Northwest Georgia Contracting, LLC Owner and General Contractor Andy Ledbetter Beware of Andy Ledbetter! Run don't walk and never let him build anything for you!stolen $38,369.18 from me Douglasville Georgia

BEWARE OF ANDY LEDBETTER! RUN, DON’T WALK & NEVER LET HIM BUILD ANYTHING FOR YOU! I WOULD NOT HIRE ANDY D LEDBETTER, OWNER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA CONTRACTING, LLC FOR DOG CATCHER.

THIS MAN STOLE $38,369.18 FROM ME.  I HIRED HIM TO DO AN 1100 SQ. FT. ADDITION ON MY HOME AND SIGED A CONTRACT ON 7-5-16 TO BE COMPLETED IN 90 DAYS AND BY NOV. 18^TH, 2016 THE STURCTURE STILL HAD NO ROOF.

I FIRED HIM FOR NON-PERFORMANCE, LACK OF OVERSIGHT, AND SHODDY WORKMANSHIP.  I HAVE DOCUCMENTATION FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT.

IT DETAILS PROBLEMS AND UNRESOLVED ISSUES WITH THIS CHARLATAN WHO WAS TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE, UNAVAILABLE, AND WITHOUT THE WHERE WITHAL TO MANAGE HIS CREW OF RAGTAG SO-CALLED CARPENTERS.

THE COUNTY INSPECTOR CAME OUT AND SAID THIS WORK WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION AND THAT I NEEDED TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL STURCTURAL ENGINEER TO INSPECT THE STRUCTURE.  THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FIRM THAT I HIRED AND COST ME $600 STATES THAT THE STRUCTURE IS UNSAFE, NOT TO CODE, AND THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS TO TEAR THE STRUCTURE DOWN TO THE GROUND.

THERE ARE SO MANY CODE VIOLATIONS THERE IS NO REPAIRING TO MAKE IT FIT FOR HABITATION.  ANDY LEDBETTER IS A CROOK.  I GAVE HIM MANY CHANCES TO MAKE IT RIGHT AND HE HAS JUST IGNORED ALL COMMUNICATIONS AND DEMANDS TO GET THIS PROJECT ON TRACK.

AT THIS POINT ANDY LEDBETTER NEEDS TO MAN UP AND BE THE CHRISTIAN HE PROFESSES TO BE AND RETURN THE MONEY HE OWES ME PLUS THE $40,000+ IT IS GOING TO COST TO TEAR DOWN THIS MONSTRACTIY ON THE BACK OF MY HOME AND RESTORE THE PROPERTY TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE.

I AM GOING TO DO MY BEST TO HAVE HIS LICENSE TAKEN AWAY BEFORE THIS IS OVER.  I DON’T KNOW HOW HE SLEEPS AT NIGHT OR LOOKS AT HIMSELF IN THE MIRROR. 

I HAVE INCLUDED THE LETTER THAT I WROTE TO ANDY LEDBETTER ON 11/17/16 AND SENT CERTIFIED/REGISTERED MAIL AND THROUGH THE REGULAR MAIL AND BY E-MAIL TO HIS HOME AND BUSINESS.  HE HAS NEVER REPLIED TO THIS LETTER WHICH WAS SENT 3 TIMES.

HERE IT IS:

DEAR ANDY,

THE PURPOSE OF THIS LETTER IS TO NOTIFY YOU THAT AS OF NOVEMBER1 5, 2016 I AM DISCONTINUING OUR CONTRACT, PER MY RIGHT IN THE CONTRACT DUE TO LACK OF PROGRESS, LACK OF SUPERVISION, AND POOR-QUALITY WORKMANSHIP.

THE NOTIFICATION IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 6, SECTION TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION, OF “THE CONTRACT WHICH STATES THAT ‘THE CONTRACT MAY BE TERMINATED BY THE OWNER OR THE CONTRACTOR AS PROVIDED IN ARITICLE 14 OF A1A DOCUMENT A201-1997”.

NO CREW SHOULD ATTEMPT TO COME ONTO THIS PROPERTY UPON RECEIPT OF THIS LETTER.  I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLAIN THE THREE MAIN POINTS RESULTING IN THIS DECISION.

FIRST, ARTICLE 3.3 OF THE CONTRACT STATES THAT ‘THE CONTRACTOR SHALL ACHIEVE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF THE ENTIRE WORK NOT LATER THAN 90 WORKING DAYS FROM THE COMMENCEMENT, OR AS FOLLOWS: (INSERT NUMBER OF CALENDAR DAYS…..).

THERE HAVE BEEN NO AMENDMENTS TO THIS POINT BY EITHER PARTY PRIOR TO MY REQUEST ON OCT. 15^TH.  IN MY LETTERS OF SEPTEMBER 28^TH AND OCT. 15^TH I HAVE EXPRESSED MY CONCERN WITH THE PROGRESS OF THIS CONSTRUCTION.

IN THE LAST 6 WEEKS, VERY LITTLE WORK HAS BEEN DONE AND NO ONE SHOWS UP REGULARLY AND MAKES PROGRESS AND I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU SUPERVISING THE PROJECT.  I HAVE GIVEN YOU 3 TIMES AS THE PROFESSIONAL TO GET THIS JOB BACK ON TRACK AND GET IT COMPLETED.

ON OCT. 15^TH I REQUESTED A TMELINE BE SUBMITTED BY OCT. 18^TH.  IT WAS RECEIVED ON NOV. 9^TH WITH A COMPLETION DATE NOT UNTIL JANUARY 20, 2017! THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTBABLE TO BE AN ADDITIONAL 90 DAYS LATE ON A 90-DAY PROJECT!

THIS MEANS THAT YOU MISSED YOUR OWN TIMELINE BY 100%.  I ALSO WORRY EVEN THIS TIMELINE IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AND I MUST MOVE FORWARD TO PROTECT MY HOME AND INVESTMENT.

SECONDLY, SUPERVISION/OVERSIGHT.  YOUR LACK OF SUPERVISION HAS LED TO A LACK OF PROGRESS. OVER THE COURSE OF THE WORK THERE HAVE BEEN 2 SITE MANAGERS, 3 DIFFERENT GROUPS OF WORKERS.

THE FIRST CREW WITH SITE MANAGER, TOBY, WAS A REVOLVING DOOR OF DIFFERENT DAY LABORERS TO WORK INCLUDING A MAN NAMED RICK.  AND YOU INDICATED THAT YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS. 

THIS REVELATION CLEARLY SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE NOT HAD ANY CONCERN FOR WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPEING ON THIS JOB.  AFTER THREATENING TO FIRE YOU THEN, I DEMANDED THAT TOBY BE FIRED FOR YOU TO CONTINUE WITH A COMMITMENT TO MORE FORWARD WITH MORE SKILLED WORKERS.

UNFORTUATELY, YOUR INABILITY TO BE AVIALBLE TO INSPECT AND/OR MANAGE THE PEOPLE YOU HIRED TO WORK HAVE CONVINCED ME THAT MY HOME ADDITION HAS NEVER BEEN A PRIORITY FOR YOU EVEN WITH THE LETTERS, CONVERSATIONS, AND MEETINGS I HELD TO GET THIS PROJECT COMPLETED.

THIRD, NON-PERFORMANCE/QUALITY OF WORK. YOU COMMITTED TO HAVE SOMEONE WORKING EVERY DAY FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT.  THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 7 TOTAL WEEKS WITH SOMEONE ON SITE. 

JULY 7^TH TO NOVEMBER 7^TH IS 4 MONTHS AND ADDING 1 MORE WEEK MAKES 17 WEEKS.  THIS MEANS THAT ONLY 7 OUT OF THE 17 WEEKS HAS WORK ACTUALLY-BEEN PERFORMED. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN DORMANT MORE THAN ACTIVE UNDER YOUR SUPERVISION!

ADDITIONALLY, MOST OF THE TIME THIS WAS WITHOUT A SITE MANAGER. COUPLED WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT DAY LABORERES WITHOUT CONSTANT SUPERVISION THE QUALITY OF WORK HAS BEEN GREATLY SACRIFICED.

THE LACK OF INTEGRITY WITH WHICH THIS CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN BUILT HAS RESULTED IN AN UNSOUND STRUCTURE. YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE PROMISES TO FIX MISTAKES AND/OR COMPLETE UNFINISHED WORK, YET YOU KEEP MOVING FORWARD WITH NEW PHASES LEAVING MISTAKES IN PLACE AND NOT CORRECTED.

YOU’VE KNOWN THIS HAS BEEN UNACCPTABLE TO ME AND HAS FORCED ME INTO THIS DECISION.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAD THE PAULDING COUNTY INSPECTOR OUT TO SEE THE QUALITY OF WORK COMPLETED BY NORTHWEST GEORGIA CONTRACTING.  HE IS REQUIRING THAT I HIRE A PE TO DO A HOME INSPECTION.

ADDITIONALLY, HE STATED THIS WORK WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION IN ITS CURRENT STATE, HAVING MANY CODE VIOLATIONS.  I WILL SHARE A COPY OF THE PE’S REPORT WITH THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES.

I EXPECT YOU TO COMPENSATE ME FOR ALL ADDITIONAL COSTS NEEDED TO ADDRESS POOR QUALITY AND NON-CODE COMPLIANT WORK.

ANDY, AGAIN I AM ASKING THAT YOU PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING;

1)     $-COST OF GRADING – WHAT DID YOU BID

2)     $-COST OF FOOTINGS

3)     $-COST OF FOUNDATION AND VENTS AND WATERPROOFING

4)     $-COST OF FRAMING AND SHEATHING TO DATE; INCLUDING FLOOR JOISTS, OUTSIDE BAND, OUTSIDE WALLS, AND 2 INTERIOR WALLS

5)     $COST OF SHEATHING

THESE COSTS MUST NOT REFLECT ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS INCURRED FOR REQUIRED REPLACEMENT MATERIALS YOU HAD TO PURCHASE DUE TO POOR CONSTRUCTION BY YOUR WORKERS. I ALSO EXPECT A FULL REFUND OF ALL PAYMENTS FROM ME TO YOU IN ACCESS OF COMPLETED CODE COMPLIANT WORK.

ARTICLE 5.1.4 STATES THAT ‘APPLICATION OF PAYMENTS SHALL BE BASED ON THE  MOST RECENT SCHEDULE OF VALUES SUBMITTED BY THE CONTRACTOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.’ FURTHER, THIS SCHEDULE IS TO BE SUPPORTED BY SUCH DATA TO SUBSTANTIATE ITS ACCURACY.

ANDY, IN GOOD FAITH AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT I PAID YOU THE SUM OF $38,369.58 AS THE FIRST DRAW FOR WORK TO BEGIN. I WANT AN ACCURATE AND ITEMIZED LISTING OF ALL YOUR EXPENSES TO DATE SUPPORTED WITH THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION TO RECONCILE THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION SO THAT A REIMBURSEMENT OF FUNDS CAN BE RETURNED TO ME.

I AM SO SORRY THAT IT HAS COME TO THIS, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE ONGOING ISSUES OF POOR QUALITY COUPLED WITH RIDICULOUSLY SLOW PROGRESS THAN PROMISED AND CONTRACTUALLY AGREED TO, I CANNOT CONTINUE WITH NWGC. EMPTY PROMISES NO LONGER MEAN MUCH. A RESOLUTION IS REQUIRED BY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23^RD, 2016 TO BRING THIS SITUATION TO A CLOSE.

I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT I CAN SET A DATE FOR YOUR RESPONSE AND THAT YOU WILL HONOR IT TO AVOID LEGAL ACTION IN THE FUTURE.  I PRAY THAT WE CAN WORK THROUGH THESE CURRENT SITUATIONS.

THIS LETTER IS ALSO BEING SENT BY REGISTERED, CERTIFIED MAIL AS WELL AS REGULAR MAIL. SINCERELY, ALAWISHES