Leader Landscape Inc.

Well it is fraud and frankly slander. Included is the change order for the project as Mrs. Metcalf changed/added more work to the project. The original work order was paid in full and then the change order was paid and Mrs. Metcalf signed at the bottom of the contract: "satisfactorily completed 03 March SM" (Shirley Metcalf).
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By definition "satisfactorily" is defined as completed to be good enough to fill the need or be satisfied in the job done. As with the 3 month process of dealing with this client in the beginning of financing the job and working with the client over the 3 month period of receiving partial checks all the way up to the end of getting the last check and with the closing statement as "satisfactorily completed" should seem to indicate I had done all that I was paid to do. It also ought to indicate as I do not 95% of the time require my clients to give me anything but a final payment and I seemed to need the additional signature of her satisfaction at the completion because of the clients behavior during the job and look what happens six (6) years later!!

So after 6 years for whatever reason she claims now her house needs an additional $8,500.00 worth of work? Her wealth must have changed! Maybe last weeks 1,000 year rain changed her need which she didn't want to pay for the first time? Maybe the neighbors built flowerbeds on the other side of the gate, changing the water flow entrance points into her yard or she didn't do her part required, or she let her dogs destroy some of the drainage, or her dogs dug, or the neighbor's dogs dug, or a thousand more situations after 6 years.

The original job was for $3,524 (signed 19 Jan. 2010 and financed because she couldn't afford all the work as proposed and even wanted to do some herself) plus a $749.00 extra change order on 10 March 2010.

I describe all drainage jobs on a 1 to 10 level. She obviously had a level 1 just by the mere calling to get a quote. She by most practical reasoning shouldn't try to install a system that would be a 10. So, at that point you have to design if possible the best at which she: ( 1 ). Decides she can afford at the time (2). The more important issues that she wants to address verses possibly best for the overall design and (3) the clients limiting the designer and installer by what they say they are going to do on their own which is controlled by her completely regardless of the merits to which that portion of the job helps the issues.

Proper maintenance like cleaning off the drain covers also must take place or the drains will not work at all or only partially (which is maintenance required by the homeowner). No matter what the current conditions might be after 6 years drainage systems installed using inlets and drainpipes will always work unless defected by the client (client or client's dog, friends, whatever). Pipe doesn't get destroyed in the ground, unless mechanical destruction occurs. Water always flows down hill. If the neighbor changes the flow of their water from one end of the fence to anther part of their yard by just 6" inches it could effectively make a catch basin on her property totally useless, which I or anyone else could not prevent unless you get the neighbor to participate in the project. Unless a client's yard is a large area, the majority of drainage issues stem from the adjacent flow of water entering a client's property. Thus it is usually the best thing to start in the design process of potential problems and get help from that neighbor which usually improves the situation and possibly the neighbor's. Many times the considerate neighbor will address your issues and many times in addition address their own drainage issue. Tying a larger section of land mass together as a whole in drainage issues makes it easier and even cheaper for each person because it lessens the volume of water in a step down fashion as you get to the city's access of handling the run off water. Example: if a neighbor took his water from his back yard to the street, his efforts then improved your back yard situation to a point of elimination or decreasing the volume enough to decrease your costs in design for your own. Volume and speed are the two greatest controlling factors in all designs and costs always are dictated by those two factors!

I have called Mrs. Metcalf and scheduled a meeting to see what she expects me to possibly do in order for her to remove the slanderous comment and amicably resolve her issue. I will follow up with info.