Joel Dees Painting

Went very well. Excellent finished product

I had previously used Mr. Dees' services to paint three rooms in a house we recently purchased, and his personnel had done a good job, so when he told me that he also does some construction I asked him about the jobs noted above. Because my mother will live in the house and she uses a walker, the ramps are essential for her safety. Because we also have an elderly dog whose vision is compromised, adding railing at the deck, where there is a steep drop, are essential for his safety. Mr. Dees assured me that he has built ramps before and would make certain they would not collapse if my mother has to eventually use a motorized wheelchair. The work started out okay, but after a portion was done it suddenly became extremely difficult to get someone to show up to complete the job. Two days after the start, Mr. Dees asked for a couple hundred more dollars to purchase more materials, above the 50% deposit. At that point I still had confidence in Mr. Dees and his promises. He started the work on a weekend, making me think that this would go quickly. However, after that start, and the obviously poor job done on the larger ramp (in all fairness, Mr. Dees pointed this out to me and promised it would be replaced), days went by where no one showed up to paint the fencing or complete the ramps. I called Mr. Dees every day to ask why nothing was happening, and he would promise that he or someone would be there first thing the next morning, but no one was. One day one of his employees came to change out the large ramp, but he did a poor job of it and the bottom was jagged and dangerous. On the fourth day after this mistake, and after calling each day after and being told Mr. Dees himself would show up first thing the next day, or at noon the day I called, I had decided to fire him. When I called that day, he told me his guys were at the house (it is vacant waiting for these and other renovations to be completed) and were going to complete the job that day. I told him that was good news because I had called to tell him to call the whole thing off. He was very apologetic, and later told me that he had thought two guys had been there the previous day but they hadn't shown up for work and never called him. When I went to inspect the work after I was told it was completed, I had to tell the guys to clean up the mess before I would pay them. They said that Mr. Dees told them he'd come by later to pick it up. I told them that would be fine, and that I would pay Mr. Dees at that time. They decided to clean up the mess themselves. The main problems were the fact that my job was continuously pushed to the back of the line, and communication was nearly always initiated by me in an attempt to find out why no one had shown up. In the end, the ramps look pretty shabby, but they appear to be serviceable.

He then split. I didn?t see him for three days. He called with a stupid excuse as to why he was gone that length of time. He got here and brought a helper who we later found out had AIDS and was a drugger. He quit. Joel then brought his brother here who was on methodone. He did not appropriately put plastic over my furniture. I got home and there was dust everywhere. He apologized, I urged him to clean it up. In the second week of November he didn?t show up for a few days at a time. I found horrible flaws during the work, I pointed out. He continued to say he would get it done. They stood on our commode to do work, though they had ladders. He broke my coffee pot, and damaged other items. It was a nightmare experience. Every day he came over toward the end was the ?last day? he was going to have to come in. If my husband or I were here he would be working. He would leave right after we would. I tested this. I pulled out of my driveway, pulled right down the street. I timed 3 minutes later he left my house and I confronted him about this. He told me that he left a couple doors at his shop, and had to go get them. He didn?t initially paint both sides of the cabinets as promised either. He ruined my Thanksgiving; I wasn?t able to have it at my house as everything was torn up. He went into my laundry room yesterday while hanging the doors on the cabinets. He hung them upside down, they don?t shut. No hardware for the doors was installed either. He has another draw of $400 due, but I?m not paying this with an incomplete job. There are all types of painting flaws remaining unfinished though we have pointed them out. I had purchased all new lights. While painting he got paint on my 3 chrome lights above the sink. He got paint on doorknobs too. I got upset yesterday and told him off.