Terrible Contractor

To whom it may concern,

On November 20, 1999 I hired Mr. Joe Gaskin of Gulf Construction-Panhandle, Inc. to make renovations to my home. The project involved turning a large window in the kitchen into a sliding glass door, turning a window into a door in the master bedroom and pouring a concrete patio.

Virtually none of the work was done on time or to my satisfaction. The contractor repeatedly promised to start work and did not show up. He stockpiled dirt in our yard without coordination/permission creating an eyesore and damaging our lawn. He dug up a portion of our neighbors lawn by accident and one day he left our home completely open/unattended in total disregard for our property. He also smoked cigarettes in our home when we were not there and butts in our yard. He also made a destructive mess of our lawn with concrete and rocks and never adequately cleaned it up. He did brickwork without providing an estimate and he refuses to let me know what this work will cost. I imagine he plans to make this cost as high as possible after he determines how much damage he is responsible for. In short the company was totally unprofessional and they did what I consider to be significant damage to my home.

However we may be approaching the point where we can accept most of the interior work. I am hiring a construction expert to walk through and inspect for me and some repairs must still be done. The primary ongoing concern is the very significant damage that was done by the contractor to my lawn and the fact that the two slabs that he poured were poured on top of sprinkler heads. When the lawn sprinkler is activated water literally pours out from under the slabs and some erosion is already visible. I would like to know about any additional costs (brickwork) also. I do not want to allow this company to repair my lawn or my sprinkler system given the very poor quality of work they have demonstrated. With is mind, am I legally required to allow this company to make these repairs? I would like to have lawn and sprinkler experts make the repairs and deduct this from his final payment. My relationship with Mr. Gaskin had deteriorated to the point that we can't talk because he never admits to anything and never does what he promises. I really think he may be in denial.

Finally, I would like to file a formal complaint against: Gulf Construction Panhandle, Inc.
1354 Sanibel Lane
Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561
Phone: (850) 932-7973
Fax: (850) 934-5853

This company is a truly sad commentary to the construction and remodeling industry and consumers should be warned to avoid them if they desire quality workmanship and professionalism.

My contact information is: Mr. Leon A. Walker, 3370 Chantarene Drive, Pensacola, Florida 32507 (850) 453-5294. Please contact me for additional information.

Sincerely,


Leon A. Walker