- Report: #1298794
Complaint Review: Luxury Outdoor Design - Hollywood Florida
Reported By:
michele -
fort lauderdale, Florida, USA
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Luxury Outdoor Design
2041 NW 61st Avenue Hollywood, 33024 Florida, USA
Phone:
954-274-9983
Web:
www.luxuryoutdoordesign.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Luxury Outdoor Design Robert Coggins, Outdoor Luxury Design, Luxury Pools Inc, Luxury Outdoor Design 3, VIP Construction Services Inc, European Sculptured Stone, Anthony Romano, Robert Anastasi Beware!! They will take more & more money and do less & less actual work. Do Not Hire these people! Hollywood Florida
Report Attachments
We met with Robert Coggins and signed a contract on April 1,2015. He quoted us a price of $28,500 for a pool with a Badu Jet and infinity edge. He asked for and received a deposit check for $4000 (which he cashed the same day). On April 20, he asked for and additional $1749.36. I was surprised that he was already asking for more money. When I questioned him as to why he needs more money already,he told me it was for permits and plans. When I asked why that money couldn't come from the $4000 deposit I had already paid him, he got belligerent and started ranting a bunch of gibberish about how the deposit has nothing to do with it, I was paying as you go according to him. I gave him the $1749.36. We did not hear from Robert again until June 8th. That's when he called me to tell me someone would be out to "layout" the pool (someone came out with some 2x2 wood & made a big pool shaped rectangle on the grass to indicate where they were going to dig). He also told me he needed another $4000.I questioned him why he needs more money now, we have not seen nor heard from anyone since April 20th and now he needs more? Roberts reply was that he was sending out excavators next week and they needed to be paid. I am still kicking myself, but I guess I was excited to hear that they were going to dig, so like an idiot,I gave him another $4000. June 22nd a few guys showed up to dig the pool. They dug about 4 feet and stopped because they discovered muck. They said that they weren't prepared for muck and could not continue because of it. We told him that Robert knew there was muck because it was clearly stated in the soil report that we had to pay a soil engineer $650 to do. We hand delivered that report to Roberts home back in April. Robert actually told me later that "he never reads the soil reports", that they were just for the City to get a permit. Really?? OMG the level of ineptitude and unprofessionalism of this guy, I just couldn't believe it.So supposedly, because of that, they had to fill in the hole until they could come back with the "right equipment" . I now think that this whole production was so that Robert could get another $4000 from us at that moment. I have since learned that the permits were not even approved at the time. Not only does the fact that he sent someone to dig before the permit was approved violate a state statute,But he also did not even APPLY for the permits until MAY 29th (that's 2 months after he cashed our deposit for $4000 AND 39 days after he cashed our check for $1749.36 for permits and plans) This also violates Florida Statute which states that if a contractor takes a deposit of more that 10% of the total price quoted for a project, that he must apply for permits within 30 days.In September, when they DID actually have someone come dig the hole (After permits were finally approved) the guy got his bulldozer stuck in the pit (which has plenty of ground water in it). The brokendown bulldozer sat in the pit for 10 days. They dragged it out of the pit & then left the broken down dozer in our yard until December 6th! In the interest of shortening a very long story with much aggravation, I will fast forward to January 19th, 2016. That is the day that we finally came to our senses and hired a lawyer to terminate his services due to breach of contract. Even though there was no actual date on the very shady contract that we signed, 10 months is not industry norm for the time it takes to build a pool (and we were still not even close). We now have a big muddy hole filled with ground water with wooden 2x2's caving into the hole(destroying yard and patio pavers which are caving into the hole more & more over time), Several huge piles of dirt(over 6ft high) that are taking up the remaining 3/4 of our yard and dying professionally landscaped trees due to the fact that they destroyed our in ground sprinkler system back in June without capping it off like any good contractor would have done, But then again, we have never met nor ever seen at our property during the entire 10 months of this process the general contractor (his name is Robert Anastasi, who actually works out of Lake Worth and seems to provide Robert Coggins more of a legal loophole by allowing him to run Luxury Outdoor Design using HIS GC license number while he(Robert Anastasi) never actually stepped foot on the job site). I have also since learned that the plans that were drawn up for our pool were NOT for an infinity edge at all.Also, the sub-contractor who Robert hired to dig this pool called me in January to let me know that Robert has not paid him for this job or the 4 other jobs that he has done for Luxury Outdoor Design.After we terminated LOD, we went down to the building department and spoke to an investigator, who agreed to look into criminal charges on our case.Not long after this,the sub-contractor informed me that he was finally paid. PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH on LOD BEFORE you decide to hire them. Public records (Broward,Palm Beach & Dade County court cases, Social media & the BBB ) are free and available for whomever chooses to look for them.
Report Attachments
2 Updates & Rebuttals
what is this craziness??
#2Author of original report
Wed, April 20, 2016
First of all, I'm talking about my horrible experience with Luxury Outdoor Design. Nowhere in the above report did I mention the word Veteran (drink much today?) I was never provided with invoices as whomever wrote this rebuttal stated( referring to Robert in the third person). I challenge you to provide invoices totaling $10,000 for a demuck. I have text messages from the Sub-Contractor that dug the hole which state that the checks Robert has provided as "proof of demuck costs" were actually for multiple jobs that he did for him, not just our job. IF the soil report was wrong, this is this first time I have heard of it. Perhaps I should notify the soil engineers to read this rebuttal so they can be aware that now you claim that its THEIR fault that it cost you $10,000 to demuck a hole. An experienced pool builder (as LOD claims to be) would know how to handle ground water when you dig a hole ( we do, afterall live in South Florida..hello?) Show me a (successful) pool company that takes 3 months to dig and demuck a hole. Thank you for your rebuttal. Anyone who reads it now has a nice affirmation of the kind of people we were dealing with.
Luxury OutDoor Design
PLANTATION,Florida,
USA
Customer spends half of what company spends
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, April 14, 2016
This customer makes multiple reviews under the same websites, in which goes against the websites terms amd agreements. They have made false claims about Robert veteran status. He is a honorable medical service connected discharge. The customer has attacked Robert and many several inocennent people in their rant. Basically, the company contracted to build a pool. Upon construction, muck was discovered and it cost more to remove. The soil report was wrong, there was suppoe to be water at 6 ft but it wa at 2ft, there was only supppose to be organic and not muck. Once, it was discovered. The company approach the customer and told of the situtation. The customer said they just could not afford, so the company decided to absorb the cost, this was a $10,000 cost. The company knew they could not afford the demuck, and knew this was a fomer veteran also. Ater the demuck, the customer made demands outside of the contract and and the industry standard. The job was stopped by the customer, because demands were not met. The customer paid almost $10,000 while the company has spent almost $20,000. The customer was provided all reciepts and checks numbers with dates cashed. Who really got "ripped off." Robert has gone thru several Swimming Pool Design schools and has been on HGTV. He has never used his Military status to gain. In fact, Robert had spent 8 monthss in a a military hospital. He has never ask for an increase in benifits and used his benifts 4 times in 34 years. He feels he can take care of himself and leave the benifits for the less fortuniate.
