THIS IS THE FATHER OF FRANK ARENA, JR. In case anyone gets confused. Frank Arena Jr. was sued by the NYS Attorney General for taking money from customers, not doing the work, and is barred from doing any kind of contracting work in NYS. Georgianne Arena is the wife of Frank Arena SR and she got a DBA under her name for DECKING AMERICA In February, 2010. That was so her husband and son could continue to rip people off and work off the books. They change their business name constantly. As for the complaint of Frank Arena Sr.
On December 1, 2010 we signed a contract with Frank Arena Sr AKA: Frank' s Home Improvements to convert an attached garage into a bedroom and a laundry room. The small bathroom and laundry room inside the house were to be made into one large bathroom with a shower stall. The floors were to be tiled. The work was to include shelves built in 3 areas. Frank Arena was to supply all framing materials, insulation, drywall, cement, electrical and plumbing supplies and Labor for the price of $12, 000. We were to supply doors, bathroom fixtures, and grout.
Frank Arena Sr required a $3, 500 down payment on December 1, 2010 so he could buy "Materials and Supplies". The job was to be completed in FOUR weeks and we were to pay Frank Arena $1700 per week. and payment on completion. Frank Arena Sr stated he would only take CASH for each payment.
On December 1, 2010 we gave him $3, 500 in Cash to start the work. We got a dumpster and he started the job on December 8, 2010 and showed up with 2 helpers. They completely trashed our house for 2 days. They ripped out the old shower stall, toilet, and sink, tore up flooring, and continued to tear down walls and 2 garage doors. The washer and dryer was unhooked and put out in our garage as well as the laundry tub. The downstairs was completely uninhabitable. We were left without a bathroom or our washer and dryer. Lo and behold 2 days after starting the job on December 10, 2010 Frank Arena Sr. asks us for MONEY for OPERATING EXPENSES. He wanted CASH ONLY and we gave him $1700 before he even worked a week. He said that he needed to pay his HELP who worked all of 2 days. Six Days later, on December 16, 2010 Frank Arena Sr. says he needs more money for OPERATING EXPENSES although he only worked 2 -3 hours a day Two to Three days for his SECOND week. He brought his 16 year old granddaughter to "HELP". After we paid him $1700 HE LEFT FOR TWO WEEKS. After calling him repeatedly he finally showed up on December 28, 2010. TWO DAYS LATER Frank Arena SR asks for $1200 for OPERATING EXPENSES and he wants CASH ONLY. He tells us he can't do the job if he doesn't have any money and basically blackmails us into giving it to him or he is going to leave our house TRASHED. On that same day there is a water leak coming from upstairs so he FIXES it for another $100. Not only does he open up our Ceramic floor and wall - BUT LEAVES IT LIKE THAT ... and it remains that way as of this date. Frank Arena Sr shows up with his granddaughter and they work about 3 hours a day for a few days. On January 5, 2011 Frank Arena says he needs money for LUMBER that he was supposed to supply. He said he only needed about $200. We withdraw the money and give him the CASH.
On January 7, 2011 contractor asks for $1, 200 for "operating expenses" and we drive to the bank and withdraw money and pay him cash.
On January, 14, 2011 contractor asks for $1, 400 for "operating expenses" and we drive to the bank and withdraw money and pay him cash.
On January 19, 2011 contractor asks for a $300 "draw" for operating expenses and we drive to the bank and withdraw money and pay him cash
On January 20, 2011 contractor needs another "draw" of $850 for "operating expenses" and we pay drive to the bank and withdraw money and pay him cash.

On January, 20, 2011 he states that he needs to charge us an extra $1, 000 for plumbing and duct venting in the new laundry room. He also says he needs to charge an extra $750 to replace the drywall on the ceiling in the new bedroom. Contractor also adds on another $800 for painting and hanging cupboards in the laundry room.
The ADJUSTED total of the job has now increased from $12, 000 to $14, 550.

The contractor leaves on January 20, 2011 after we pay him $850 and does not show up for 2 weeks. We call him repeatedly and he shows up on February 02, 2011 at which time he tells us that he is having financial problems and that his van needs repairs. He states he is so broke that he does not even have the money to put gas in his van so he can drive to our home and finish the work. We go to the ATM and withdraw $350 on February 02, 2011 and another $350 on February 07, 2011 for a total of $700 so he can repair his van and buy gas. We have now paid the "contractor $12, 850.00

After paying the "contractor" on February 7, 2011 he leaves and only 10% of the job has been completed. When he does not show up for work we call him repeatedly and contractor makes excuses as to why he could not show up for work. On or around February 18, 2011 "contractor" shows up to work with his 16 year old Granddaughter and there is a heated exchange between us. He admits that he spent all of the money that we had paid him on "bills". He gets angry and leaves and after that he would show up a few hours a week. Since he spent all of the money we gave him, he did not have the money to buy the materials needed to complete the renovations (1st payment of $3, 500 was for materials) . We met him at Home Depot on THREE occasions to buy the materials and supplies that he was supposed to provide for the job which totaled to over $733 and we paid for those items on our credit card (nowhere close to $3, 500). That brings the total that we have paid the "contractor" $13, 583.00 which does not include the delivery fees charged by Home Depot.

On April 4th, 2011, "contractor" shows up when we were not at home and we discovered that he had taken a sledge hammer and smashed up the cement floor where the new bathroom was supposed to be. Ground water, mud, and broken concrete was left in piles (pictures enclosed). We called local law enforcement officials to see if we could press charges for theft of the money we paid him and damages. A Monroe County Sheriff responded and stated since the contractor "started" the work that this was a civil matter. He did, however, agree that our house was a wreck and he telephoned Frank Arena and told him he was here and saw the damage and destruction he did to our house and he needed to come back or we were going to pursue legal action.
Since we called the Sheriff, Frank Arena has shown up sporadically and stating that he is doing other jobs to make money because he is broke and needs to buy food . He works 1 or 2 hours a day for 2 days a week and would leave. He wrote a note on a wall that he had cut himself because he was trying to hold the drywall up with his head. We have taken pictures of all of the crap work he has done to include every note he has left us from Day 1. We also have his voice mail messages saved. He would also show up driving different vehicles and park inside our garage to hide them and shut the garage door. He just purchased a used Cadillac SUV at the end of May, 2011 and one month later he has it up for sale on Craiglist. On July 7, 2011, Frank SRS ceramic tile saw broke and he stated he did not have the finances to purchase a new one. We made out a check to him for $100 and he left immediately. 4 days later he left a message on our voice mail that the check we gave him had not cleared and that our bank wanted to see a Passport or they couldn't cash it. He said he did not have money for gas to drive over to our house to work. We called the bank and the check had cleared the same day we made it out to him. He last worked on July 13, 2011 for TWO HOURS and asked for money for "operating expenses" and "gas" money. When we refused he packed up all of his equipment and walked off the job. As of July 7, 2011 we have paid the contractor $13, 783.00 and approximately 15% of the work has been completed. The downstairs is uninhabitable. The work he has done is very shoddy. Drywall was not sanded smoothly, paint drip marks are coming down from the ceiling, etc. He installed a ceiling light and glued it. We can't open it to change a light bulb. We have also had to pay $1, 200 for dumpster fees in which the "contractor" threw materials from other jobs that he had done. He would back his van up and throw debris into the dumpster that we have been paying for.

The only reason why we kept on paying Frank Arena cash when he asked was because he literally trashed and destroyed our house on Day 1 which was December 8, 2011. He would work in one room - do a little bit of work - then go to another one - and then another room. He said if we didn't pay him when he asked for money that he would walk away and not do the work. We signed that contract in good faith. We are on a fixed income and retired. After EIGHT months on July 13, 2011 We finally decided to turn him in to the Better Contractor's Bureau in Rochester NY. They came to our home who took a report and assessed Frank Arena Sr's shoddy work. They could not BELIEVE how he trashed our house. He used ROOF GLUE on the shower floor stall. There is NO FIRE DOOR coming from the outside. The drywall has to be completely redone - sanded and painted. He stippled the ceilings in this THICK paint to hide the shoddiness of putting up the drywall. HE did not get any PERMITS from the town. He did plumbing and electrical work although he is NOT licensed. It was NOT up to code at all. Tiles have to be ripped down in the shower stall so that proper material can be put on the floor - (he used ROOF GLUE). He did not supply ANY materials with the exception of maybe a few nails.
The Better Contractor's Bureau is turning our complaint over to the NYS ATTORNEY GENERAL. FRANK ARENA SR. works UNDER THE TABLE. He collects SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILTY and is NOT supposed to be working in construction. Frank Arena Sr and Georgianne Arena got a LIEN slapped on them by the IRS in February, 2010 for failure to pay INCOME TAXES in 2004 and 2005. Georgianne Arena trotted right down to the Monroe County Clerk's Office and filed a DBA for DECKING AMERICA as well as got the business INCORPORATED which is a LAUGH. He does NOT report any income AT ALL to the IRS or NYS DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE. He claims Poverty to the town so that he and his wife get a HUGE break on their property taxes.
When we made payments to FRANK ARENA SR we wrote ourselves a check for CASH and put his name on it. We were able to prove each and every payment that was made to him. We have his contract and other documentation as proof as to what we have paid him. We are turning him in to the IRS, NYS DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINSTRATION FOR FRAUD AND COLLECTING DISABLITY AND WORKING; ALSO THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BOARD, as well as any other agency we can find. We have retained an Attorney and are suing him in CIVIL COURT for the money he stole from us. Our Attorney specializes in CONTRACTUAL LAW. He plans on putting a lien against his house, his SSD, and any other income that his wife makes as a bus monitor.
Frank Arena Sr is a MENACE to society. He is thief, crook, con man, pathological liar, narcissist, and LAZY. He complains and whines acts like he is the VICTIM because he pissed all of our money we gave him in less than 2 months. His wife Georgianne is JUST as bad. For her to go out and obtain a DBA in her name shows her lack of character. She is 70 years old at least and is NOT a contractor.
BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE OF THIS FAMILY. Over the past 20 years they have over 100 Judgements between them. I have attached TWO pictures. One is a NOTE he wrote on the wall how he cut himself trying to hold the drywall up with his head and nail it and that he needs OPERATING CASH (that was in May, 2011). The other one is from April, 2011 where he took a sledgehammer and broke up the floor so deep that ground water and mud came into the house. That is all broken tile and gravel.