Complaint Filed with BBB Against FJ SMITH

Francis J Smith refused to respond to a complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau. Effective immediately, FJ SMITH CONTRACTING CORP now has a negative record with the BBB:

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.

Unfinished and Sloppy Work

More pictures of poor workmanship by
FJS Contracting
65 West Merrick Road
Valley Stream, NY 11580-5709
(516) 561-6411

Our Contractor Likes His Walls Crooked

When we pointed out this crooked wall in the bathroom, our contractor, F J Smith Contracting, said our place was old and the walls weren't straight. Problem is, this is a new wall.
And yes, F J Smith Contracting scratched glass tiles when installing them as well.

How Not to Caulk a Skylight

Francis Smith placed caulk on top of the plastic so no seal was made where the skylight meets the wall. You can see the gap between the caulk and leftover plastic. Where is Mike Holmes when you need him?

Skylight Leaks

Water leaking from the skylight onto the floor. We could be on the "Holmes on Homes" show.

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Glass Tiled Bathroom

Water in the shower seeps through the tile grout and settles in the wall behind the tile. After two weeks of not using the shower, this picture was taken showing that the tiles were not drying and the grout was still wet.

A Sample of Recent Contracting Work

Here are some results from work done by F J Smith Contracting. These are pictures of the damage from a leak which originated in the Master Bathroom and traveled two floors down into the basement. The pictures show water dripping out of a ceiling light fixture, paint bubbling and peeling off the wet ceiling. This was the second leak as a result of renovation work done in the Master Bathroom. Here is the first leak:





Water poured through the ceiling light fixture in the kitchen and onto the kitchen counter when the Master Shower was used.
Needless to say, that morning's shower was cut short.