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 Post subject: Duffer Construction
PostPosted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:58 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:45 pm
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Customer Feedback
On 01-12-10 after receiving a great bid from Nick Duffer at dufferconstruction.com & the owner of Duffer Construction phone number 214-405-8932 Toll Free 1-888-383-3370 address 5067 County Rd. 2632, Caddo Mills, Texas, 75131 To Remove and replace one support beam and part of another and level the home! I pointed out a concern about the puddling of water and the soft soil under the NE corner of the house from the rainfall. He stated that it doesn’t matter (if the ground is wet or the soil soft) when he does the work. he said he could just add some support blocks. He would put concrete blocks between each existing wooden block then go back and replace each existing wooden block with concrete ones. I believed I was to receive a great deal! He bid $2,000 and I accepted his offer.

On Jan 27,28, 2010 work began But during the work the sheetrock was cracking, boards breaking, plumbing damaged, and the floors weak and unlevel, and the doors were jammed shut. As Rueben was building the beam to stretch along the north side of the house I pointed out to Nick that there is a difference to the size on the joists some had little more height to them and would need brought down or a shim placed under the others to bring them up. I was not comfortable with the way they built the beams, as Rueben was over lapping the board ends he left gaps between them and only used a few fasteners (it was lose, week and not built sturdy). Rueben pointed out that he dug up a wooden support block and needed some soil to fill in the hole as to place the concrete support block in its place. (Due to a heavy downpour & excessive standing water, work was delayed to Feb 4, 2010)
On Jan 29, 2010 (after the heavy downpour) I called Nick because I heard a loud “snap” in the NE corner of the house and when observing it I noticed a few things different. The toilet was lose and floor slumped down and was shaky. Nick said the house was an old house and it’s been around this long, it’s probably nothing serious. I told him there was a point in the beam that looked to be separating or slumping down. He said, he’ll check it out when they come back out. He also said, If anything serious happens, let him know and he’ll be right out.
On Feb 4, 2010 I reminded Nick Duffer when he arrived about our phone conversation back On Jan 29, 2010. that I believed that it was the support beam (that Rueben replaced is what snapped), it was noticeably unlevel and looked to be separating. I told him about the wooden block support that Reuben had dug out and filled in with dirt, then placed a concrete support block over it (the filled in hole). Nick said there was nothing wrong with it. I continued to show concern about the beam looking worped & explained that the NE corner looks like it’s settling and Nick assured me there is nothing wrong with it. After Nick complained to his employees saying they were running behind schedule for another job, after night fall On Feb 4, 2010 (Nick claimed “the work is complete”), (he said “if I had any problems he would come back and fix what ever problems there were”).

I am disabled and have very limited mobility (I have bouts with trigeminal neuralgia frequently each day which cause me great pain and the loss of mobility and balance. I was having a bout with Trigeminal Neuralgia when Nick said the work was complete and it was after dark. Do to the circumstances I took Nicks word (that the work was complete and that if I had any problems he would come back and fix what ever problems there were). With these reassurances, I paid him.

On 02-05-10 after viewing the work in the daylight, (the work Nick Duffer said was complete). The house was noticeably unlevel, the support blocks (that were replaced under the house) had settled. The support beams (that were replaced), were noticeably unlevel and separating. The sheetrock was cracked, boards broken, plumbing damaged, the siding not replaced over the exposed framing, and the floors weak and unlevel and the doors were jammed shut.
I called and setup a day that Nick chose to fix the problems (I believe it was the following Friday) but He failed to show up. After a few different pages and messages He still never showed up and did not respond to any of my calls! As of today Duffer Construction has never returned a call or came to repair the beams or complete the work.

Update: 03-25-10 - received a call from Nick stating that he was going to come out and work on the house and fix the problems I had told him about on 02-05-10. He said it would take a couple hours or so but probably not more than a half a day. He said he could make it out here about 10am if it was alright with me. I said yes.

Update 03-26-10 when Nick arrived (at 10am) he was very pleasant. He wanted me to sign a release form for him to start working on the house. he said it was a basic form (as I glanced over it), he said to my understanding that it was to release him from any damages to the sheet rock as he goes around spot leveling areas that may have settled. So I signed it, but then asked for a copy but he would not give me one.
As he was going to start work on the house I handed him a diagram of the areas that I had concerns about. I told him about the wooden block support Reuben had dug out and filled in with dirt and placed a concrete support block over it (the filled in hole). I explained that it was settling and that I had complained about it and the other things (on the diagram) during our phone conversation back on 02-05-10. He said he would look at it and when asked later about the problem with the concrete support blocks settling in the back of the house he said that it was fine there was nothing wrong that he could see. I decided to show him so I took a string and stretched it across the area that was unlevel he said that he saw the problem (I have a settling problem) and that he would need more materials and it would take more labor which would be added to the cost of the previous agreement. I asked if the only reason he came out to the house was just to get the form filled out he said no (but he left shortly after not finishing the job). I explained that this settling problem was among the list of other problems that he left (on 02-04-10 the previous time working on the house) and it was the very reason I called him on 02-05-10 complaining. He stated that it was a problem due to the poor drainage around the house and the house settled. He also stated that he would need more materials and it would take more labor which would add to the cost of the previous agreement.
I explained to him that on 01-12-10 when he bid on the job and when he started to work on the house on 01-27,28-10 we were in a rainy season. That I pointed out back then a concern about the puddling of water and the soft soil under the NE corner of the house from the rainfall He stated that it doesn’t matter (if the ground is wet or the soil soft) when he does the work. He said he could just add some support blocks. He would put concrete blocks between each existing wooden block then go back and replace each existing wooden block with concrete ones. (All during the work the soil was soft because of the rainfall). I went on to say these problems were pointed out to him as the work was being done (and he totally disregarded my concerns & put them off like I had no knowledge in the matter).

Nick Duffer left at 11am (1 hour after arriving at 10am) work still not complete. The house was noticeably unlevel, the support blocks (that were replaced under the house) had settled. The support beams (that were replaced), were noticeably unlevel and separating. The sheetrock was cracked, boards broken, plumbing damaged, and the floors weak and unlevel, the siding was not replaced over the exposed framing, and the doors were jammed shut.

Consequences: The economic or physical damage that resulted is after viewing the work Nick Duffer said was complete. The house was noticeably unlevel, the support blocks (that were replaced under the house) had settled. The support beams (that were replaced), were noticeably unlevel and separating. The sheetrock was cracked, boards broken, plumbing damaged, and the floors weak and unlevel, the siding was not replaced over the exposed framing, and the doors were jammed shut. The damages sustained will be the unlevel house, damages to beams, floor joists, & framing, and a financial loss of $2000 paid for the unfinished work.


Last edited by johnbx39 on Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Duffer Construction
PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 10:13 am 
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:10 am
Posts: 583
Did you contact your local TV station? They usually have some sort of "investigative" reporters that will air a story about these types of situations / scams and most of the time it resolves it quickly because the company has no choice once the story is aired.


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