- Report: #605137
Complaint Review: Aly Haidar - Arcadia California
Reported By:
Sidney -
Pasadena, California, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Aly Haidar
150 North Santa Anita Ave. #300 Arcadia, 91006 California, United States of America
Phone:
6263581111
Web:
www.haidararchitect.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
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Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Aly Haidar Aly Haidar designed the plan that was not passed by the city and charged $15000 Arcadia, California
My case is about breach of contract, misrepresentation, and
fraud. Aly Haidar wanted to charge me
$500 to measure the land to build a third unit.
On 1/26/2007 Aly and his wife came to my brothers house and measured
the land. After measuring, he claimed
that we had enough land to build a three bedroom and two bathroom house (2000
feet) as I proposed. He stated if I paid
him $5,000 down payment of $15,000 on that day, he would waive $500 measuring
fee. He claimed that his plan would be
passed by the city. I signed the
contract with Aly to design a 2000 square feet home. On 2/2/2007 he gave me the plan of three bedroom
and two bathroom house and charged me another $5,000. He claimed that he went to the city and
talked to the city planner named Ariel and he claimed the plan would be
passed. On 2/20/2007 he gave me the plan
of two bedroom and one bathroom house and charged me another $5,000. He stated that he had to make the house
smaller because we did not have enough land.
Nevertheless, his second plan was not passed by the city. I received a letter from the city stating
that Alys plan did not comply with the city codes.
In March 2007 Aly, his attorney (Steven Golden), and I went
to the city to talk to the city planner who explained that we had to have 6
parking lots for 3 units, they must be enclosed with garage doors, and must not
be facing the street. Then Aly stated
that we did not have enough space in that case.
Aly handed me a plan with the variance.
The city planner stated that the application fee for the variance would
cost between $5000 and $7000 and theres no guarantee that I would get the
permit. The city planner stated that if
I built a 600 square feet home, he would reduce the parking lots to five from
six. Then Aly stated he did not want to
do it because he would not make money to build such a small house since the
foundation itself would cost $15,000.
Then Aly came up with an idea to build a second story
addition on the top of the existing two units.
He stated I owed him more money. On 3/31/2007 he charged me another
$5,000 in addition to $15,000 that he already charged me. I also paid the city for over $3,000 in
fee. During the meeting with the city
planner, Alys attorney Mr. Steven Golden sat quietly and had no saying. I asked Mr. Golden for opinion. He told me that I should not apply for the
variance because it would cost so much money.
He told me to go with Alys idea to build the second story
addition.
Alys plan for the second story addition was passed by the
city. He stated he would charge me and
my brother over $220,000 to build the second story addition. I took his plan to 6 contractors to bid for
the price. However, none of the
contractors could understand Alys plan due to lack of detail such as
demolition walls. Aly designed the plan
that only he could understand it. Some
contractors stated it was not practical to build the second story on top of the
existing house that was built in 1959.
Some contractors recommend demolishing the whole old unit if we went
with Alys plan.
I also took Alys first plan that he charged me $15,000 to
one contractor (Ruben Campo) and he stated that the plan was a joke because it
had no foundation and it did not comply with the codes.
My brother and I were not able to build the second story
addition because other contractors could not understand the plan. Some were willing to do with it, but they
would charge a lot of money since Alys plan was not practical.
Aly used irrelevant arguments such as we were not approved
for the loan, I did not apply for the variance, I knew from the beginning that
I was aware of the variance and city codes, and I misrepresented my brother as
the owner. However, one of these
arguments was true. First, my brother
and I were approved by the loan broker James Samaniego. I signed the contract with Aly to design three
bedroom and two bathroom home of 2000 square feet. I did not hire him for $15,000 to design the
variance of two bedroom and one bathroom home.
He promised me on the first day that I had enough land to build a third
unit and the plan would be passed. My
brother gave me the permission to run the business for him due to his language
barrier.
My wife, brother, other contractors will testify in
court. I spoke with other attorney and
contractors who stated that Aly Haidar was at fault because he was the licensed
architect and should know about the city codes.
It was not my business to know about the variance and city codes. No body hired the architect to design the
variance and it was not in my contract.
My case is still pending in court.
Thank you for your times.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Sidney
Pasadena,California,
USA
Retraction by the author of original report
#2Author of original report
Mon, January 16, 2012
I, SIDNEY CHOW, withdraw my complaint against Mr. Aly Haidar, as in the light of further developments it is clear that there were certain misunderstandings that occurred between Mr. Haidar and I which have been fully resolved. Had these misunderstandings been clarified at the time that I considered filing a formal complaint, I would not have filed the complaint. Mr. Haidar is a fine person, a reputable architect, honest, and fully capable in the manner in which he performs as an architect.
There was a misunderstanding over the fees that Mr. Haidar was charging and a misunderstanding as to what his full range of services would include for the fees that he was charging. Mr. Haidar did prepare and submit a set of plans reviewed by the Pasadena Planning Department which were returned by the Department with comments which I
interpreted as a rejection of the plan. I wanted a separate unit to be constructed on the property in addition to an existing unit. It was necessary due to the space limitations and visual requirements to apply for a variance in order to waive the restriction that garage doors cannot visible from the street. The property unfortunately had an easement that prevented the garage doors from being located at any other location on the property.
At a meeting at City Hall, it became clear that the attended expense of a variance request, which may or may not be approved, would be more costly than I had anticipated. I further discovered that a previous request for a variance
had been denied. I had assumed that Mr. Haidar was aware of what the expense of a variance request would be and that he had knowledge of the prior variance request that had been denied. This was a clear misunderstanding.
Mr. Haidar suggested that the original plan be revised, changing the scope of the project, which would mean that the construction would be above the existing unit, adding a second floor, for which he would charge an additional fee of
$5000 in addition to what he had already been paid. There was also a problem in obtaining a construction loan based upon what the value of the property would be in constructing a second floor of an existing unit as opposed to what the value of the property would be by constructing a separate unit.
It was my understanding that Mr. Haidar had full knowledge of the problems described in this letter and that he should have advised me before I paid him for his services. I now realize that he may not have had such knowledge and that is the root of the misunderstanding that occurred, all for which I am truly sorry.
It would be appreciated if my complaint against Aly Haidar be withdrawn or canceled and that no disciplinary action be taken against him.
Had I known all of the facts as stated herein, I would not have filed the complaint against Mr. Haidar. There should be no penalty or other action taken against Mr. Haidar. It is my wish that the letter of complaint that I wrote be withdrawn from his file and destroyed so that there will not appear any record of my complaint.
Sidney
Pasadena,California,
USA
Aly Haidar update
#3Author of original report
Tue, May 17, 2011
I, SIDNEY CHOW, withdraw my complaint against Mr. Aly Haidar, as in the light of further developments it is clear that there were certain misunderstandings that occurred between Mr. Haidar and I which have been fully resolved. Had these misunderstandings been clarified at the time that I considered filing a formal complaint, I would not have filed the complaint. Mr. Haidar is a fine person, a reputable architect,
honest, and fully capable in the manner in which he performs as an architect.
There was a misunderstanding over the fees that Mr. Haidar was charging and a misunderstanding as to what his full range of services would include for the fees that he was charging.
Mr. Haidar did prepare and submit a set of plans reviewed by the Pasadena Planning Department which were returned by the Department with comments which I interpreted as a rejection of the plan.
I wanted a separate unit to be constructed on the property in addition to an existing unit. It was necessary due to the space limitations and visual requirements to apply for a variance in order to waive the restriction that garage doors cannot visible from the street. The property unfortunately had an
easement that prevented the garage doors from being located at any other location on the property.
At a meeting at City Hall, it became clear that the attended expense of a variance request, which may or may not be approved, would be more costly than I had anticipated. I further discovered that a previous request for a variance had been denied. I had assumed that Mr. Haidar was aware of what the expense of a variance request would be and that he had knowledge of the prior variance request that had been denied. This was a clear misunderstanding.
Mr. Haidar suggested that the original plan be revised, changing the scope of the project, which would mean that the construction would be above the existing unit, adding a second floor, for which he would charge an additional fee of $5000 in addition to what he had already been paid. There was also a problem in obtaining a construction loan based upon what the value of the property would be in constructing a second floor of an existing unit as opposed to what the value of the property would be
by constructing a separate unit.
It was my understanding that Mr. Haidar had full knowledge of the problems described in this letter and that he should have advised me before I paid him for his services. I now realize that he may not have had such knowledge and that is the root of the misunderstanding that occurred, all for which I am truly sorry.
It would be appreciated if my complaint against Aly Haidar be withdrawn or canceled and that no disciplinary action be taken against him.
Had I known all of the facts as stated herein, I would not have filed the complaint against Mr. Haidar. There should be no penalty or other action taken against Mr. Haidar. It is my wish that the letter
of complaint that I wrote be withdrawn from his file and destroyed so that there will not appear any record of my complaint.
Sidney
Pasadena,California,
USA
I have settled with the architect.
#4Author of original report
Fri, April 15, 2011
I have settled the case with the architect. It was a misunderstanding.
