GREG CHRISTI Greg's Handyman Rescue, GDC Enterprises, Underground Performance, GHM Rescue wronged me in many ways. He spent money owed to me, wrote FOUR BAD CHECKS, FAILED to FULFILL CONTRACT, STALLED in giving my money back, THREATENED me if I told others of problem, proved to be DISHONE Long Beach, California

I had a very unfortunate and distressing experience with Greg Christi when I hired him to build me a backyard shed.

The problems started on January 12th 2010, when Greg was accidentally paid TWICE the down payment for the project.  We had thought the first check I had written him would not go thru so, to *help him out* and to make sure he got the money he needed to buy the materials needed to start the project, I made a special trip to the bank to pull out $4,983.00 CASH for him.  I did this because I like to be fair-minded and helpful to who ever I hire. 

The check ended up going thru but I, and the bank, didn't know it because they were switching over from Wamu to Chase and their computer systems were lagging a few days behind.  The next day I saw my bank account and panicked.  $4,983.00 had been taken out TWICE accidentally, both transactions going to Greg.

I called Greg the next day and he assured me things were going to be fine and cleared up in a few days.  He made some calls and he seemed very sincere in doing the right thing.  I felt confident that this was a minor snafu and that I'd get my money back soon.  Little did I know, things would not be OK, and that there would be a lot to worry about for a long time.

At the end of January, this problem was still new and I had lots of hope I'd get my money back soon. I BEGGED him to give it back SOON as my MONTHLY BILLS were coming in. I PLEADED with him in at least two phone calls that I NEED MY MONEY NOW.  He let me think that at any moment he'd come thru only to not come thru at all. I was on my own for January and had to scramble to take care of my bills.  It didn't matter to him the INCONVENIENCE,  WORRY and ANXIETY this created for me.  It didn't seem to matter to him at all.

This was to happen over and over again. Greg would let me think he'd come thru and I'd be let down again. 

I did not see ANY of my overpayment until more than a MONTH and a HALF LATER.  I didn't get the rest of the overpayment until more than TWO and HALF months later.

And I had to work VERY HARD for him to give me anything.  He did not do this on his own.  It was ONLY when I called him and told him how he broke the law did he give me ANY money back.

During this period, he wrote me FOUR BAD CHECKS.

He gave me all kinds of EXCUSES and DISTRACTIONS to STALL giving me back my money in a timely manner. The first months his excuse was that he was busy working 12 hour days for the Academy Awards and didn't have time.  I live one block away from him. He could have easily come by and dropped off a payment.

He'd often promise to call me back to tell me when he'd be able to pay me and then not call back at all. This happened several times.

He'd call with often unintelligible messages about his accounts and moving money around.  Half the time I didn't understand what he was trying to say, I just wanted to know when I'd get paid.  My money was deposited into his account...why wasn't it there?  Greg obviously did something with my money and that is why he could not pay me back.

At one point he wrote me a VERY THREATENING letter trying to intimidate me from taking action to get my money back.  He used phrases such as "you don't want to open that door" and "life is too short".

I am a small woman, Greg is a large man but I REFUSE to be intimidated by him.  Not only for myself but for everyone else who has been wronged and lied to.  It was TOTALLY WRONG for him to try to INTIMIDATE me from EXERCISING MY RIGHTS. I don't know if he broke a law in intimidating me but I am going to find out.  It was a sickening thing for him to do, trying to scare me.  He should have just given me back my money instead of putting energy into trying to scare me.   

A some point during this whole debacle, Greg decided he was not going to build my shed at all. That means he would owe me the other $4,983.00.

I maintained, even with all that I went thru with him, I still wanted my shed.  I was never going to say "no" to the shed because a) I really wanted it and b) I knew that might be the only way I was going to get my money back.  I knew that if I had cancelled the contract, Greg would use it as an excuse to not give me back my money blaming me for breaking the contract.  Even though I knew the courts would support me in saying "no" because of his not giving my overpayment back in a timely fashion and him not even starting on the project at all, I was not going to say "no" and I meant it.  I wanted the shed the whole time.

But Greg decided to LIE about this, too.  He claims I said "no" to the shed. I did not.  I ONLY said "no" to his wanting to DUMP the building materials into my backyard as "payment". Yes, this is true, he felt it was perfectly OK to DUMP the building materials into my backyard as a "refund". I couldn't accept this.  There is no way for me to know if it's complete and I didn't have anyone else who could do this project for me so I said "no" to that. I told him either you build it for me, as the contract says, or give me a refund.

The last time I spoke to Greg was April 6th.  He told me he could pay me with his own funds but refuses and "shouldn't have to".  It doesn't matter that he broke the contract and "misplaced" my money...he doesn't feel like he should be inconvenienced at all.  It doesn't matter what hell and worry I've been thru...he won't be inconvenienced. He also told me that within two days he'd know about my refund. 

True to form, I have not heard from him since then. It's been 20 days.  I am still waiting for my refund for the shed.  Greg has never taken the initiative to correct his mistakes on his own and that is why I have yet to hear from him.

Amazingly, Greg feels he has done nothing wrong.  He takes no responsibility for not returning my money in a timely fashion, for stalling me, for renegging on our contract, for writing me a threatening letter and for writing me bad checks.  He told me point blank he shouldn't have to apologize for ANYTHING.  In fact, he tried to blame me for this.  I have heard from others this is a common tactic.  They never admit fault, turn the blame on the victim, distract you from the issue and threaten you with lawsuits if you try to get your money back. Greg Christi has done all of these things and more.

During the last three phone calls, one of them being April 6th, he repeatedly told me "I don't care anymore", "do what you need to do" and "I am done with this".  He showed total disdain and disregard for his actions.  This is why I have not called him back and am now taking legal action.

This didn't have to be.  Things could have gone well had Mr. Christi engaged in HONEST and FAIR business practices but he chose not to. If he had paid me back in a timely fashion things would've been OK.  It's almost out of sheer ego or willfullness that he has brought this negativity onto himself. 

Let me say that everything I have written here is true. I kept a journal of my conversations and phone messages with Greg Christi as well as all events and documents to back up my story. 

My wish in this report is not to ruin Greg Christi. I only want my money back and I want to warn others to be careful in dealing with this man. But I also hope that Greg will be inspired to change.  Living a life of cheating others is not a good life. It can't be peaceful or happy.  I hope that Greg sees this and comes to his senses and learns a lesson from all of this.

*UPDATE* will come SOON