We hired Richard Chambers of Three River Landscaping to install a retaining wall and do other landscaping. He called at least every other day to let me know that he'd be coming out and then, usually, would cancel at the last minute (usually after the time he was due to arrive). (When he or his workers did show up, it was at least 3 hours after the agreed upon time.)

He did manage to send some young men out to dig out the hill, but they only dug it to half the contracted height. After 2.5 months, he showed up to complete the wall (while we were required to be away from home).

We returned to a wall that was incorrectly installed (not level, not the correct length, and not staggered), a spigot in the back which had been running for at least 24 hours and consequently leaked into our basement, and a driveway patch job that looked like something my 4-year-old could do (with foot print and all)!

He left another man there to complete the wall (they had arrived around 7pm) while we unpacked. He said he'd be gone an hour and had asked for the $200 (which we had discussed earlier).

He called around 10pm to let us know that we needed to go to the MAC and get another $40 out so he can get gas because he won't make it home. He'd already spent the $200! I also need to state that he made this request of us after knowing we had just returned from a 5 hour trip in the car. He ended up stranded on the road and we had to go meet him to return his employee and give him gas. He promised to be back the following day. Again, he did not show.

We discussed our dissatisfaction and he said he would correct the problem and install the wall according to specifications. I haven't heard from him since.

Throughout all of this, he continued to ask for money, giving me sob stories about his life.

Since Rick failed to show up on numerous occasions to correct the wall, we demanded our money back. He signed a promissory note to pay us back in full. It is now almost 2 years later and he has not paid us back. He doesn't call when he says he will, doesn't show up when he says he will, and ALWAYS has an excuse (usually involving some medical problem with his back, tooth, hand, you name it). And I should add, in my experience, his excuses typically come after many messages from me to his voicemail.