NEW SYSTEMS PLUMBING

Description of Work: This has been a problem that this Angelo Prunella "addressed" but did not repair, 5 times since 2012. Work was done on Dec 28-29 2017 to remediate his previous work. There was a leak, water collecting at the base of this toilet. I phoned repeatedly since early December 2017, but he did not return any phone calls. Suddenly on Dec 27, he showed up without phoning; striking the door's glass window jarringly , instead of using functional doorbell or phoning, to schedule his visit. He removed the toilet, saying: “I’ve seen this before.” The lead lead pipe is deteriorated. It needs to be replaced. He said it would cost $2500. I didn’t have a chance to think, it was so sudden, and so expensive, it took my breath away! But friends were warning me; I feared that it might be sewage seeping into the ceiling, that would leak from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor, damaging ceiling, furniture, piano below the toilet on 1st floor. Fearing the worst, I paid the ‘deposit’ he demanded, $1000. I “trusted” him because we had various other work done by him during 7 years. On Dec 29, he came with his nephew Anthony as his assistant. Anthony carried the old toilet out, the new one in, and carried the bag of cement into the house. The job involved grinding out some of the old cement around the toilet bowl to get access to the old lead pipe. Replace the lead pipe. Pour cement, let it set overnight. Install new toilet. On Dec 27, when he made his “discovery” he explained that this major work was needed because the “work had been done improperly”, but since 2012, all the previous work on this toilet had been done by himself improperly!!!! Using generous figures, his total materials cost: $500 Using generous figures, his total labor cost with assistant: $580 Previous history with Prunella vis à vis this toilet: 1. In Nov. 2012, we paid Prunella $225 because of moisture leaking from base of the toilet. Prunella claimed the toilet had been “seated improperly”, and that he would reseat it. However, I had noticed moisture immediately after he had “reseated” the toilet and reported that something was wrong. At that initial step, Prunella should have observed the deteriorating lead pipe, having removed the toilet. 2. Prunella checked the toilet again, Jan 9 2013. His conclusion then was that the toilet was defective, that he would have to “take it apart”, despite the fact that water was from a leak at the floor. He replaced the cut-off valve. Total payment, $375. 3. July 10, 2014 discoloration persisted – leak continued, plumber was called again. 4. I called Angelo Prunella to the house September 15, 2017 because the moisture seepage from toilet persisted; he stated that the leak was due to water “spurting from the tank”; I did not agree. It was seeping from below; there is water accumulating from the leg of the toilet. Charged me $100, explaining the water pressure in the tank was too high so he adjusted pressure. This made no improvement. This December job was in fact to correct his own work from Nov 2012, Jan 2013, 2014. I reported what I observed in each instance. His statement Dec 28, that “the job had not been done properly” describes his own work.