Cracking Concrete
My husband & I hired a contractor, named Stephen Joseph. His website is www.jocastles.com. I want to share our disappointing experience with you, in hopes that you all can avoid a similar mishap. We hired Stephen to level & smooth the concrete floors of our unfinished basement. At the end of day one we were…
My husband & I hired a contractor, named Stephen Joseph. His website is www.jocastles.com. I want to share our disappointing experience with you, in hopes that you all can avoid a similar mishap.
We hired Stephen to level & smooth the concrete floors of our unfinished basement. At the end of day one we were thrilled with the small amount of surface completed. Day two he came with a worker and completed pouring the concrete for the remaining space. We looked at as much of the floor as we could see & paid him in full. The next day when we could walk on the floors we were able to see that the floors were not smooth or even remotely close to the quality of workmanship from day one.
We contacted him that night to discuss a solution. He’s response to me was that I should put my husband on the phone because I could not understand the complexity of working with concrete. Then he hung up his phone.
Two weeks have passed and now the concrete is cracking & appears to be hollow in many areas of the floor.
After informing him that our lawyers have been contacted, he offered to repay us, however he doesn’t have any money. So he claims that he will pay us back whenever he gets another job.
Stay tuned. I’ll let you know if this one redeems himself.
I’m commenting on why contractors work under the radar. Insurance, insurance and you guessed it insurance. That includes liability and workmen’s comp. In addition, some contractors owe child support and need to work off the books. As for the floor, my guess is you will not get anywhere with him.
About 3 years ago, I ran an ad on craigslist and stephen joseph responded. My building required insurance and he did not have any, nor did he want to get it.
He likes working under the radar. Why I don’t know.
As a rule I would give someone the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to redeem themselves if they’ve made an error. That is, unless they’re a contractor. Not that you’re looking for advice necessarily but don’t wait to start legal proceedings. I sincerely doubt he’ll pay you back. If he doesn’t have money now, he’s not going to part with it when he does just to do the right thing. If he was that honorable he’d have done right by you in the first place by not taking a job he didn’t know how to do (can you sense I’ve maybe had some problems with contractors doing substandard work in my home?) Good luck with it. Very frustrating place to be.
is he a licensed contractor?
Did he put it in writing?