LH Hunt

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: I am rejecting this response because: Lance Hunt has skewed the events of this house repair, markedlyNot only has he misrepresen [redacted] certain relationships between other contractors, but he has failed to appreciate his relationship to the house First, [redacted] negotia [redacted] the terms of a contract as any homeowner would doWhile Lance Hunt draf [redacted] a contract for the homeowners' to sign, the homeowners got additional quotes and, in line with those additional quotes, negotia [redacted] a fair price for the work that was doneNot the original infla [redacted] priceMoreover, while money was "tight" at times, there was never a time when the homeowners op [redacted] to not fix something of a structural nature due to financial shortages or any other reasonIn fact, another pre-existing wall was out of plumb and the homeowners were immediately advised that this wall should be fixedLance Hunt fixed the wall that was out of plumb Several other contractors have been contac [redacted] regarding the exterior kitchen wall being out of plumbEach of those contractors and sub-contractors have advised the owners that the work comple [redacted] by Lance Hunt or agents/employees of LH Hunt LLC was both sub-par and unacceptableFurther, these contractors have advised the owners that at the time when the wall was down to its studs (which was for a number of weeks) it would have been very inexpensive to make the wall plumbFor example, multiple contractors have sta [redacted] that additional 2x4s could have been "sistered" to the existing studs so that the inside face of the exterior wall was straight and plumb for the cabinets to be installed onThe cost of this would have been the cost of 2x4s and labor The custom cabinets were measured before the dry wall had been comple [redacted] and, as to be expec***, the cabinet makers presumed that the contractor handling the framing, insulation, and dry wall would make the new walls plumb Moreover, while Lance Hunt has sta [redacted] that the owners advised him they knew he didn't cause the wall to be out of plumb, he fails to advise the Revdex.com that what the owners sta [redacted] was that: "If the wall was out of plumb he was hired to do all structural work--framing, insulation, dry wall etc.--that he should have advised the owners of that problem at an appropriate time so that they could decide how to proceed and let other contractors know of this condition." If Lance Hunt had let owners know the wall was not plumb they would have fixed the wallHowever, Lance Hunt, who takes no responsibility as a contractor or GC, advised owners that he made an "executive decision" to not fix the wall or bother to mention it to the home ownersThis decision was certainly not his to makeHis failure to properly complete the job within industry standards caused the owners further problems and crea [redacted] more work for the cabinet installer Further, the owners advised Lance Hunt of the window problem on August 12, at 8:AM via text messageNo response was given to the owners who filed this Complaint at 4:40PM on the afternoon of August 12, after no response Further, the brick damage includes compound which was never cleaned up or coveredThe compound has sat on the bricks for months without ever being cleanedLance Hunt actually advised the owners that he would clean and seal the bricks on multiple occasions and never did soInstead, the owners have spent time and money hiring cleaners and cleaning the bricks themselvesCleaning up Lance Hunt's mess was certainly not anticipa***He also sta [redacted] that he would clean up and fix other various mistakes around the house similar to "punch-list" items and never did soThis would have consis [redacted] of a number of areas the plaster applied by the dry wall workers was not properly sanded over, thus creating more work for the home owners In regards to the sub contractor tile worker, Lance Hunt advised [redacted] that he would "throw in" the tiling and have "his guy" do the tiling as a favor to [redacted] due to the nature of the projectThe owners were advised of this and agreedThe owners had already purchased and supplied the material and Lance Hunt offered to have his worker supply the labor gratisLance never sent his "tile guy" back to finish the workHowever, after-the-fact, [redacted] contac [redacted] this sub contractor to finish the workThe tile contractor never expec [redacted] payment from [redacted] for the original work that was being done for Lance Hunt because Lance and the homeowner agreed that Lance would compensate the worker on Lance's behalfMoreover, the sub contractor tiled a separate bathroom that Lance had construc [redacted] in the house via agreed upon contractHowever, the owners had to hire a carpenter because the pocket door installed by Lance Hunt was installed too low and needed to be lif [redacted] in order for tiles to be installedThis is another grievance of the owners that Lance, who knew tile would be installed at a later date, should have accoun [redacted] for when installing the door Additionally, Lance Hunt's subcontractors who put up dry wall in the house came to [redacted] a few weeks ago as they were never fully paid by Lance Hunt for the work that they comple [redacted] at [redacted] ***They were looking for Lance Hunt to complete payment--though he has not done so Further, the doors which were installed in a bedroom by Lance Hunt were never cut for the carpet that was installed and now have to be cut in order to fit in the door waysThree doors are not operating properly on top of the pocket door which the homeowners had to hire another carpenter to fix Overall, the work done by Lance Hunt was sub-parWhether Lance Hunt choose to negotiate his price or throw in a favor, does not absolve MrHunt of the responsibility to act within industry standards to complete his workThe homeowners have spent time and money to "clean up/fix" the mistakes made by MrHunt and his sub contractors acting on his behalfThis has been to their detriment and frustrationMrHunt was paid over $40,dollars on this job and his work product was incomplete and sub-par MrHunt claims not to have been the general contractor while simultaneously advising the homeowners that he made an "executive decision" not to tell them about the out of plumb wall that was sure to cause problems in the futureMrHunt was hired based on a good reputationHowever, to his own detriment MrHunt made serious mistakes at [redacted] ***At least nine (9) general contractors/subcontractors have advised the home owners have the mistakes fell below the industry standardThe owners have photographs of all of the damage/incomplete work and the out of plumb wall Additionally, MrHunt was asked for weeks to work with the owners on the resolving this dispute amicablyThe owners were reasonable; however, the owners expec [redacted] to be trea [redacted] respectfully and in a manner that compensa [redacted] them in either labor/services or money for the incomplete and sub-par workHowever, Lance Hunt stopped responding to all calls/texts messages for over a week before the owners filed the underlying Complaint The owners maintain their Complaint against LH Hunt LLC, its agents/employees and Lance HuntThe owners paid Lance Hunt well for his work, an amount which was more than fairUnfortunately, the resulting work product fell below that which is to be expec [redacted] for the industryMrHunt tries to use the fact that the owners made a reasonable offer for MrHunt to perform other services on the house to compensate them for the time, money, and frustrationOwners did so as a reasonable solution which was brought to their attention by other contractorsMoreover, owners wan [redacted] to avoid other outside involvement at first and work directly with MrHunt for fair compensationThe work which owners would have had MrHunt complete would have been monitored by them to ensure its completion I request that Lance Hunt compensate us, the ownersFurther, the owners are happy to provide pictures and affidavits if necessaryFurther, owners invite the case manager to come do an inspection at the residence to see the level subpar nature of the workThe Complaints are true and honestThe Complaints can easily be substantia [redacted] and are in no way fabrica***The owners request that the Revdex.com substantiate the claimsOwners will provide full access in an effort for the Revdex.com to do so Sincerely, [redacted] ***

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
 
 
I am rejecting this response because:
Lance Hunt has skewed the events of this house repair, markedly. Not only has he misrepresen[redacted] certain relationships between other contractors, but he has failed to appreciate his relationship to the house.
First, [redacted] negotia[redacted] the terms of a contract as any homeowner would do. While Lance Hunt draf[redacted] a contract for the homeowners' to sign, the homeowners got additional quotes and, in line with those additional quotes, negotia[redacted] a fair price for the work that was done. Not the original infla[redacted] price. Moreover, while money was "tight" at times, there was never a time when the homeowners op[redacted] to not fix something of a structural nature due to financial shortages or any other reason. In fact, another pre-existing wall was out of plumb and the homeowners were immediately advised that this wall should be fixed. Lance Hunt fixed the wall that was out of plumb.
Several other contractors have been contac[redacted] regarding the exterior kitchen wall being out of plumb. Each of those contractors and sub-contractors have advised the owners that the work comple[redacted] by Lance Hunt or agents/employees of LH Hunt LLC was both sub-par and unacceptable. Further, these contractors have advised the owners that at the time when the wall was down to its studs (which was for a number of weeks) it would have been very inexpensive to make the wall plumb. For example, multiple contractors have sta[redacted] that additional 2x4s could have been "sistered" to the existing studs so that the inside face of the exterior wall was straight and plumb for the cabinets to be installed on. The cost of this would have been the cost of 2x4s and labor.
The custom cabinets were measured before the dry wall had been comple[redacted] and, as to be expec[redacted], the cabinet makers presumed that the contractor handling the framing, insulation, and dry wall would make the new walls plumb . Moreover, while Lance Hunt has sta[redacted] that the owners advised him they knew he didn't cause the wall to be out of plumb, he fails to advise the Revdex.com that what the owners sta[redacted] was that: "If the wall was out of plumb he was hired to do all structural work--framing, insulation, dry wall etc.--that he should have advised the owners of that problem at an appropriate time so that they could decide how to proceed and let other contractors know of this condition." If Lance Hunt had let owners know the wall was not plumb they would have fixed the wall. However, Lance Hunt, who takes no responsibility as a contractor or GC, advised owners that he made an "executive decision" to not fix the wall or bother to mention it to the home owners. This decision was certainly not his to make. His failure to properly complete the job within industry standards caused the owners further problems and crea[redacted] more work for the cabinet installer.
Further, the owners advised Lance Hunt of the window problem on August 12, 2014 at 8:49 AM via text message. No response was given to the owners who filed this Complaint at 4:40PM on the afternoon of August 12, 2014 after no response.
Further, the brick damage includes compound which was never cleaned up or covered. The compound has sat on the bricks for months without ever being cleaned. Lance Hunt actually advised the owners that he would clean and seal the bricks on multiple occasions and never did so. Instead, the owners have spent time and money hiring cleaners and cleaning the bricks themselves. Cleaning up Lance Hunt's mess was certainly not anticipa[redacted]. He also sta[redacted] that he would clean up and fix other various mistakes around the house similar to "punch-list" items and never did so. This would have consis[redacted] of a number of areas the plaster applied by the dry wall workers was not properly sanded over, thus creating more work for the home owners.
In regards to the sub contractor tile worker, Lance Hunt advised [redacted] that he would "throw in" the tiling and have "his guy" do the tiling as a favor to [redacted] due to the nature of the project. The owners were advised of this and agreed. The owners had already purchased and supplied the material and Lance Hunt offered to have his worker supply the labor gratis. Lance never sent his "tile guy" back to finish the work. However, after-the-fact, [redacted] contac[redacted] this sub contractor to finish the work. The tile contractor never expec[redacted] payment from [redacted] for the original work that was being done for Lance Hunt because Lance and the homeowner agreed that Lance would compensate the worker on Lance's behalf. Moreover, the sub contractor tiled a separate bathroom that Lance had construc[redacted] in the house via agreed upon contract. However, the owners had to hire a carpenter because the pocket door installed by Lance Hunt was installed too low and needed to be lif[redacted] in order for tiles to be installed. This is another grievance of the owners that Lance, who knew tile would be installed at a later date, should have accoun[redacted] for when installing the door.
Additionally, Lance Hunt's subcontractors who put up dry wall in the house came to [redacted] a few weeks ago as they were never fully paid by Lance Hunt for the work that they comple[redacted] at [redacted]. They were looking for Lance Hunt to complete payment--though he has not done so.
Further, the doors which were installed in a bedroom by Lance Hunt were never cut for the carpet that was installed and now have to be cut in order to fit in the door ways. Three doors are not operating properly on top of the pocket door which the homeowners had to hire another carpenter to fix.
Overall, the work done by Lance Hunt was sub-par. Whether Lance Hunt choose to negotiate his price or throw in a favor, does not absolve Mr. Hunt of the responsibility to act within industry standards to complete his work. The homeowners have spent time and money to "clean up/fix" the mistakes made by Mr. Hunt and his sub contractors acting on his behalf. This has been to their detriment and frustration. Mr. Hunt was paid over $40,000.00 dollars on this job and his work product was incomplete and sub-par.
Mr. Hunt claims not to have been the general contractor while simultaneously advising the homeowners that he made an "executive decision" not to tell them about the out of plumb wall that was sure to cause problems in the future. Mr. Hunt was hired based on a good reputation. However, to his own detriment Mr. Hunt made serious mistakes at [redacted]. At least nine (9) general contractors/subcontractors have advised the home owners have the mistakes fell below the industry standard. The owners have photographs of all of the damage/incomplete work and the out of plumb wall.
Additionally, Mr. Hunt was asked for weeks to work with the owners on the resolving this dispute amicably. The owners were reasonable; however, the owners expec[redacted] to be trea[redacted] respectfully and in a manner that compensa[redacted] them in either labor/services or money for the incomplete and sub-par work. However, Lance Hunt stopped responding to all calls/texts messages for over a week before the owners filed the underlying Complaint.
The owners maintain their Complaint against LH Hunt LLC, its agents/employees and Lance Hunt. The owners paid Lance Hunt well for his work, an amount which was more than fair. Unfortunately, the resulting work product fell below that which is to be expec[redacted] for the industry. Mr. Hunt tries to use the fact that the owners made a reasonable offer for Mr. Hunt to perform other services on the house to compensate them for the time, money, and frustration. Owners did so as a reasonable solution which was brought to their attention by other contractors. Moreover, owners wan[redacted] to avoid other outside involvement at first and work directly with Mr. Hunt for fair compensation. The work which owners would have had Mr. Hunt complete would have been monitored by them to ensure its completion.
 I request that Lance Hunt compensate us, the owners. Further, the owners are happy to provide pictures and affidavits if necessary. Further, owners invite the case manager to come do an inspection at the residence to see the level subpar nature of the work. The Complaints are true and honest. The Complaints can easily be substantia[redacted] and are in no way fabrica[redacted]. The owners request that the Revdex.com substantiate the claims. Owners will provide full access in an effort for the Revdex.com to do so.
 
 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

To Whom It May Concern:
[redacted] and [redacted] purchased a house loca[redacted] at [redacted].  The house is a “fixer-upper” and
gets water in the basement whenever it rains.  
The house was lis[redacted] and purchased “as-is.”  Here is the content of the listing ad:
Opportunity
Knocks! Great potential abounds in this 4 Bedroom Ranch style home on a
wonderful street. Large Living Room and Dining Room have vaul[redacted] ceilings. Eat
in Kitchen opens to large Breezeway. The Family Room features a Fireplace and
Built-Ins. Master Bedroom with Full Bath plus 3 additional Bedrooms. There is a
2 car Garage, Large Breezeway (porch) Full unfinished basement. Level property.
Central Air, Gas Heat. This house is in
need of a complete update but all the bones to make a gracious home. It is
being sold "As Is".
[redacted] explained
that he was operating on a tight budget and articula[redacted] that he was out of
money several times.  He was often there
himself working late at night after working all day and seemed overwhelmed by
the extent of the project in terms of the amount to be done and the associa[redacted]
costs.  I only saw the co-owner [redacted] on a few occasions. 
As an experienced contractor I noticed many things that
could use repair in the home, but the homeowner was clear that he was limiting
the scope of what he was going to do because he had no more money.  I thought that the homeowners  had a home inspection prior to purchase and
knew what the issues were.   I gave [redacted] a proposal for a list of items that
he whittled down and then he hired me to do a portion of them (see attachment 1).  I was not hired to be a general contractor on
this project.  The homeowner ac[redacted] as his
own GC.
Before I even arrived onsite, the custom cabinet maker contrac[redacted] by the homeowners already came in and measured for the cabinets.  These cabinets are custom and are supposed to
be construc[redacted] to fit the space. 
Typically when a cabinetmaker comes onsite to measure he also checks out
the conditions where he will be installing so he can make necessary
adjustments.
After completing what I was originally contrac[redacted] to do,
[redacted] asked me to do some other things (see attachment 2, changes/extras section).  When hanging a door in the kitchen, I discovered
that the kitchen wall was out of plumb. 
I subsequently looked and saw that the entire back of the house is out
of plumb.  I adjus[redacted] the door to hang
properly with the conditions.  The wall
being out of plumb is not a result of any work I performed and I was not hired
to fix the wall.
I told the owner I could retrofit the wall to make the
cabinet install easier for $1,200 -- but that would not fix the underlying
problem.  The cabinet maker could achieve
the same result by using shims.  To fix
the underlying problem is an extensive and expensive undertaking and includes:
·       
Building temporary walls on the interior of
the house

·       
Cutting all roof rafters from the walls

·       
Cutting all collar ties from the walls and
ceiling joists

·       
Spring bracing the wall to be plumbed

·       
Re-attaching the ceiling joists

·       
Re-attaching the roof rafters

·       
Re-insulating

·       
Re-sheetrocking

·       
Re-taping

·       
Re-priming

·       
Re-painting
The cost would be $12,000-$15,000.
In conversations the homeowners admit[redacted] to that I did
not cause the problem and was not hired to fix it, but they believe that I
should have fixed it at my own expense.  They
then said that rather than have me retrofit for $1,200 they thought I should compensate
them with $1,200 worth of other work at my expense.  In other words, rather than pay me to do work
on their home, they wan[redacted] me to pay them. 
  Again, I did not cause this
problem, nor was I hired to fix it and I am baffled.
From the
onset, [redacted] negotia[redacted] a large discount from what I would normally charge
(attachment 1 total and attachment 2 first change item).  I could see how
overwhelmed he was by the amount of work and the cost of the project and they
are a young couple starting out.  I
wan[redacted] to help them.   During the course of the project, he called me
for advise on work that he was trying to do himself on several occasions.   In
addition, there were many things that he asked me to do that I just did and did
not charge him (see attachment 2, highligh[redacted] items in the changes/extras
section on pages 2 and 3):
This complaint is the first time I have been made aware
that there is a problem with the new window. 
I would need to look at it to see what the problem is.  However, the windows in the home were left
open during construction to accelerate drying of damp conditions.  This particular window is a casement window
and opens out into the elements.  Leaving
this window open in the rain could cause damage. 
 As far as the tile
work being incomplete – I was not hired to tile.  I did connect the homeowner with someone that
I have worked with when he found himself in a bind.  I called in a favor and got someone there for
him in an hour.    I was not in the loop on the status of that
project -- but when I spoke with the sub the following day he told me that the
homeowner did not pay him as he was expecting so I paid him out of my own
pocket, figuring that I would square up with [redacted] at a later time.  But then the blame game star[redacted].  I have been told by the Electrician that he
saw the tile sub on the job last week, so the relationship between the homeowner
and the tile sub is not termina[redacted].
We did not paint and the only material that we used
around the brick was compound.  The painting
contractor/handyman that the owner hired to paint and the owner were painting
over the brick in the entryway without drop cloths.  If there is material on the brick that won’t
come off easily with soap and water, it is due to others.  If the owner is complaining about compound on
the brick, it can easily be cleaned off and I will go to premises when
homeowner is available to do so.
In conclusion, the homeowners request for me to fix the
out of plumb wall for free is not reasonable. 
I am happy to clean compound off of the brick if there is any and I will take a look at
the window to evaluate if there is any defect in labor.  I also want to call your attention to the homeowners
request that as remedy I come back and do more work on the premises when they
are claiming that my work has been sub-par. 
I request that either the homeowners retract their
complaint or that the Revdex.com decides that the complaint is
unsubstantiatal.  I have been in business
for 28 years and my good reputation is my best asset.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
LH Hunt
LLC

Dear [redacted],
I believe
the homeowners expec[redacted] my relationship to the house and their entire project
to be greater than it was, beyond what I was hired to do, and beyond what I was
paid to do.  I was not the inspector and
I was not the general contractor on this project. 
I was not
hired to do all necessary structural work, just specific work as outlined in my proposal da[redacted] 5/5/14.  The structural work I was hired to do in the
kitchen was limi[redacted] to interior walls.   I
did just what I was hired to do.  It was
not until I subsequently was hired to install doors, and was installing the exterior
door that I notice that the exterior wall is out of plumb.  By that time the walls were insula[redacted], sheetrocked,
and pain[redacted].  It indeed would have been
an easier repair to the kitchen portion
of the wall while the walls were still open, but I didn’t notice at that
time.  However, it is the ENTIRE back of
the house that is out of plumb which is approximately 61’, not just the
approximately 20’ of kitchen wall that I sheetrocked.  This condition has exis[redacted] for some
time.  And no, I did not volunteer to fix
this at my own expense. 
The
homeowner negotia[redacted] a price for the work I was hired to do and I don’t believe
that is in dispute here.  What I am contesting
is that they expect me to do work for free to remedy a situation that I have
nothing to do with.  Yes they did try to
work with me to come to an agreement, but the only thing they would agree to is
me giving them $1,200 worth of other work
for free.  They didn’t even specifically want me to fix
the problem that they are so upset about. 
I fail to see how I owe them $1,200 worth of work to compensate them for
a defect in their house that I did not cause.
It also
seems excessive, and a bit unbelievable, that the homeowners had 9 other building
contractors come in to evaluate my work and find me at fault for a structural
defect on a wall I didn’t work on.   The
homeowner told me that even the Electrician that referred me to them believes
that my work was sub par and that I should fix the wall or compensate them. That Electrician,  [redacted], is willing to speak with you directly to attest that he did not say that and
that he does not agree that is true. 
He can be reached at ###-###-####.  
Furthermore, Fairfield building department conduc[redacted]
insulation and framing inspections and did not find issue with the work that I
performed.
I also was
not hired to do any tile work.  [redacted] was
going to tile himself, but ran out of time. 
I only offered to give him my sub, but not to pay for him.  If [redacted] assumed I was volunteering to pay for
work on his house, he understood incorrectly. 
If I was going to pay someone out of my pocket to tile I would have the
work done on my own home, not theirs.
If the
homeowner tex[redacted] me on the morning of August 12 to tell me about the window, I
did not receive the text.  The last text string
that I received was on 8/5/14.  The
first time I learned of the problem with the window was through this complaint. 
Regarding
the brick – I agreed to come back to clean off the compound.  I did not offer to seal the bricks at no
charge.  [redacted] asked me what I thought he
could do to make the brick more aesthetically pleasing and I made suggestions.  That did not mean that I was offering to do
these things free of charge.
In closing, I
am willing to look at any claimed defects in labor that I performed and if any
of the complaints are valid, I will have them fixed.   However, I will do no additional work, include
fixing the structure of the exterior wall.
Thank you
for your consideration.  Please feel free
to contact me if you have any further questions or need any clarification.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
LH Hunt LLC

Review: [redacted] the owner of LH Hunt LLC was hired to perform residential construction work on a home renovation loca[redacted] at [redacted]. The project was extensive and [redacted] was paid over $40,000.00 over the course of the renovation. [redacted] was the sole contractor responsible for the framing, wall construction, insulation, and installation of doors/windows in the portion of the home which contained the kitchen. He also raised the kitchen ceiling over 1 foot in height, during which the ceiling area was open to the attic for 3 days. After said work was "complete", [redacted] was paid in full (cash/check). After [redacted] was paid in full, a number of issues arose involving the work that [redacted] and LH Hunt was hired for. The most significant issue is an outside load bearing wall that is bowed and crooked--the wall was never straightened. The wall not being level has caused significant issues with the installation of cabinets. Further, this has caused a window which was also installed by LH Hunt LLC to not close (latch shut), and begin to warp due to the faulty installation. This was a brand new, expensive window that may now be ruined due to the incomplete and negligent work of LH Hunt and its agents and/or employees. [redacted] acknowledged he knew about the crooked wall and made an "executive" decision not to fix said walll.Further, the tile which was being installed by LH Hunt and/or its agents/employees was never finished. This tile work now needs to be finished by a separate contractor.Plus, preexisting exposed brick hallway and wall have been damaged by LH Hunt is agents/employees. [redacted] had advised us (the owners) that the bricks would be cleaned/repaired by him and his agents but such work has not been done. Lastly, a significant amount of drywall patch work/drywall errors/sanding etc. was never comple[redacted] by LH Hunt LLC even though they were paid in full to complete said work. Many contractors/subs have advised the owners that the work was both unacceptable, incomplete, and done wrong.Desired Settlement: Owners would either like a refund in the amount of $4,500.00 (approximately 10% of the total work comple[redacted] by LH Hunt LLC) or labor/services in said amount to compensate them for the incomplete/negligent work. The negligent work will cost the owners additional money to repair/finish the incomplete projects. This has also lost the owners time on their remodeling and significant aggravation.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern: