Heritage Landscaping and Tree

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• By Kristin

  May 22, 2012

  DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY OR ROBERT KERNECKEL! YOU WILL BE UNHAPPY WITH THE RESULTS AND OUT A LOT OF $$$$$!

  We received a coupon/advertisement from Heritage Landscaping in the local coupon clipper and we called out 3 different companies to meet with us and for estimates. We hired Heritage Landscaping & Tree (Robert Kerneckel – owner) to regrade our existing walkway, replace (12) broken flagstones, mortar in between every joint for stability and to prevent weeds, and plant (10) new plants into existing beds for $4,027.50 and were told it would take 1 day since he had many men to work on this project. We paid ½ as a deposit. My husband spoke with Kerneckel via phone and confirmed that the plants would be evergreen, water and shade tolerant, that the stone would be close together with narrow mortar to ensure stability and prevent cracking, and that the walkway would have the same footprint. My husband is a Merchant Mariner (Marine Engineer on an ocean-going tug/bar) and was out at sea when the work began. I work F/T M-F. After a couple of delayed starts by Heritage due to conflicts and weather, on Sat. 4/19, they began the job while I was at my son’s baseball game without my knowledge. When I returned at 12pm our walkway was removed and I was told that there was a problem. Kerneckel stated that some of our existing stones that were to be reused were in poor shape. On Monday, 4/21, Kerneckel called me and told me he could get me used stones (only dirty but not broken or chipped) for an additional $1,385.70 or we he could order new stones for even more money. Since the walkway was already torn-up I felt I had no choice but to agree. I needed the walkway done since I have an 80-year old father that comes over a couple of times a week when my husband is out at sea to help me with child-care. This is the only way in and out of our house that he can use. Monday evening I got home to find the area around the front door in a crazy “jigsaw-like” puzzle of stones totally unlike what we originally had (I have pictures that I can provide). Additionally, they had only done the bed and plants on one side of the walkway. The next morning I had to spend a lot of time texting Kerneckel with my concerns and him sending pics of revisions to the area by the front door (took multiple corrections). When I got home that evening the walkway was completely covered by tarps. I was asked to leave the final payment for them the next day since the work was done. I was told that they would remove the tarps after 4-5 days. He picked up the check but didn’t come back to remove the tarps until 9 days later on 5/4 (no one used the walkway during this time...I rearranged my schedule to ensure that my father didn't come over during this period since there was the tarp and a number of cans and other items they used to keep the tarp down all over the walkway) and only after multiple calls and texts from me that my husband was going to be back from sea. As soon as his workers removed the tarp, that day, we saw many issues – the mortar was very wide 4-5 inches between stones (not narrow as we expected), the mortar was already cracked in these wide joints, the walkway was noticeably crooked/not level in places, and the mortar had big rust spots blotching the joints. We immediately called and texted Kerneckel so he could see the issues before any time went by since he had not come out with his men (most of whom speak little English) to remove the tarp, Kerneckel agreed to come out and make it right but has kept putting it off, not showing up, and now is not responding to our calls or texts. The walkway cost $5,413.12 and is in worse shape than it was when we called him to have it fixed. Additionally, the plants are not doing well even though we have been watering every couple days as needed, as Kerneckel instructed. We have filed a complaint with the BBB and the PA Attorney General's office.

  DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY OR ROBERT KERNECKEL! YOU WILL BE UNHAPPY WITH THE RESULTS AND OUT A LOT OF $$$$$!
  I WILL POST AN UPDATE IF/WHEN HERITAGE LANDSCAPING EVER RESPONDS TO US AND CORRECTS THIS ISSUE.

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