McGowan Landscaping and Management Abusive, slow Clermont Florida
We started a lawn restoration project with McGowan Landscaping on October 28 assuming it would be complete by Thanksgiving. The provider began by spraying the lawn with weed killer to kill the grass. This happened fairly quickly and the grass was dead in weeks.
In the third week of November the provider began clearing sod and looking at the sprinkler system. He was unqualified or unable to fix the sprinkler system and we had to contract that work out separately at an unexpected additional cost of $450. The provider was told at the beginning of December that the sprinkler system was fixed and sod could be installed. Then he went on vacation. The sod was finally ordered and installed on December 20th. This was also the day we left town for a extended vacation, of which he was aware. We believed we would be able to send him a check when work was completed.
After the sod was complete, he took pictures and had our neighbors walk the property with him and we were happy that the work was complete. That is when things started to get a little crazy. He began calling our cell phones demanding immediate payment. We again explained that we were not in town but we would be able to overnight a check or initiate a paypal transaction immediately. He only would accept a cash payment and demanded we return to town to pay him. We chose not to do this. After dozens of calls in which he used foul language, threatened to lien our house, threatened to burn down our house, threatened to remove the in-place sod, threatened to go to our places of work and talk with our bosses, threatened to "hunt us down on vacation"and make our lives a living hell, we called an attorney to ask what we should do. We eventually sent a wire transfer at an additional cost of $75.
To summarize, he was abusive and aggressive and the project cost us approximately $500 more than expected.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
DavidPerron
Orlando,Florida,
USA
Rebuttal to rebuttal
#4Consumer Comment
Wed, September 09, 2015
Michael is correct in that we were not present to pay him the second he completed the work.
He is incorrect in that the work was completed as agreed, on time. But that is not the key issue.
Here is the relevant history:
Michael agreed to complete the work by some date.
Due to circumstances beyond the control of either of us, that date slid into mid-December of 2013. We were already committed to leave on vacation. Michael finished the work AFTER we had already left on vacation. We had communicated this to Michael, the night before, and committed to leave a check with our housesitter.
Once we had done that, however, we realized that we were placing our housesitter, a high school kid, in an untenable position. So when Michael completed the work, we told him we'd pay him via a means of his choice.
That is when things got ugly. Michael hounded us. He called us about 25 times, while we were en route to another state. He left numerous voicemails, which made liberal use of the f-bomb. While I was driving, he called my wife (I am quoting, here) "ugly *****". He was highly abusive; practically psychotic, on the telephone. Even after we (to shut him up; he was raving at this point) committed to pay him via Western Union, he continued to hound us until we had arrived at the place in our trip that we had told him we'd be stopping to make payment, at additional expense & inconvenience to us. And when we finally had, by direct transfer, paid him in order to keep this psychotic ******* from threatening us and our neighbors, he had no idea how to collect his payment from Western Union.
This, after having told him that we could pay him instantly via credit card (no can do) or the following Monday by check, via FedEx.
So, no, we cannot recommend Michael McGowan for any landscaping service. Not because he doesn't do good work, but because he's a raving lunatic that should not be in any kind of business where other people are involved.
Unhappy in Orlando
Orlando,Florida,
No payment?
#4Author of original report
Sun, December 22, 2013
Fact: Mike McGowan completed this job at 1:30 PM on 12/20 and had complete payment by 12/20 at 6:30 pm.
McGowan's Landscaping
minneola,Florida,
THIS IS 100% FALSE DAVID & LYDIA PERRON DID NOT PAY THEIR BILL ON TIME
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sun, December 22, 2013
To anyone and all, my name is Mike McGowan from McGowan's Landscaping & Management. I will first start off with this, I am all in favor of consumer advocacy and also our American right of freedom of speech. How ever the complaint both David Lydia Perron wrote is 100% false and I have all evidence via text messages, and emails to support what I am about to explain. I was commisioned to install sod at 5310 Hawford Cr, Orlando FL for David & Lydia Perron. I always spray to kill of existing weeds and turf to insure there is a clean surface before sodding. Some times two sprays are requried to insure 100% kill off.
Upon getting ready to order the sod after prepping the lawn, Dave told me he had a broken irrigation valve, I said let me bring one over to see if it would work, note this was free of charge to David & Lydia. I installed the valve then went to pressure test the irrigation but there was no electricity going to the clock. David & Lydia had an indoor clock on the outside of the house covered in suran wrap, this is a fire hazzard. I called David to inquire and he stated he had a Karate buddy who did irrigation repair. This delayed the project as you simply cannot lay sod without a water source.
I had a planned vacation to Savannah GA just for a few days, as soon as I returned we began work. My contract was signed on December 3rd, 2013. Anyone who would like a copy of this I will gladly furnish. The amount of the contract was for $1,350.00 with a deposit of $675.00 and the balance of $675.00. On December 19th, 2013 I called David to let him know the sod would be delivered on Friday December 20th, 2013. Dave notified my he was leaving Friday to Indiana. As per our signed contract terms and conditions Dave was to pay the balance of $675.00 upon completion of project. David Perron told me that the house sitter would have our payment after the house sitter inspected. I said that would be fine and your will have a beautiful install be lunch time Friday.
Upon our install, I knock on the door to meet with the alleged house sitter. No one answers the door, nor is there any note of check under the matt. I call David to inquire where the house sitter is as agreed the night before. David responds "I will be back on January 4th, 2014 almost 14 days later mind you and he will pay me when he gets back. I responded to David "as per our signed contract, payment is due upon completion." So in addition to not paying me on time, he also lied about having a house sitter there to inspect and make payment.
David & Lydia Perron stated I was being unproffessional and that I would be waiting a long time to get payed if their house was liened on. I emailed them back and stated to Lydia who signed the contract that no problem dont pay but I will be filing criminal charged against them for Theft by Deception, basically obtainment of goods and services with malicious intent not to pay or absound on the payment of such goods and services. In less than than one minute, I received a text saying they payed the $675.00 with Western Union.
In closing, I have an excellent reputation an A rating in fact in Florida. We provide a full range of services in the Landscape Construction industry. But it is unfourtunate the Perrons wanted to just leave without fullfilling their financial responsibility. They simply had no regard for the hard work we did and wanted to pay when the wanted to pay dispite a signed contract. They have slandered and committed liable with their rip off report. Anyone who wants the emails, text, contract signed, I wil be more than glad to furnish this. As for David & Lydia we will see you in court soon for slander and liable. Again I am all for consumer advocacy but have zero tolerance for false attacks on our company.