Complaint Review: Matt Williams dba Williams Landscape Designs - Internet

In June 2015, I was looking through a yardsale site on the internet and saw a post from a landscaping business.  It was a local business, claimed to be veteran owned, and the photos posted looked like work I would like to have done. 

I contacted Matt Williams dba Williams Landscape Designs (Changed name to get rid of bad reviews on facebook page under this name). AKA  Williams Landscapes Solutions.  He was very prompt, in fact said he was currently on my road and would be by in a few minutes to take a look at the job. 

He showed up with his "friend" who he said did the landscaping part of his business, that he (Matt) did the walls, walkways, grading, etc.  He seemed very nice.  I told him I was on a fixed income (SSDI) and that I needed the work done as reasonably as I could find.  

At the time I had a small "patio" of red pavers at the base of my back stairs to try and eliminate mud from my dogs. I was looking for a walkway with gravel and turf to be put in to minimize the mud.  Matt said he would call me the next day with a quote.  Which he did for $1100  materials and labor.  

I told him I was going to be out of town for the next week, and he suggested I give him a 50% deposit before I left and he would have all the work done by the time I returned.  He came to my home on 6/27 and picked up a check for $550.00. He gave me a receipt for the deposit and a copy of the quote.  I didn't push him to itemize anything as I trusted him. 

When I left on 6/30, I expected the work to be done when I returned on 7/2 as Matt said it was going to take a day maybe two to get the job done.  When I returned home on 7/2 the work was not done. 

I called him and he said the rain had pushed his schedule back and he would be out the next day.  He did not show.  I texted him the next day and he promised to be out later that week.  Several phone calls later and he promised to be out that week... on and on for a week.  

Then he showed up. Was here for 20 minutes (my petsitter was here), He texted me and asked if the back outlet was live and I said it wasn't working.  He left because he needed power (which had he gone to the door to ask the petsitter, she was told to let him run the power cord through the window to the outlet right above where the work needed to be done.)  Matt said he had already left.  I asked my sitter, and she said she saw him on the back porch looking at the outlet, but he never came to the door or rang the (obnoxious) door bell.  She also said he was here for about 15 minutes and then sat in his truck on the phone for about 10 minutes and then left. 

He had laid out about 40 feet of landscape fabric put 6 timbers (bad quality ones) on top of it, left a hammer on top of the fabric and a box of landscape nails on my fire pit.   He also removed some of my pavers at the base of my stairs and put them around the fire pit, but left without moving all the pavers around the pit (as per the quote and conversations) and instead left me with a large area that quickly turned to mud where I had NO MUD before because it was covered with timbers. 

I made several phone calls to Matt to try and get an idea of when he would be back. I had an electrician friend come out the very night Matt left to fix the outside outlet. I couldn't get an answer from him whenever I asked about when he was coming out --- that's because he left to go to the Florida Keys with this girlfriend.  I messaged Matt and asked him for a refund because the way he was doing this work was unacceptable and my brother also said it was very poorly handled and he would come and do the work. 

Matt said he promised to finish the job for the money I already paid. If I thought it was a good job, then I could pay him the balance, and if not then he would be fine letting the work be done for the 50% paid.  When I asked for a start date, again I received no answer. 

He did not answer texts, phone calls, or messages on facebook.  I googled his name and came up with some other people he had also taken money from for deposits or for trucks he sold them (taken deposits and never turned over the truck.) 

I sent him a text advising him that I felt he was committing fraud.  He was in Florida at this time and he said he didn't want my money and that " I would have it today if he was in town. "  Then began the texts and the phone calls to get the refund.  Weeks went by. He promised on two different occasions to bring the deposit to my house. 

In the meantime I had the walkway done, and yes, I did use some landscaping fabric, and some of the timbers he left behind.  The nails he left rusted in the rain all summer and the hammer is still here.  Instead of coming by when I said I would be home to bring my deposit back, he came when he knew I wasn't home to get his materials. 

I told Matt, the materials I used added up to $23 dollars -- retail... and he claimed to be getting the material wholesale. so he was welcome to deduct that from the deposit.  

I have to date not received the deposit, despite numerous texts, emails, phone calls and messages.