ABSOLUTE MAX CONSTRUCTION & LANDSCAPING LLC

I had worked with Todd before, but through a different contractor. That work was not done promptly, but at the time, this appeared to be the fault of the contractor and not Todd's. We needed sod in our backyard. I contacted Todd to perform the work, and he agreed. He initially called me with an estimate of about $400, which I agreed to. My biggest mistake was not getting a written contract, but I trusted him. He did the initial work, which covered about 75% of my yard, then asked for $800. I questioned how the amount had changed, and he said his initial number was just for the product, not the labor. The cost was still less than I had initially thought it would be, so I agreed. I then asked why the rest of the yard hadn't been done, and he said he would take care of it. Again, I trusted him. After two months of follow-up phone calls and false promises(at least four times he said he'd come out on a particular date and no-showed, no-called)I finally became impatient. I initially developed a friendly rapport with Todd(hence my trust)which was my second mistake, because he took full advantage of it. After I left him a voice mail(that was terse but strictly professional)he called back and accused me of being vicious. He then made a last promise to come out at the end of the week and complete the work. Again, he no-showed, no-called. I left another voice mail for him, and he did not return my call. That is the last I heard from him. The bottom line is that his approach to the work was far too casual, and fulfilling promises and completing work that was paid for simply wasn't a priority. The work that was completed, including the work done for another contractor, was quality. Unfortunately, the experience was too much of a hassle to be deemed a success, and I now have two large empty patches in my yard. So, I will have to pay again to have sod laid down in these areas. I acknowledge my mistake in not having a written contract, which resulted in incomplete work and a higher price tag. This was a lesson learned the hard way. Todd took full advantage of this and I will never work with him again.