Public Mediation

Furfaro Design/Build Landscapes-Dispute-#5873142

D. B. vs. Furfaro Design/Build Landscapes
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Amount Involved: Other terms
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Statement of Claim
Complaints Involved (4) - View
Claimant says:
"Furfaro has a really good website. It's colorful, detailed, and informative. Problem is that the "work" his crew of three performed came Nowhere near what his website would lead one to expect. He took me to small claims court. When he sees this, he will probably tell you that he won, which is mostly true. I had been very ill during the whole time I had to deal him and just did not present my case very well to the judge. The pictures I had planned to present came out too blurry; and as a result I lost the counterclaim. The judge did however reduce the amount Furfaro claimed I owed him. I had to replace the very sickly shade tree that Furfaro's crew had installed. When a local landscaping expert (a real one) took a look, he said it looked like the tree had probably been sitting in back of a pickup truck for several days. That was in May when St. Louis was in the middle of a heat wave. Part of my counterclaim was that Furfaro, being the so-called expert, should have suggested that we wait until the weather cooled down a bit. I would have been happy to oblige. Instead, he had his crew carry on in blistering heat. Furfaro offered little to no "expert advice". In fact, once the crew started work, he provided no supervision whatsoever. When I asked him what how much training his crew had, he stated they were "hortaculturists". My request for documention was ignored.


Initially, he high balled his bid to me about 100% When we finally decided on a bid, his price was the highest compared to two other bids. I agreed because I had put in two summers of work just getting the yard ready for planting. I really wanted this garden to look good after all of my hard work. Three bids are usually enough for any contracted work, but I was dead wrong on that point. In hindsight, I should have gotten more bids. ( I took 10 bids for my patio and it paid off. The patio, done by a another company, did a great job. I wanted the garden to look just as nice; to reflect all the time and effort I had put into this).

When Furfaro placed the plants above ground for my approval, I said ok. I didn't think I had to look at every single plant. I chose to trust him regarding the quality of the plants. BIG MISTAKE...1) At least half the plants his crew installed looked sickly. 2) The plants were spaced incorrectly. 3) Many were planted in the wrong parts of the yard. Some had roots showing above ground. Just for example, hostas, which grow best in shade, were planted in direct sunlight. 4) His crew put down an inch or less of mulch; just enough to cover surface debris which should have been picked up and disposed of as per contract. 4) Most days, I had to clean up trash his crew left behind such as bottled water containers, etc. 5) A small retaining wall a different crew member did was sloppy. Concrete was smeared all over the the stones. 6) His crew Killed a beautful rosebush I had nursed back to health when my wife and I moved here in 2007. Furfaro claimed that transplant shock was the reason the rose bush was looking bad, and that it would recover. It did not. When I dug it up after it had died, it was obvious that roots had been torn apart with reckless disregard. 7) One day, friends or parents parked on the wrong side of the street, with 2 tires on the lawn, to pick up the crew 2 hours before quitting time.

I was totally ripped off with this whole mess. I don't expect any remuneration. I just want the public to know that I felt ripped off by this company. Choosing Brad Furfaro for landscaping was by far The Biggest Mistake I have ever made in regard to hiring a contractor. The saying goes "live and learn". Boy did I ever!!"
...
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What Claimant Wants Hide
Just make me happy!
Claimant invites Furfaro Design/Build Landscapes to make a fair offer.
1. Other – Copy claim to regulators Apr 18, 2012 $14.95
2. Other – Pay for claim posting cost Apr 18, 2012 $7.95
Cash total : TBD
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Respondent's Counteroffer Hide
The claimant's settlement terms were rejected with the following explanation:
  • I disagree with the explanation / grounds provided

    "According to a New York Times article, “PeopleClaim.com charges $7.95 to file a claim by e-mail, which it refunds if the complaint isn’t resolved in 90 days.” This claim is indeed resolved and was settled in St. Louis Small Claims Court, Case 11SL-SC01375, on Dec 10, 2011. FDB was awarded, and Brasken paid to FDB, all amounts requested by FDB, including interest.
    Brad Furfaro, licensed Landscape Architect, is highly regarded in the St. Louis community, both charitably and professionally.
    Brasken stated in court that he suffers from a mental health condition, which makes it immoral and unethical for FDB to discuss Brasken’s condition in a “complaint” forum such as this. In turn, it is also unethical for PeopleClaim.com to accept money for cases that have already been tried in our legal justice system. "

This claim will remain posted until resolved.

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  • Contributed Solution: by Jenny Wren On 07-23-2020
    View more
    Outstandingly bad response to a complaint More...
If you are a party to this claim, click here.
Is this a fair resolution?
  • Comment: by jennifermillerpc — Online mediator
    • On: 06-07-2012
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  • Paul A - $7 to $30 is nothing for a loser/complainer to pay if they are determined to ruin someone’s reputation – it’s called a last ditch effort. The only way a reader should believe that the complainer isn’t doing even more complaining anonymously within the post section, is if PeopleClaim guarantees that the person’s first name is the same as the first name on the credit card – which they do not “Paul”. And I’m not sure what your definition of legitimate is – in most of these claims, we can’t believe what either side says, we weren’t there, and unfortunately, people lie. I’m with Furfaro – court of law, is court of law.
  • Comment: by Paul Anastaseo (20 points) — Online mediator
    • On: 06-07-2012
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  • to the previous poster that addresses Carolyn H - hey, please keep in mind that the user that filed this complaint was actually verified and paid the posting fee which is about $7.

    I don't think a less motivated customer would risk their credit card number AND pay for a service if it was just a rant, so there must be some truth involved, don't you think?

    I'm not saying that one party or another is right, because I have no info regarding that, but keep in mind that this is a legitimate claim, in my view.
  • Comment: by beckyjonepc — Online mediator
    • On: 06-07-2012
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  • Hello. Every now and then I like to see what businesses are listed out here from my area. I stumbled across this one about FDB. While I have never had the guy do work for me, I can totally vouch for the fact that a year or so ago he put in a sidewalk and wheelchair ramp free-of-charge for an elderly War Veteran in our community. If you need a reference, contact me and I will look for the veteran's name. - Becky J.
  • Comment: by jennifermillerpc — Online mediator
    • On: 06-07-2012
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  • Carolyn H - you sound like a horrible judge of character. I have worked as an administrative assistant at a law firm for 15+ years, and Furfaro has it completely correct - this case has been settled in a court. Furfaro kept his response dignified, and just stated the facts, as opposed to the angry customer who lost in court. Face it - he's just mad he was wrong and lost. Because the Furfaro response is in keeping with the letters I write for our clients all the time, I'm wondering if you are even a real person Carolyn - or, is this just a post from the sad and mentally ill, disgruntled customer pretending to be legit. Thus, anyone can post stuff out here - we're not stupid. Based on what I've read - I would easily give Furfaro my business.
  • Comment: by Carolyn Haines — Online mediator
    • On: 05-27-2012
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  • I don't know who's wrong and who's right although I could see both sides, what I do know is that this isn't someone I want to landscape my mom's yard. He sounds angry and arrogant. My mom is elderly and would probably ask a lot of questions and worry, and this landscaper sounds as if he'd blow her off. I'm glad I did the research.
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