosecuted if it is proven that he is doing plumbing without a license.  i will have to file a complaint form with them and they will send an investigator who will watch his activities to see if there is violation and take action according to their collected information. 

I have called him several times, asking that he send me a written statement for my records.  i really want to have a record of the reason for the payment, so that no one will think that i am just giving the money to someone with no real reason, maybe getting kickbacks or something.