Backyard Leisure LLC Fast talkers, do not deliver what they sale; bought inground pool and still have problems Raleigh North Carolina

On 9/19/15 we made a $1000 deposit to Backyard Leisure to survey our yard for an inground pool. On 10/2 Ryan Smith emailed me with an itemization of the pool package with pricing which we agreed upon.   Email stated they would be able to start construction early January 2016 with favorable weather. We made additional deposit of $5000 10/28/15 agreeing that they would start in January and we would make the remainder of the deposit on 1/4/16 of deposit $8725.30 which we did.

Continued to be told delays. Spoke with Ryan 1/28/16 and he said we were pushed out until March because they were working on two other pools.  They did not start until 3/28 when they delivered the backhoe. We questioned the workers and they said they did not work on inground pools in January or February; they had been installing hot tubs or above ground pools.

We met with Alberto and he said they would work on the shell and the grading of our yard for about two weeks so we thought we had time to order our money from my husband’s pension to make our next scheduled payment.

On the second day the workers cut our waterline and we were without water until line was repaired. When they dug up the ground for the pool they damaged our drainage piping. When they repaired it they didn't put it back in ground. Piping is still above the ground. The shell of the pool was installed in the ground.

Alberto asked my husband on 3/31 to pay $8458.20. We called Ryan and told him we had ordered our money but based on what Alberto told us we thought we had more time. It would take a week. Workers continued with the pool and put in the liner. The day they were supposed to put water in pool they walked off job. Money came in mail that day but workers would not return for another week. So, 4/11 we made $8458.20 payment. They returned on 4/19 so we made another payment of $8458.20. Workers started concrete around pool.

During May, I emailed Ryan about workmanship and problems we were having with mess workers were leaving in our yard. Concrete all over the yard and in the pool, and nails and screws in the yard. We were having to go behind them and tell them to fix something. I sent Ryan email with checklist of everything that was problem and how we wanted things to be fixed. We spent hours getting concrete/rocks/Styrofoam/nails out of pool and yard because workers would leave for days and not clean up behind themselves. I sent emails to Ryan that if they did not clean up mess and we had to clean it up I was going to start charging him.

They got concrete all in our yard.  We are still picking it up from our yard.   They also go concrete on our driveway. Alberto powerwashed our driveway but he took some of our driveway surface with it.

When pump was installed we were having problems with it. I read contract again and found out we only got a 1-speed pump; we were supposed to get 2-speed pump. We sent email on 5/31 and said if someone does not come fix pump we want it replaced. We contracted for 6 ribbon waterfalls and workers installed 4. Ryan said he would give $400 credit if they did not have to install other 2. Contract states 2 skimmers but the workers only installed 1.

We were told they would begin construction of the retaining wall the latter part of May.  After many frustrating phone calls and emails, they did not start until June and finished June 11 leaving rocks in the yard and concrete and debris in the pool. Wall is darker on one side than the other side. There are also areas in wall that rocks need more mortar. There is also a very large crack running down the top of the wall and it is only one month since they completed installation. 

Alberto said after the retaining wall was completed his crew would come back and smooth out the side walk cement that met up with wall. Never came back even though I continued to request it from Ryan.

We asked Ryan per contract to have arbitration to work out our differences many times. Last time in his office we were told the owner, Chris, had the discretion for arbitration and chose not to allow us to have it for our problems. Through all our frustrations we have had appointments broken, workers showing up when not expected, damage done to our property and yard, pool not completed as promised, 2 missing ribbon waterfalls, 1 missing skimmer, wrong pump installed and not working properly, exposed draining piping not buried, and delays causing problems with our other contractors, and many unnecessary 45 minute drives to Backyard Leisure because they will not pick up the phone.

We have balance of $1291.70. We feel with all that still needs to be done we do not want them back in our yard nor do we want concrete patio disturbed. We do not want jets or skimmer installed in concrete. We do want 2-speed pump per contract and we feel we do not owe balance because of all that has not been completed and the damage done, and all the cleanup that my husband and I had to do. For a 30 day project, it took over 85+ days and we still are not satisfied.