Cogswell Construction Gabriel Cogswell Lazy, Lying, says he's depressed and can't sleep, Contractor from Hell ripped us off!!! Bethlehem Pennsylvania

 We hired this unprofessional contractor to remodel our bathroom after he had done some other minor plumbing for us. My husband and I both agree that he is a very good salesman and sold us a bill of used goods. He lies and is lazy and makes up the most outlandish tales to not complete a job you have ever heard.

He was to completely gut the bathroom and replace everything. During this time, we had to use (and stil do) our bathroom in our garage. There has been a heat wave and of course there is no air conditioner out there. The job was to start on 7/13/16 and be completed in 3 weeks. During the prior job, he called off sick one day, ten minutes after he was to be there, but we didn't think anything of it, but it should have been a red flag.

He called on the 11th and asked us to push the job to the Monday after the 13th as he had court on the 14th and 15th and he didn't want to demo our bathroom and leave it like that the whole weekend. We agreed, but later found out, court was postponed and he never called or came by to start early.

On the 18th, I waited and waited for him to show and called and texted and got no response, so I went to his home and saw all his vehicles there. The TV was on and so was his air. His dogs were barking at me, but no one came to the door. At this point, we had given him over $6250 down. I left him a note to refund our money or else and went back home. A few minutes after walking in the door, my work phone rang and it was him. He said, his Mom had an accident on Friday in AC and during the weekend he lost his phone. He just got back at 11:30 am and found a pen I gave him so was able to call my business phone. Does this internet not work in AC? Did his brother not have a phone? He said his brother picked him up and took him. This was probably a lie. He pleaded to let him have another chance, he would make it up to us.

I told him to get over to my house and get started. He said he had to go to another job and get his tools and get his help and he would be over in an hour. He texted me thirty minutes later saying he couldn't find his help and the day was a waste, could he just start tomorrow. I said, fine, but you better be at my home at 8am, or we are done.

The demo was to take 1-2 days, it took 5 due to a series of no shows, his help haveing emergencies and leaving or him not having help. It goes like this, 7/19, they were there 1 1/2 hours, helper had emergency, had to leave, he worked about 4 hours total, demo not done, 7/20, no helper, demo not done, worked about 4 hours, 7/21, no helper, demo not done, 7/21 demo not done. 7/22 after 3 hours late and not returning my calls finally calls and said could not find help and would be over, but no showed. We then had 3 scheduled days off. and he wes to work Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On 7/28, he was late and got some framing done, he worked 4 hours. On 7/30 he texted and said he needed the day off as he needed rest. What??? Rest, from working 11 hours all week?!!!8/1 texted me at 8/15 will be late, at 12:00 text he was coming, then he was a no show. 8/2, just a no show, with no communication. I threatned to have him arrested and he begged for a third chance.

8/5 late as he had a meeting which I knew about and he got another check from us which brought us to almost 13 grand. and that last check was to buy supplies. He was supposed to have already ordered the floor since it was special order and would take two weeks. I had repeatedly asked him about it and got some excuse. In the very beginning of this, he and I went to Home Depot and I showed him the Vinyl sheet flooring I wanted, but he never ordered it. He was also supposed to order a replacement toilet and that was never ordered. He finally told me he spent the money on his own bills! Even though he had things to buy for our job. Prior to this, I had ordered a few things and put them on our credit card and I took it off our last check and he wanted me to do that again, I said no way. I made him give me cash and then I did it since we had technically already paid for these items.

So, back to the saga of no shows. 8/9 Text at 8am, said will be here at 9:30, no show, won't return my calls or texts. At this point, I went and woke him up and fired him and told him I wanted a refund of $4000. He said he would bring it and pick up his stuff but that was too much money. I said you can get your stuff, when I get my refund and it is cashed. He told me that was illegal and I told him to call the cops and I would tell them about his fraud against me. Once again, he started calling me begging to finish the job. My husband just wanted the job done, so he let him continue even though I did not want to.

So, back he comes. 8/11 he worked 3 1/2 hours, 8/12 was to be here at 9 with his spakel expert and got here at 1 and promptly ordered a pizza. They worked 2 1/2 hours. They got the spackling done after 3 days. 8/18 put up shower walls, but never ordered the doors which take 2 weeks to come in. 8/19, no show, no calls, no text. On Monday said he had an emergency and wants to finish. He then texts back and had to finsih helping his Mom and would not come till Tuesday. Tuesday he has no help. Apparently, the spakle expert is also an expert laying a vinyl floor as he can't do it alone. My son did our Kitchen floor all by himself.

We need about $2000 worth of more materials to finish the job, plus to pay someone. I told him I was going to the Magistrate and he only wants to give us back $2000 or if he gives us the $5000 my husband asked for, to take all the supplies we have to finish the job.

I don't want anyone else, to hire this lazy lying contractor and have happen to them what is happening to us. I have a complaint filed with the AG's office against his license but that takes 2 to 3 weeks until they get in touch and it has been 2 and it has not been assigned an agent. Suing him will not get us our money and I think he knows that. I am so done with showering in our garage and brushing my teeth in the kitchen. This has been going on for 7 weeks.