After reading all the complaints, I am sorry to say i think I can top them all. Back in December 2005 my family signed a contract with and paid a deposit of $19,200.00 to United Builders for a three story addition which would be started in early spring of 2006 and finished by the end of May 2006. An additional payment of $36,000.00+ was payed after the building permit was obtained.
I called the office all summer long to see when they would break ground. Poor Adria, who is told what to say by her boss Mike Sciubba, said Mike would not start the project until the kitchen, floors, and plumbing supplies were picked out and ordered. No one told me to do this nor gave me the information as to who and where the suppliers were.
Adria provided me with names and numbers and like a nut I ran around for two weeks picking out the necessary items so as not to hold up the process. This was the end of June, the beginning of July. Needless to say they didn't dig the basement until August 23 and worked a total of eleven (11) days in two months.
There was excuse after excuse as to why the work was not progressing. Then Mike wanted more money even though he hadn't completed the work per the contract. Finally we called a meeting with Mike, Bob and our family to see if we could resolve the problem.
Mikes story was that he wasn't aware our job was delayed nor how much money we had given him. After setting him straight, he proceeded with his sob story about his brother who had ripped him off and alluded to personal problems, but promised us the job would be done.
We agreed to pay him the next installment of approximately $58,000.00 which would take us up to the siding, roofing, windows and the rough plumbing and electrical inspection. The plumbing and electrical was done, the windows were installed and we did obtain the plumbing inspection.
The electrical failed because the building wasn't water tight, the siding and roof hadn't been done. In the meantime he had my son sign another agreement whereby he stated the project would be completed by January 31, 2007.
Sometime in January he contacted us and admitted he was broke and could not continue the work unless we gave him more money. Now we had to hear his second sob story about how he was going through a divorce and his wife had his assets tied up. As we were paid in advance but wanted the work done we told him we would pay for material and labor direct.
He agreed to this but then called me and said he couldn't run his business this way, that he had to have operating money for payroll, etc. and needed $20,000.00. We refused. He continued to call my son who finally agreed to give him $7,500.00 for the siding and roofing after Mike agreed to give us receipts for the items he purchased and the labor costs.
The roofing was completed and the siding went on and he picked up another check for $8,200.00. He then had to install the basement windows, call for an electrical inspection, have the dumpster emptied and provide us with receipts. This has not been done. He did provide us with the name of a heating and air conditioning contractor who did install the HVAC system and we paid direct. Mike had a fit. He wanted to
add to the bill before we paid.
On Tuesday night, Feb. 20, he promised me the basement windows would be installed and the electrical inspection obtained. I never heard from him until Thursday March 1. Again I had to listen to his sob story about his divorce, his wife, and the fact that he didn't have money. He also stated he couldn't work in a piece meal fashion.
I reminded him about his promise to have the the windows installed and the electrical inspection. His words to me were, "Yes I could have sent men to do the work but I sent them on another job where I could make a profit instead of sending them to you". After reminding him we had paid for this work twice he had the audacity to repeat the same thing. To date I have not heard from him after stating he would get no more money from us until he completed the work we paid for. I told him the ball was in his court.
It has come to our attention that most, if not all of the sub contractors, have not been paid, materials have not been paid for and the dumster company has closed out his account for non payment. We had to call them ourselves to try and have the dumpster removed from the property. Also, the check to Lumberton Township for the permit bounced.
Though all of this Bob and Adria have tried to help as much as they can. They are only employees and are as much a victim as any of us that have bee ripped off. They have been told and manipulated into repeating lies, ordered to pick up deposits with the understanding the work would be done. All this while he, Mike, withholds their pay.
We have come to realize he has no intention of completing this job, only to take peoples money. I will report this to Consumer Affairs and file the necessary papers with the court.
This man must be stopped before more innocent and trusting people are bilked out of their hard earned money.
Sharyn
Hainesport, New Jersey
U.S.A.