Ticktock Construction

I have known Mark Campos for about 3 years now. He was going to build a 2400 sf house for me on some land a couple of years back. Had problems with financing the land and house correctly and it ultimately fell through. Great plans were drawn up and land purchased. Anyway a year or so went by and I had moved in with my daughter and we decided to rehab her house, and add a small apartment with storage and covered parking out back. The house to rehab was 1000 sf and the apartment to be built was around 600 sf with a 20x20 storage area, like a garage, and then a 20x20 covered parking. We received multiple bids and Mark told me I was being way overcharged, and he in fact came back with a bid and said he could do both for 100k. The other bids were between 140 and 180. So of course 100k looked great. Well I fired Mark yesterday. The project is incomplete and I am already at 175k in. Now granted there was about 35 - 40k worth of stuff done that was not part of any bid. This was building a privacy fence, cutting down extra trees, clearing out a concrete patio, upgrading the electrical. So if I take that 40k out I am still in 135k and not complete. Outside not painted, bathroom shower not completed, and looks terrible in its current state. Outside bathroom not completed. The tape and bed and texturing, and painting looks terrible. The storage area was supposed to have been taped, bed, textured and painted, but he came back and said that would cost additional money, so I blew it off. I am just trying to get moved in, so in the last weeks I have been telling him forget this, dont need that, just so I can get to a point I can move in. Oh, the plumbing isnt completed, the main water line hasnt been connected, or any of the plumbing in the apartment. This project actually started in November, but they didnt do anything work wise until January, concrete was poured early March, and as of July 13th it still isnt completed. Weather really hasnt been a factor. This is a small project. 3 -4 months tops, we are in month 7 and still need at least two weeks to complete. Okay, the fence looks great, the frame work of the house looks great, the interior I already talked about. So the list of excuses is endless. The primary excuse is I didnt have all of the money available in the beginning. I never held him up more than a day with funds, he just wanted it all up front, and now he says he cant schedule because since he doesnt know if the funds will be available then people wont come and work for him. So that has been an ongoing battle with him. So his attempt to save me money was to use his Home Depot pro number and card to purchase stuff from there, and I in turn reimburse him via wire, check, zelle, etc. So he would present a receipt, and I would transfer funds. That seemed to work okay. However we ran into a snag, which I noticed when I looked at the receipts and punched the Home depot number in on their site to see what the items were. He had asked me early on if he could purchase some supplies along the way for this project. I assumed he meant stuff like, utility knives, scrapers, sanding blocks, tape measures, caulk guns, small miscellaneous items that dont cost a lot. Well for some reason he thinks that a table saw worth at $300, or a laser level at $199 fall into that category and was okay to buy. Of course when I wanted reimbursement for them, his reply was, you said I could buy them. What a piece of work. We also sent items back, excess items, which I have tried to get the credit balance from him, and the credit, but that falls on deaf ears. His normal workday would consist him showing up about 11 and working until about 5 or 6 and a lunch. So I very rarely got an 8 hour day out of him. His attitude was I owe him, instead of me being the customer. According to him, he has never made a mistake, it is all someone elses fault, but never his. He takes no ownership to the cost overrun, again my fault because I made so many changes. Which for some reason I have asked to see them, and of course nothing there either. I have repeatedly asked for a schedule, repeadely asked for how much is left and what will it cost. I get somehting but he changes it every day. As an example, he provide me a quote to tape,bed, texture and paint everything of 1200. That wasnt my number, but he came back and said, too low, and now needed at least 3500 just to tape and bed and texture. Again, it was oh sorry, my number was off, but if you want it done this is what it will cost. So I said no, he attempts to do it and does a crappy job. Instead of a regular HVAC system I installed mini splits, got no credit from him on that line item, since I purchased that out of my pocket instead of part of the project cost. So he brings a guy over and I ask him to get a quote to install them. He tells me, those will cost $300 bucks. I say great do it. Ends up costing $1500. So nice guy as he stabs you in the back.

I was looking for a cedar wood fence and eventually more work done on my backyard. Mark was working across the street at a neighbor's house. I asked him to come over and look around and give me an idea of what it would cost. Estimate came later, nothing in writing even after request made. Since his mother lives across the street didn't think he would try to screw me over. I was asked for $6978 to begin with for materials thinking I was getting a fence and small retianing wall. Still no written estimate. Oct 28, 2020 I provided a check (stupid me) for $8k for suppiles and labor. I took down the old fence myself. Waited Oct 29, 30, 31... no work being done. I asked, recieved excuses. Long story short, 3 weeks later I hired another contractor and had a fence and a small retaining wall built for right arounf $5k in 3 days time. Mark promised to give me back my money, stating he was going to do the right thing. It's March 17, 2021... I have heard nothing even after I presented him with a demsnd letter 14+ days ago. He refuses to respond to mail or emails. He talks a good story from working with people who have gold toilets to things you "aren't suppose to know". Talks about family and kids. How he wants to help the familes, we're all family. I even stored his tools and equipment in my garage out of the elements and safe from thieves. I fed the two boys he broght over to "help" Chick-fil-a ($33.43) What did I get in return... nothing, but a request for $1800 and lies and stupid stories and bs lines you wouldn't believe. So, if anyone knows how I can get my money back I would love to hear it. Oh, by the way, his business address, 311 Cinnamon Lane Euless TX, is his parent's home, so if anything "goes wrong" you can't find him because he doesn't live there. I have more details as I wrote down every conversation and had a friend record most of them after I caught on he wasn't going to produce a product but instead steal my money and run.

And actually he gets a -5 star rating from me.

Sally O