Complaint ID 8407457
Problem:
F J Smith Contracting performed substandard work on our renovations. It took Francis Smith, the contractor, years to finish a nine month contracted renovation. He not only failed to have enough workers to complete the job but then refused to pay fines for not finishing within the contracted period. We checked with the NYC DOB and found that he was working without liability insurance for over a year. Our architect had no other choice than to fire him for poor work performance and breach of contract. We have water leaks in the plumbing system at several locations, the skylight leaks when it rains, water has seeped behind bathroom tiles; all of which have left considerable damage and will be costly to repair or replace. Walls were not plumb, water leaked through walls and ceilings and into lighting fixtures causing a safety hazard and damage to our property; marks from rotary sanders were left on our refinished wood floors. Most of FJ Smith's time was spent fixing substandard work, as demanded by the architect. This caused the project to fall behind schedule. He essentially held our property hostage, knowing that home owners will pay just about anything to get their homes back. Before the project was completed, Francis Smith demanded to be paid in full and refused to allow any work to continue, clearly breaching the terms of our contract. Our architect was forced to fire him. We also learned that Francis Smith did not compensate his subcontractors.
