Struggles with pool guy!!:/

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magtre

magtre

0
Sep 16, 2015
4
Kinder. Louisiana
We signed a contract in Sept. for a custom liner pool. Lagoon shape, large tanning area, stressed that we were 6ft and needed at least 6 feet of water in deep end, Tan pebble liner, 12ftx4ft waterfall.

After so many excuses he is finally almost completed with our pool.
First major problem was dealing with a mud hole for 4 mths after it was dug and we never heard from him!
Finally starts working gets walls up and installs liner. When i get home from work realize that its black pebble and not tan! I was furious! Should have demanded it changed but didn't want to have to drag the process any longer.
The water was so cold we couldnt get into pool and Easter Sunday finally a little bit warmer and had my 5 ft niece get in to see how deep it truly was. Only to discovered it wasn't even 5 feet!! I could have cried! When confronted, pool guy blamed on my husband. Said he told the guy how deep to dig!! Now my husband is 6 ft. why would he agree (or know about digging) to a 4ft 6 in pool?!!!
concrete.jpg

Now concrete is finally done (only because my husband took over) and he started installing the waterfall. I knew from the wrapping that it wasnt going to be right but my husband kept saying its just stacked it will be. When i got home from work he was finishing the concreted waterfall. walked over to him asked the dimension, said he wasnt sure. I walked it off then told him it was 8 ft. contract says 12ft! He shot up went over to my husband said he screwed up! Didn't order the lift for the waterfall but will build me some custom flower beds around it and when we go on vacation can get rocks to add to it!!! Seriously!! Not sure how much more I can take from this guy who now has just about all of the money!

Kept asking about transformer for LED lights and when he went to pull the line to hook those up low and behold the (company) sent him the wrong lights and now we will have to order a more expensive panel to have those hooked up!!
Basically the only thing he got right was the shape, pump and vacuum.
My pool is beautiful. I have had people come and look. The only problem is it is not what I paid for!
We are the last pool he is doing. Took signs off of his truck. Wife divorced him, has nothing.

Some have advised me to get a lean put on him that he will not be able to do anything until he makes it right. I can't get the depth in my pool without total redo. With the turbo slide we will be ok, but that is not the point.
my waterfall.jpg
my waterfall
Anybody have any advice for me? Should we just wash our hands and be done?
I've edited the last photograph out of your post. It contained the name of a pool builder, making it both subject to copyright and it may have violated Rule 4 which prohibits criticism of pool builders in a manner which would allow the builder to be identified.
 
Well, first of all let me welcome you to TFP. :wave: Sorry it has to be under such unfortunate circumstances. That's simply dreadful. Could you go to battle with this guy? Probably so. You could go to the city (Contractors Board I believe) and file a grievance, or as others have stated initiate a possible lean against his company. It's not really my area of expertise. The worst part however is that you already know his company is folding. Sounds like he is about out the door (family & business) and no telling if he would ever be able to make good on the deal. But some may say you should at least file the formal complaints because (I believe) if he were to try and open a new business later under a different name, that grievance may follow him to at least prevent him from doing this to others in the future. Again, not my area of expertise, but just some thoughts.

In any case, we hate to hear of scenarios like this. It doesn't happen all the time, but unfortunately you're not the only one who has had an unfortunate experience with a contractor. For what it's worth, the pics of your pool look very nice, and I hope you find some resolution soon.
 
Construction legal battles are not fun and you don't want to be in one. Even if you win you get a judgment -- unless he has assets and a reason not to go bankrupt you get little or nothing.

Be happy with your pool. You could try and threaten him, file in small claims against him and get a judgment -- In CAlifornia the limit is 10 K I have no idea what it is in Texas.

This is a reason to go with established reasonably sized pool builders.
 
I don't know what state "Kinder" is in, but once it warms up where you are I'm willing to bet the pool will be wonderful. Unless you have a diving board or jumping rock, depth is usually not an issue. Four feet deep, even for a six footer will be great. I'm usually hanging on a float, sitting in a floating chair or jsut bouncing around in the pool, so our 8 foot deep section (for diving board we never use) is just unused space. The four foot depth area gets the most action.
 
I just have a aboveground but I had nothing but problems with builders too. Excuse after excuse, then he came and dug the hole and thought he was just going to leave it till he could get to it, also the digger hit my house with the bobcat. Fired him and got another one, he was a little better but he started late and ended up installing the liner at night, I told him it was full of wrinkles that night and he said they would pull out. They didn't, had to hold his money so he would come and get them out. In the end I think I'll be happy, built in the fall and then closed it, i think I wouldve been happier if I had just done it myself.
 

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