J R DE BASTOS ENTERPRISE INC

JR Debastos LLC (Jeff DeBastos, owner) came to our house in late March 2014 & gave us an estimate on Brick Pavers, 5/8 white stone, Top soil, stepping stones (leading to a fire pit) & 2x6"s under the fence line. He started the job on (April 2, 2014. His policy was 1/2 the money up front & the other 1/2 when it's complete. We sent him the 1st payment of $5,000.00. He kept in touch with us via text message 3 or 4 times a day for the first few days while they were working on the landscaping. His guys do great work & they did 75% of the job within a few days! We were excited! There was a fire pit which we wanted him to install but he told us that it was on back order it would be in by Wednesday April 23rd 2014. He said the stepping stones, fire pit & 2x6's would all be installed during the week of the 23rd & the job would then be complete by the following Saturday April 26th. He asked for it & we paid him the balance. We sent him the final check for $5,520.00 & he cashed it on April 25th 2014.... That's when the problems started for us. We went away for a week @ the beginning of May 2014 & came back & sent him a text message asking "how did everything go?" He replied with "What's the address?" We found out the work had not been completed & asked him what's the hold up? He replied with "It's been raining for a few days & I'm 3 weeks behind schedule, I can't control the weather". We asked him near the end of May 2014. "When the job would be finished?" & he said "I'm waiting on the town to fix the sewer in the street & then I'll do Toms house (our neighbors) along with yours. That time had come & gone & we asked him again when will you be finishing the job. He ignored a few emails that we sent during this time. We pointed out that there is $751.00 worth of work that has not been completed. He replied with "Your permit was $282.00, I can't control the weather, you don't understand. I'll mail you your change". We said we don't want the $ (change), we just want the job completed. Now we are into June 2014 & nothings happened. We continue to ask him, via email & text message. "When will this job be completed?" He replied with "by July 4th" (which at the time was about 3 weeks away). This is ridiculous, ok July 4th it is... Now we are into July 2014. We emailed him to make sure that he was coming to finish the job by the 4th like he said. He email us back & said "I was there today showing the guys around & what they have to do". That is a FLAT OUT LIE, we were staying at the house all week on vacation. He never came by with anyone. The following week he sent a few guys to the house to put top soil in the flower beds & finish up some areas where stones were missing but that was Friday July 11th 2014, the week after July 4th. They still need to come back & install the materials we paid for over 3 months ago. We need the stepping stones as well as the 2x6's under the fence. He is giving us every excuse in the book. On Monday 07/28/14 We told him via email & text message. (because he doesn't answer his phone when you call it) "If you don't want to come back to finish the job that's fine, just refund us the balance we paid you for those 2 items ($500.00)". He then came back with "I emailed your wife back today, I have to see what kind of materials I put in on fixing your water and sewer line that was broken by your plumber. How soon you forget what kind of problem I fixed for you". So let me get this straight... It's been 112 days since he was paid in full & now he says we owe him more $ which he forgot about it until today????. ha gimmie a break with this garbage already. As of today it's been 124 days since he started the job & he is not finished. ***Also he cut down our clothes line in our backyard. ****WE DID NOT ASK HIM TO DO THIS**** BOTTOM LINE: Jeff DeBastos (the owner of JR DeBastos LLC) is totally unprofessional in the ways he conducts business, His replies to text messages are & emails are few & far between. Then when he decides he's going to reply to you he is extremely rude in his responses. Also, we are not the only ones in our neighborhood who are having to chase down & then listen to this guys lame excuses on why his work isn't finished. I have a neighbor at the end of my block who has been dealing with him since March 2014 & a married couple around the corner who has been dealing with him since 2013! All 3 homes are still incomplete as far as the landscaping goes. I have been informed by residents in my town that he's been doing this to people for many years. We filed a Civil case against him in Ocean County NJ in order to recoup the $ he was paid for services he has not delivered on. ****I STRONGLY ADVISE ANYONE NEAR THE JERSEY SHORE WHO IS CONSIDERING "JR DEBASTOS LLC" TO DO LANDSCAPING / DEMOLOTION / EXCAVATING WORK TO USE ANOTHER COMPANY.****

We engaged JR Debastos originally as a subcontractor to my primary contractor who was engaged to do repairs on my home after Superstorm Sandy and Debastos was originally paid by my contractor as part of the overall project with my contractor.. At the beginning, things went ok. The driveway paving came out ok and the pavers used for the flower beds were also ok. But the plants he used were tiny and very sparse and were supposed be identical to what was there before Sandy but were not. They never thrived right from the beginning despite his one year guarantee. We were also supposed get a crepe myrtle tree to replace the one lost but it never came and he continuously said it was coming but never did. He was also supposed to recess the cap over the sewer line on our driveway but never came back to do it. He was also supposed to come back and plant 6 pine trees but never did. By this spring almost all the plants had died and when we called him and left messages, he never returned the calls. I had to hire another landscaping company at a cost of almost $9000 to tear out all of the dead plants and then to replant completely and to do the entire job right. JR Debastos is completely unreliable and horrible to do business with. He owes us significant money to compensate for all the dead plants that had been guaranteed. Bu again, when I call him and leave messages, he never returns the calls. I understand that many others in my neighborhood have lost money to him that they paid and he never completed their jobs. Very similar experience to mine. I would never use JR Debastos again and would recommend that he lose his contractor's license.