- Report: #894801
Complaint Review: J & L Homes/Lutz Construction - Albertville Minnesota
Reported By:
kathy -
minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
J & L Homes/Lutz Construction
4909 kama lane NE, Albertville, MN 55301 Albertville, 55301 Minnesota, United States of America
Phone:
763-497-8395
Web:
Categories:
Business Rating:
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J & L Homes/Lutz Construction Tornado water mitigation and remodel, add bathroom and attached garage Albertville, Minnesota
*REBUTTAL Individual responds: Please remove this ASAP
*Author of original report: Does attacking me make you feel better about your work?
*Author of original report: Notice of Contract Termination
*REBUTTAL Owner of company: this is a prime example
*Author of original report: The truth hurts doesn't it?
Jeff and Jim Litzau represented their company as a water extraction and remediation experts. They are not. They had no idea of the protocol of this process outlined and given to them by Techtron and Envirobate, two MN professional companies in the business of testing for and eraticating mold from a tornado water soaked house. As a reminder The Hartford insurance company put the following on their estimate as a reminder to them that this is what they were being paid to do.
1. Hepa vac all remaining building materials in the entire residence They did not
2. Apply disinfectant to all remaining building materials in entire residence They did not
3.Coat any stained trusses, studs or remaining building materials with anti-microbial coating. They did not, and refused to clean and treat basement floor
4.Scrub minor surface mold from the wall behind plants. In basement mold scrubbed off and left on floor along with a piece of sand paper
5.HVAC system decontamination. Furnace was vacuumed, ducts were wiped within 1 foot of openings
I added bathroom to the main floor and I attached the garage to the house with stairs to the basement. Jim Litzau told me I could have the bathroom anyway I wanted as well as the garage, and an architect was going to assist and prepare the drawings for the building permit.
That did not happen. The architect draw the exterior of the garage. The bathroom was framed by Jim as a 4 x 6 room of which he did not consult me in the least. And Jeff decided where the stairs were to go in the garage with no windows or doors beside the overhead garage door.
The bathroom has a 42" neo shower pan, I asked for 48".
The shower has framed glass panels and door. At Menards I showed Jim frameless glass panels & door.
The vanity, bowls, faucets, and mirror I picked out are $1500 on line, and I asked Jim to order this.
He did not. There is no vanity, sinks, mirrors in master bath.
He says he allows $300 for vanity, that is news to me, had he told me this he would have never gotten this job. Jim Litzau told me what ever I wanted he would put in. That did not happen.
I could go on and on, but the point I am trying to make is this:
I gave them the work, because they were going to do all of these things I wanted in my house, of which I was to pay $27,000 of my own money.
I could have gone with another contractor who would have given me a 10% discount on all work.
But, I went with Litzau, because a 10% discount did not seem realistic, and I did not want an shoddy workmanship.
What I got was lies (many, and Jim Litzau should not lie, because he can't remember his own made up stories), I got cheated (Litzau promised R60 over the insurance companies R44 in the attic, I got an average of 13 inches of blown in fiberglass R30; I told them I wanted to store things in the new garage attic - they used split trusses where no weight can be placed on them, my contract states 36" doors in master bedroom - bath, closet, entry - they used 32"), and I got thievery, (they want money for work my son and I did on the house - all electric, 2 bath room floors tiled, 1 shower tiled, and they want money for work they did not do, finish, screwed up i.e. basement floor, damaged kitchen & bath cabinetry, vinyl & metal siding bulges on front of house, front egress pit installed off level, exterior caulk missing, damaged drive way, no storm doors, cut CAT-5 Cable in wall, no ridge vent on garage, did not order egress window to match windows across front of house, refused to get architect to draw new bath, chipped bath tub, lost tub faucet, chipped bath mirror, lost shower rod, broke toilet, installed toilet water inlet on white molding.
The insurance company allowed $3,500 for oak floors, they are claiming $9,500. And the flooring people did a crappy job - corners no stain, wavey sanding, areas of stain not wiped and blotchy.
They call the Hartford and US Bank daily for money. They have been paid over $75,000. And the bank tells me that unless they make things right to my satisfaction DO NOT GIVE THEM OR SIGN OFF ON ANY MORE $$$$ FOR THEM.
Unprofessional, greedy, overpriced, lazy, adolescentine, disrespectful, deceiptfull, lying bullies!
1. Hepa vac all remaining building materials in the entire residence They did not
2. Apply disinfectant to all remaining building materials in entire residence They did not
3.Coat any stained trusses, studs or remaining building materials with anti-microbial coating. They did not, and refused to clean and treat basement floor
4.Scrub minor surface mold from the wall behind plants. In basement mold scrubbed off and left on floor along with a piece of sand paper
5.HVAC system decontamination. Furnace was vacuumed, ducts were wiped within 1 foot of openings
I added bathroom to the main floor and I attached the garage to the house with stairs to the basement. Jim Litzau told me I could have the bathroom anyway I wanted as well as the garage, and an architect was going to assist and prepare the drawings for the building permit.
That did not happen. The architect draw the exterior of the garage. The bathroom was framed by Jim as a 4 x 6 room of which he did not consult me in the least. And Jeff decided where the stairs were to go in the garage with no windows or doors beside the overhead garage door.
The bathroom has a 42" neo shower pan, I asked for 48".
The shower has framed glass panels and door. At Menards I showed Jim frameless glass panels & door.
The vanity, bowls, faucets, and mirror I picked out are $1500 on line, and I asked Jim to order this.
He did not. There is no vanity, sinks, mirrors in master bath.
He says he allows $300 for vanity, that is news to me, had he told me this he would have never gotten this job. Jim Litzau told me what ever I wanted he would put in. That did not happen.
I could go on and on, but the point I am trying to make is this:
I gave them the work, because they were going to do all of these things I wanted in my house, of which I was to pay $27,000 of my own money.
I could have gone with another contractor who would have given me a 10% discount on all work.
But, I went with Litzau, because a 10% discount did not seem realistic, and I did not want an shoddy workmanship.
What I got was lies (many, and Jim Litzau should not lie, because he can't remember his own made up stories), I got cheated (Litzau promised R60 over the insurance companies R44 in the attic, I got an average of 13 inches of blown in fiberglass R30; I told them I wanted to store things in the new garage attic - they used split trusses where no weight can be placed on them, my contract states 36" doors in master bedroom - bath, closet, entry - they used 32"), and I got thievery, (they want money for work my son and I did on the house - all electric, 2 bath room floors tiled, 1 shower tiled, and they want money for work they did not do, finish, screwed up i.e. basement floor, damaged kitchen & bath cabinetry, vinyl & metal siding bulges on front of house, front egress pit installed off level, exterior caulk missing, damaged drive way, no storm doors, cut CAT-5 Cable in wall, no ridge vent on garage, did not order egress window to match windows across front of house, refused to get architect to draw new bath, chipped bath tub, lost tub faucet, chipped bath mirror, lost shower rod, broke toilet, installed toilet water inlet on white molding.
The insurance company allowed $3,500 for oak floors, they are claiming $9,500. And the flooring people did a crappy job - corners no stain, wavey sanding, areas of stain not wiped and blotchy.
They call the Hartford and US Bank daily for money. They have been paid over $75,000. And the bank tells me that unless they make things right to my satisfaction DO NOT GIVE THEM OR SIGN OFF ON ANY MORE $$$$ FOR THEM.
Unprofessional, greedy, overpriced, lazy, adolescentine, disrespectful, deceiptfull, lying bullies!
5 Updates & Rebuttals
kathy
minneapolis,Minnesota,
United States of America
The truth hurts doesn't it?
#2Author of original report
Mon, September 03, 2012
The contractor doth protest too much.
I will post pictures of your workmanship or lack thereof.
Jim Litzau
buffalo,Minnesota,
United States of America
this is a prime example
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Mon, September 03, 2012
She states we won't finish repairs but she won't respond to calls or emails. She's just trying to get out of all the money she owes us. Does anybody with half a brain think that writing this letter will get you out of a contact? No chance, we've tried being reasonable, tried to accommodate her unusual requests, tried to avoid taking it to court but I guess we'll have no other choice. What she doesn't realize is she has very little chance of winning in court. Court will cost her more money. After we are done with court I will provide update as these comments are a joke and I really don't understand how this site can publish stuff that is defaming and doesn't require any proof whatsoever.
kathy
minneapolis,Minnesota,
United States of America
Notice of Contract Termination
#4Author of original report
Mon, September 03, 2012
This is how you put an end to a subpar contractor relationship.
NOTICE OF CONTRACT TERMINATION sent registered US Mail to:
J L Homes Lutz Construction, Lic. #2966
4909 Kama Lane NE
Albertville, MN 55301
Phone # 763-227-9697
Jeff Litzau,
I am terminating our contract for the following reasons.
You refused to complete the work specified in our contract.
You refused to complete the work specified in my insurance adjusters estimate.
You cheated on insurance paid repairs to my home, by not providing insurance specified materials and labor in quantity and quality.
You asked me to lie to my bank and insurance company that you performed 100% of the work, and that your work was complete and satisfactory, when none of that is true.
The work you performed on my house, you did poorly, which you refused to repair and make right.
You damaged my house and my personal property in the process, again costing me.
I provided you with pictures, and you refused to repair damages you caused, repair your workmanship, and complete unfinished work.
You took from me an additional $1800 for a vanity, you never intended to purchase and install.
You received full payment for the quantity and quality of work you performed. I owe you no money.
kathy
minneapolis,Minnesota,
United States of America
Does attacking me make you feel better about your work?
#5Author of original report
Mon, August 20, 2012
Address my complaint line by line, please.
I sent pictures to the bank, and Minneapolis building inspectors of your shoddy workmanship, and they reaffirm not to pay you one more penny. They tell me to charge you for the damages you caused to my house and property. I am in the process of getting those estimates. The bank said your money management, business management, and personal communication skills are not my problem, nor theirs. You wrote the contract we have, and you intentionally did not fulfill your part of the agreement. You will not be paid for work you did not perform. I can post pictures of your workmanship on the net, if that will help you assess your business and work ethic.
I wrote this report to protect other consumers from this company.
Jim Litzau
buffalo,Minnesota,
United States of America
Please remove this ASAP
#6REBUTTAL Individual responds
Tue, July 03, 2012
We are a reputable company who's been in business since 1983. We've never had a BBB complaint and do everything possible to make our customers happy. We bent over backwards for Kathy Stolte and her son David. We were the fourth contractor she had hired to fix the damage to her home. Every inspector and insurance official has been very pleased with the progress on the home, it looks amazing. She is clinically insane, I have hundreds of emails from her to prove this. She changed things after they were done and expected to not have to pay for the changes. The insurance adjuster warned us before dealing with her as did the independent adjuster she hired on her own. Her son David told us how crazy she was on numerous occasions. Words can't describe the levels of insanity this lady dives to. She is doing everything in her power to get out of paying the over $40,000 she still owes us. Throughout the process I got phone calls ranging from 10pm up until 3,4,and 5 in the morning. Getting woken up to hear her ideas about how the insurance company is screwing her over and what she wants to change for the fifth time may make you a little cranky. I would really appreciate this be removed, I'm already looking into pressing slander charges against Kathy Stolte and this is only making matters worse. Thank you so much if you'd like I can send the supporting emails to my claims, and/or photo's of the work we did on the home.
