FINE LINE CONCRETE

The process of working with fine-line from start to finish was painful. We purchased the house and in the purchase agreement was the replacement of the patio, the previous owner was to pay a % and we paid a %, in the purchase agreement it was written that we had the option to use fine-line becuase there bid for the project was about the same as several other companies we recieved estimates from, but the previous owner had used Fine-line in the past and wanted them to have the work. After signing the purchase agreement for the house, we had 30 days to agree to the Fine-line estimate, give 5k down or the estimate would be null and void if we didn't get the deposit and the signed agreement to fineline in 30 days. We called and emailed several times wanting to make sure they had the correct stamping pattern and colored concrete for us to use them, they never returned our call or emails. We ended up sending a certified letter with the check and the signed agreement. After sending the certified letter we continued to call and email with no response, 2 months went by with no contact from Fine-line. On the contract it stated that they had to perform the work before 10/31/2011. A week before the deadline, Tim calls and wants to go over the color and stamping pattern, we agreed to meet him late in the evening, he never showed. Tim then called the next day to apologize and wanted to meet in the early afternoon, my wife and I both work and were not able to meet him on such short notice in the middle of the day. We agreed to meet the next day in the evening, Tim had to call and reschedule because he was running late. Finally we met on the weekend he made it out and started the project the next week. After the project was over we assumed fine-line would send on invoice to pay the remaining bill, we did not receive a bill till the end of November and it was sent by email, and asked to pay immediately because it was due within 30 days from when the project was completed. I was unwilling to pay fine-line directly as a lien from Cemstone Concrete Company was placed on our home due to Tim not paying Cemstone. We ended up paying Cemstone directly, waiting for the lien waiver to show removal of the lien and then paid fine-line, but between the lien from Cemstone and recieving the lien waiver, Tim emailed and called 4-5 times to get his money, I instructed him that I was going to pay Cemstone directly and then pay him, once I had the lien waiver.

MARK GOT THE JOB BY PURSUING ME ALMOST DAILY AND PROMISING THAT HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL AND HE WAS AVAILABLE IN A WEEK. THE WORST THING WAS THAT THE JOB HE KEPT USING AS A REFERENCE WAS NOT HIS! I FOUND THAT OUT AFTER THIS WHOLE FIASCO. IT IS A TOUGH AND EXPENSIVE LESSON TO LEARN, BUT GOING FORWARD, I WILL NEVER USE ANOTHER CONTRACTOR WITHOUT THOROUGHLY CHECKING CREDENTIALS AND ANGIE'S LIST.