Be Careful - Roger Greenlee - Please pass this on- the sheriff can't do anything

[AnnTony]

May 27, 2012
****Please don’t get taken like our Villa’s did – This is just my story – pass it on!!!
We would like to file a complaint against Roger Greenlee and request some restitution of compensation for the following reasons:
We originally contracted with Roger Greenlee; his business card identified his company as Professional Services Plus, LLC. in February 2012 when he approached my husband at our garage entrance. He was going door to door soliciting business in the neighborhood of Crestview Villas. This particular contract included driveway/sidewalk painting at our new home in Florida. It included pressure washing, painting, base coat, top coat and sealer on driveway and sidewalks, in both the front and back walkways.
We contracted again (before he was finished with the first one) for the landscaping of our property. This one included some concrete work (building a pad and doggie step), waterfall, palm trees, flowers and plants, removing all sod, putting rock down and capping off/relocating sprinklers to the appropriate spots.
The first job began on schedule in February 2012. The work stopped at our home to allow time for him to acquire materials for contract #2. However, we identified areas to him which needed to be finished: no sealer coat applied to any of the driveways in Crestview Villas, spray paint on our home and fences, including our neighbors, needed to be removed, painting on the driveway next to the front door, doggie step had not been smoothed over or painted (left to dry with debris mixed in), and where tape was placed in the lanai, when removed; peeled paint inside enclosure. All items were identified to Roger or Patty (his assistant) as they were discovered. Said they would finish all the work after the landscaping and concrete pad work was completed.
While waiting for the materials to arrive for our contract, he proceeded doing many other driveways in Crestview Villas. As a result of this, work did not start in a timely manner for the landscaping. I called and told Roger we would do it ourselves, but I wanted the money back that we had given him in advance for this contract. Roger finally sent someone out to start removing the sod in the back yard in mid-March. He pulled some sod up in the backyard, however, the employee didn’t return the next day. We were getting very frustrated by now. After seeing the quality of work with creating the doggie step, we contracted with another company to pour the pad and sidewalk, figuring we could deduct that money from the estimate. I again informed Roger of the delay in doing the work. Next, as time went by, we hired another contractor to pressure wash the house hoping this would remove the paint, in addition to cleaning the vinyl – no such luck, paint wouldn’t come up (still there). Rogers’ employee came back again to finish removing the sod. Landscaping started and the waterfall was finally being constructed.
Well, here we are in May. The work that needed to be finished from our initial contract still needs to be accomplished; but now, add the fountain leaks (can’t run it, drains all the water into the lawn somewhere). There was not enough slate to even cover the tub of the fountain. The new concrete work was to be painted along with the doggie step. None of the paint was completed per estimate. After such a long wait and no calls/contact with Roger except once said they would be back in the next couple of days (April timeframe) I hired another contractor to finish the work. Oh by the way, our fence was hit with a bobcat when he was landscaping the yard…Cost to fix the dents, is yet to be determined.
Below is recap of the timeframe and money this contractor has cost us to date. Please take into consideration some unfinished work still needs to be completed correctly, our costs to hire additional contractors are included with additional materials that also had to be purchased. We ended up paying Roger $1200.00 for the first incomplete contract and $8900.00 for the second. However, we spent additional money to hire others to at least help fix some of the left other problems.

(First Contract)
First payment: 2/14 $400.00 Second payment: 2/21 $800.00 Both Checks
(Second Contract)
First 2/12 $3500.00 Check
Second 3/1 $ 500.00 Check
Third 3/26 $2500.00 Check
Fourth Cash 4/6 $ 500.00 Check 4/6 $ 500.00
Fifth Cash 4/10 $ 200.00 Check 4/10 $ 1200.00
Additional contractors hired:
Pour concrete $1640.00 Check
Pressure Washing $ 150.00 **** Check
**** (As far as the pressure washing goes, we needed to do this house anyway, just hoping it would take off the paint too)
Slate purchased for waterfall $ 87.74
Our time repairing/fixing TBD
Additional Painting Completed $ 800.00 (Backyard only)
The following are work still needs to be accomplished:
- Front Paining redone with the right kind of paint and fixed where left unfinished $ 800.00

- River Rock purchased/delivered to fill in the no rock spots and build it up to where it should be (edge of walkways) $ 826.80

Since Roger Greenlee has been misleading Villages residents on what he is unable or unwilling to finish, we are requesting a partial refund to in-turn pay the additional contractors in completing the work we paid Roger to do. We have also spent a great deal of time just trying to finish the waterfall correctly.
I asked repeatedly for a receipt for the landscaping contract, but was never given one. I do have all other receipts. To date, we have had to spend an additional $2677.74, not including our labor or the work that still needs to be done right. There are so many more individuals, in our neighborhood alone, that have also been taken by Roger, but are afraid to speak up. Please help us all. If you can, I’ll try to get the rest that have been taken by Roger Greenlee. “Talk of the Village” website has additional warning/complaints on this contractor in other parts of the Villages. If you need to contact us, call 633-2505. Thanks for your assistance with this matter.
//signed//
Ann M and Tony L Seldomridge 2108 Shady Hill Court (Crestview Villas) Village of Buttonwood

[asianthree]

I am at a loss, so sorry

[Happinow]

I'm so sorry you've been put through this. There are a lot of honest contractors out there. Hope all goes well from this point forward.

[villages07]

If you do a forum search on TOTV for Greenlee you will see a couple of prior threads with warnings about him, including a reference to his mug shots on the web.

Sounds like a bad apple.

[redwitch]

Have you contacted Seniors Against Crime? They might be your best recourse.

Just a question -- is the same contractor that began painting several driveways in Crestview Villas but never completed the jobs or is that another contractor entirely?

Sadly, it is not uncommon for Villagers in new developments to be taken by unscrupulous contractors. The best thing you can do is get referrals from residents who have been here awhile or the Home Warranty Dept. for TV. Some contractors do a great job for the first few units in an area and then start cheating those referred by the first few lucky ones.

I hope you get some recourse. Good luck!

[CaptJohn]

I have a policy that has served me well over the years: NEVER buy from solicitors.
You probably need to consult an attorney for a civil suit against him. The others should consider the same action.

[CarGuys]

[QUOTE=redwitch;498944]Have you contacted Seniors Against Crime? They might be your best recourse.

Redwitch or anyone.

I don't wish to highjack the thread but could you provide some information to all of us new villagers about Crimes Against Seniors?

How do they help? FYI for all reading?

Herv

[redwitch]

Correct title is Seniors vs. Crime (sorry). It is a state project to protect seniors against fraud and scam artists. Here's the State's link with info: Seniors Vs. Crime Project (http://www.seniorsvscrime.com/)

Local contact information is:

Seniors Vs Crime Project
Sumter County Sheriff’s Annex
8035 East CR 466-Suite C
The Villages, FL 32162
Open: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Hours: 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Phone (352) 689-4600 Ext. 4606
Fax: (352) 689-4601
Manager: Georgia Lifsey
sumtersvc@gmail.com
Mailing Address:
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office – The Villages District
Sumter County Government Annex Building
8035 East CR 466-Suite C
The Villages, FL 32162

[PaPaLarry]

That is sad:(:mad: Don't like to see OR hear about Villagers being taken advantage of. So important not to give contractor too much money ahead of time, until job complete. We had Randa Services, Inc. Randy Davidson do our addition to house, (walk-in closet) and he was excellent and thorough. The good thing about him, was he wouldn't except more then half (on installments accoring to progress) until job was complete to our satisfaction. We paid the other half, after job was complete. Would recommend him to anyone.:clap2::BigApplause: I hope you get satisfaction and complete restitution for your awful experience!!

[Villageshooter]

We are such a trusting generation.....I am same way... I really think we just want the job done and if you tell us something we believe u are a person of honor.
My hope for you is you stay on this person like a badger and make his life a living hell! To the point he comes conclusion "these old folks are nothing mess with"
Please post pictures of his trucks! If you see him working somewhere we need to inform folks of this slug of a persons character! Do you have a home address of him? I would be outside his home every morning everyday when he left for work. Call local law enforcement to stay legal, don't harass him but let him know you not going away.... You should get legal process started. Get the folks he has cheated go to the states attorney , they are much more responsive (they need your vote).
Good luck do not give up that is what he figures you will do!

[KathieI]

If you do a forum search on TOTV for Greenlee you will see a couple of prior threads with warnings about him, including a reference to his mug shots on the web.

Sounds like a bad apple.

Interesting? Newbies should check search forum on TOTV before contracting with anyone to see if there were comments made about them, whether good or bad!!... I remember when I moved into Hadley, many solicitors would come up to the door or driveway giving us literature and business cards of services they could render. We were inundated with them and I was always leery about using them.

Back in Los Angeles, we moved into a new development and a contractor who walked up to our house, took us for $700 for concrete work and he never showed up. After checking with the police, we found out that he had a history of this kind of scam. It was a hard lesson but at least I learned...

Sorry for your problem and I hope you can get some sort of satisfaction out of this mess.

PS, doesn't my text color look pretty with the new forum look,,,, :BigApplause:

[AnnTony]

That's the one...Another contractor, Carmen, has starting redoing some of them. Just so much more work --he will not have his work associated with Roger - so he removes it first and then starts all over. Had him finish and redo the back already - in time, front will come next

[hotrodgirl]

This is very discouraging news, and I am so sorry this happened to you and others as it would seem. I am not scertain if this is the correct terminology, but here in IL there is something called "Fraud by Deceit". It allows one to go after someone unscrupulous and have them charged with a crime. Once charged they either have to complete their job per contract, or return the money. Perhaps if you and any others he has cheated were to speak with the police again and an attorney, something could be done to help you. It's disturbing to think people would intentionally cheat someone. There are so many good and honorable workers out there and this type of behavior hurts everyone.... Best of luck and I hope you are able to garner some sort of satisfaction.

[jtdraig]

Contact Seniors v. Crime in the Sumter Country Sheriff's substation on Route 466...they will help you

[billethkid]

in addition to not buying from solicitors (soliciting in TV is not allowed!).

Don't do business with a contractor that requires money up front.

Thirdly do not use contractors that do not have a license or insurance.

Fourth, always get a list of jobs completed...not the ones he recommends you call.

Lastly, never....NEVER EVER...have work done without getting at LEAST three different contractors to quote the job...be suspicious of the low bidder.

btk

[AnnTony]

We went to crimes against seniors and they will try to help us. I appreciate all the suggestions you have given us --- sure wish I would of asked before rather than later. Must mean that's why you get wiser as you get older..lol...better late than never...:mademyday:

[AnnTony]

Contact Seniors v. Crime in the Sumter Country Sheriff's substation on Route 466...they will help you

We finally did today...Sure hope the rest of our Villas does it also. Can only help

[AnnTony]

Remember ..We are all getting older.....Sure wish my whole Villa would take him on. At least railroad gal is hanging with me

[redwitch]

I think what amazes me the most is that the Sheriff's Department didn't recommend Seniors Against Crime or even why they said they couldn't do anything. So far as I know, fraud is theft.

[Pharmer]

http://florida.arrests.org/mugs/Hillsborough/2011/11015637.jpg

Click on the above link for a perfect picture of Roger

Unfortunately you folks missed the previous posts re Roger and girl friend. You would have run as fast as possible away from him

[Pharmer]

attach file

[dbussone]

May 27, 2012
****Please don’t get taken like our Villa’s did – This is just my story – pass it on!!!
We would like to file a complaint against Roger Greenlee and request some restitution of compensation for the following reasons:
We originally contracted with Roger Greenlee; his business card identified his company as Professional Services Plus, LLC. in February 2012 when he approached my husband at our garage entrance. He was going door to door soliciting business in the neighborhood of Crestview Villas. This particular contract included driveway/sidewalk painting at our new home in Florida. It included pressure washing, painting, base coat, top coat and sealer on driveway and sidewalks, in both the front and back walkways.
We contracted again (before he was finished with the first one) for the landscaping of our property. This one included some concrete work (building a pad and doggie step), waterfall, palm trees, flowers and plants, removing all sod, putting rock down and capping off/relocating sprinklers to the appropriate spots.
The first job began on schedule in February 2012. The work stopped at our home to allow time for him to acquire materials for contract #2. However, we identified areas to him which needed to be finished: no sealer coat applied to any of the driveways in Crestview Villas, spray paint on our home and fences, including our neighbors, needed to be removed, painting on the driveway next to the front door, doggie step had not been smoothed over or painted (left to dry with debris mixed in), and where tape was placed in the lanai, when removed; peeled paint inside enclosure. All items were identified to Roger or Patty (his assistant) as they were discovered. Said they would finish all the work after the landscaping and concrete pad work was completed.
While waiting for the materials to arrive for our contract, he proceeded doing many other driveways in Crestview Villas. As a result of this, work did not start in a timely manner for the landscaping. I called and told Roger we would do it ourselves, but I wanted the money back that we had given him in advance for this contract. Roger finally sent someone out to start removing the sod in the back yard in mid-March. He pulled some sod up in the backyard, however, the employee didn’t return the next day. We were getting very frustrated by now. After seeing the quality of work with creating the doggie step, we contracted with another company to pour the pad and sidewalk, figuring we could deduct that money from the estimate. I again informed Roger of the delay in doing the work. Next, as time went by, we hired another contractor to pressure wash the house hoping this would remove the paint, in addition to cleaning the vinyl – no such luck, paint wouldn’t come up (still there). Rogers’ employee came back again to finish removing the sod. Landscaping started and the waterfall was finally being constructed.
Well, here we are in May. The work that needed to be finished from our initial contract still needs to be accomplished; but now, add the fountain leaks (can’t run it, drains all the water into the lawn somewhere). There was not enough slate to even cover the tub of the fountain. The new concrete work was to be painted along with the doggie step. None of the paint was completed per estimate. After such a long wait and no calls/contact with Roger except once said they would be back in the next couple of days (April timeframe) I hired another contractor to finish the work. Oh by the way, our fence was hit with a bobcat when he was landscaping the yard…Cost to fix the dents, is yet to be determined.
Below is recap of the timeframe and money this contractor has cost us to date. Please take into consideration some unfinished work still needs to be completed correctly, our costs to hire additional contractors are included with additional materials that also had to be purchased. We ended up paying Roger $1200.00 for the first incomplete contract and $8900.00 for the second. However, we spent additional money to hire others to at least help fix some of the left other problems.

(First Contract)
First payment: 2/14 $400.00 Second payment: 2/21 $800.00 Both Checks
(Second Contract)
First 2/12 $3500.00 Check
Second 3/1 $ 500.00 Check
Third 3/26 $2500.00 Check
Fourth Cash 4/6 $ 500.00 Check 4/6 $ 500.00
Fifth Cash 4/10 $ 200.00 Check 4/10 $ 1200.00
Additional contractors hired:
Pour concrete $1640.00 Check
Pressure Washing $ 150.00 **** Check
**** (As far as the pressure washing goes, we needed to do this house anyway, just hoping it would take off the paint too)
Slate purchased for waterfall $ 87.74
Our time repairing/fixing TBD
Additional Painting Completed $ 800.00 (Backyard only)
The following are work still needs to be accomplished:
- Front Paining redone with the right kind of paint and fixed where left unfinished $ 800.00

- River Rock purchased/delivered to fill in the no rock spots and build it up to where it should be (edge of walkways) $ 826.80

Since Roger Greenlee has been misleading Villages residents on what he is unable or unwilling to finish, we are requesting a partial refund to in-turn pay the additional contractors in completing the work we paid Roger to do. We have also spent a great deal of time just trying to finish the waterfall correctly.
I asked repeatedly for a receipt for the landscaping contract, but was never given one. I do have all other receipts. To date, we have had to spend an additional $2677.74, not including our labor or the work that still needs to be done right. There are so many more individuals, in our neighborhood alone, that have also been taken by Roger, but are afraid to speak up. Please help us all. If you can, I’ll try to get the rest that have been taken by Roger Greenlee. “Talk of the Village” website has additional warning/complaints on this contractor in other parts of the Villages. If you need to contact us, call 633-2505. Thanks for your assistance with this matter.
//signed//
Ann M and Tony L Seldomridge 2108 Shady Hill Court (Crestview Villas) Village of Buttonwood
Professional Services Plus LLC is not a FL registered company. Roger Greenlee and his associate Wade Garrett are both scam artists, having been arrested numerous times for things such as falsely reporting to have a licensed company. Roger was arrested most recently in July 2012 for this same activity. Check the web for both these criminals. I lost my deposit and am working with the Sheriff's Department. If I can keep someone else from losing money it will be time well spent.

[NIPAS K-9]

May 27, 2012
****Please don’t get taken like our Villa’s did – This is just my story – pass it on!!!
We would like to file a complaint against Roger Greenlee and request some restitution of compensation for the following reasons:
We originally contracted with Roger Greenlee; his business card identified his company as Professional Services Plus, LLC. in February 2012 when he approached my husband at our garage entrance. He was going door to door soliciting business in the neighborhood of Crestview Villas. This particular contract included driveway/sidewalk painting at our new home in Florida. It included pressure washing, painting, base coat, top coat and sealer on driveway and sidewalks, in both the front and back walkways.
We contracted again (before he was finished with the first one) for the landscaping of our property. This one included some concrete work (building a pad and doggie step), waterfall, palm trees, flowers and plants, removing all sod, putting rock down and capping off/relocating sprinklers to the appropriate spots.
The first job began on schedule in February 2012. The work stopped at our home to allow time for him to acquire materials for contract #2. However, we identified areas to him which needed to be finished: no sealer coat applied to any of the driveways in Crestview Villas, spray paint on our home and fences, including our neighbors, needed to be removed, painting on the driveway next to the front door, doggie step had not been smoothed over or painted (left to dry with debris mixed in), and where tape was placed in the lanai, when removed; peeled paint inside enclosure. All items were identified to Roger or Patty (his assistant) as they were discovered. Said they would finish all the work after the landscaping and concrete pad work was completed.
While waiting for the materials to arrive for our contract, he proceeded doing many other driveways in Crestview Villas. As a result of this, work did not start in a timely manner for the landscaping. I called and told Roger we would do it ourselves, but I wanted the money back that we had given him in advance for this contract. Roger finally sent someone out to start removing the sod in the back yard in mid-March. He pulled some sod up in the backyard, however, the employee didn’t return the next day. We were getting very frustrated by now. After seeing the quality of work with creating the doggie step, we contracted with another company to pour the pad and sidewalk, figuring we could deduct that money from the estimate. I again informed Roger of the delay in doing the work. Next, as time went by, we hired another contractor to pressure wash the house hoping this would remove the paint, in addition to cleaning the vinyl – no such luck, paint wouldn’t come up (still there). Rogers’ employee came back again to finish removing the sod. Landscaping started and the waterfall was finally being constructed.
Well, here we are in May. The work that needed to be finished from our initial contract still needs to be accomplished; but now, add the fountain leaks (can’t run it, drains all the water into the lawn somewhere). There was not enough slate to even cover the tub of the fountain. The new concrete work was to be painted along with the doggie step. None of the paint was completed per estimate. After such a long wait and no calls/contact with Roger except once said they would be back in the next couple of days (April timeframe) I hired another contractor to finish the work. Oh by the way, our fence was hit with a bobcat when he was landscaping the yard…Cost to fix the dents, is yet to be determined.
Below is recap of the timeframe and money this contractor has cost us to date. Please take into consideration some unfinished work still needs to be completed correctly, our costs to hire additional contractors are included with additional materials that also had to be purchased. We ended up paying Roger $1200.00 for the first incomplete contract and $8900.00 for the second. However, we spent additional money to hire others to at least help fix some of the left other problems.

(First Contract)
First payment: 2/14 $400.00 Second payment: 2/21 $800.00 Both Checks
(Second Contract)
First 2/12 $3500.00 Check
Second 3/1 $ 500.00 Check
Third 3/26 $2500.00 Check
Fourth Cash 4/6 $ 500.00 Check 4/6 $ 500.00
Fifth Cash 4/10 $ 200.00 Check 4/10 $ 1200.00
Additional contractors hired:
Pour concrete $1640.00 Check
Pressure Washing $ 150.00 **** Check
**** (As far as the pressure washing goes, we needed to do this house anyway, just hoping it would take off the paint too)
Slate purchased for waterfall $ 87.74
Our time repairing/fixing TBD
Additional Painting Completed $ 800.00 (Backyard only)
The following are work still needs to be accomplished:
- Front Paining redone with the right kind of paint and fixed where left unfinished $ 800.00

- River Rock purchased/delivered to fill in the no rock spots and build it up to where it should be (edge of walkways) $ 826.80

Since Roger Greenlee has been misleading Villages residents on what he is unable or unwilling to finish, we are requesting a partial refund to in-turn pay the additional contractors in completing the work we paid Roger to do. We have also spent a great deal of time just trying to finish the waterfall correctly.
I asked repeatedly for a receipt for the landscaping contract, but was never given one. I do have all other receipts. To date, we have had to spend an additional $2677.74, not including our labor or the work that still needs to be done right. There are so many more individuals, in our neighborhood alone, that have also been taken by Roger, but are afraid to speak up. Please help us all. If you can, I’ll try to get the rest that have been taken by Roger Greenlee. “Talk of the Village” website has additional warning/complaints on this contractor in other parts of the Villages. If you need to contact us, call 633-2505. Thanks for your assistance with this matter.
//signed//
Ann M and Tony L Seldomridge 2108 Shady Hill Court (Crestview Villas) Village of Buttonwood

I think where you went wrong was starting a second contract with him before he finished the first............ He saw easy money on the way......... and milked you all the way. I have seen so many of these (retired law enforcement). NEVER PAY ON A SECOND CONTRACT BEFORE THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST TO YOUR SATISFACTION, THERE ARE ALOT OF HONEST CONTRACTORS OUT THERE, I AGREE TO GET A REFERENCE FROM SOMEONE THAT HAD THE WORK DONE TO THEIR SATISFASCTION AND IN A TIMELY MANNER. I WOULD SEEK LEGAL ADVICE, YOU DO...... HAVE A CASE. WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN PERSUING IT.

[kaydee]

Professional Services Plus LLC is not a FL registered company. Roger Greenlee and his associate Wade Garrett are both scam artists, having been arrested numerous times for things such as falsely reporting to have a licensed company. Roger was arrested most recently in July 2012 for this same activity. Check the web for both these criminals. I lost my deposit and am working with the Sheriff's Department. If I can keep someone else from losing money it will be time well spent.

I sent you a pm

[jtdraig]

Correct title is Seniors vs. Crime (sorry). It is a state project to protect seniors against fraud and scam artists. Here's the State's link with info: Seniors Vs. Crime Project (http://www.seniorsvscrime.com/)

Local contact information is:

Seniors Vs Crime Project
Sumter County Sheriff’s Annex
8035 East CR 466-Suite C
The Villages, FL 32162
Open: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Hours: 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Phone (352) 689-4600 Ext. 4606
Fax: (352) 689-4601
Manager: Georgia Lifsey
sumtersvc@gmail.com
Mailing Address:
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office – The Villages District
Sumter County Government Annex Building
8035 East CR 466-Suite C
The Villages, FL 32162

This is GREAT advice! Seniors v. Crime is a first class organization that goes after situations like these although a poster did mention hiring a lawyer...I'd think about Morgan or some firm like that.

[dbussone]

I learned from the Seniors vs Crime folks that the 3 characters titled above seem to be working together in a loose arrangement. If you've had difficulty with any of them, please contact Seniors vs Crime. They are still actively working in the newer section of TV.

If I've done it correctly, 2 mugshots of Wade Garrett are attached to this post.

[kaydee]

We are in the middle of trying to decide how to handle our driveway painting contract that we signed in July 2012. Long story short, driveway isn't done, can't contact Wade due to supposedly a health issue. Roger Greenly has offered to do our job to satisfy us & help out Wade. We gave a $450.00 deposit in July. Very nervous about this whole thing. When contacting Seniors vs Crime & reporting our situation, just what does that organization do for the victim? Does your money somehow get collected & returned? I am not familiar with how it works & would appreciate any info.

[elevatorman]

This will help explain Seniors vs Crime. Seniors Vs. Crime Project (http://www.seniorsvscrime.com/)

[Bogie Shooter]

No money up front...............................

[sueandskip]

Solicating in The Villages is prohibitated....So why entertain the guy ...

[Figmo Bohica]

Just because something is prohibitied does not stop someone from doing it. Be watchful, be careful, its your responsibility.

[justjim]

I think what amazes me the most is that the Sheriff's Department didn't recommend Seniors Against Crime or even why they said they couldn't do anything. So far as I know, fraud is theft.

Makes you wonder how customer oriented Sumter County Sheriff's Department is to the taxpayers of Sumter County. They are pretty good about giving our various traffic tickets I've heard! :grumpy:

[senior citizen]

This will help explain Seniors vs Crime. Seniors Vs. Crime Project (http://www.seniorsvscrime.com/)


THIS IS ALL GOOD TO KNOW..........

In Vermont, for the most part, a handshake seals the deal and we know all of our carpenters, plumbers, landscapers, etc......we know their families and even their grandparents. Thus, the handshake is sufficient.

It's a small , self contained town of 16,000 souls....so our frame of reference is different than this orginal poster and what anguish they've been through.

However, we both remember what happened to us in Florida back in 1994 when we bought a condo gulf front on the beach in Venice Florida.

The previous owners were elderly and going into a retirement place in Colorado to be near their children..........we decided to totally remodel every single room...........the bathroom remodelers were efficient and reliable........ditto for the carpeting and the tile guys for the balconies and the foyer, bathrooms, etc..............however, although the KITCHEN GUYS had a beautiful showroom..........and came and did the layout for the new kitchen, after we had chosen the cabinets, countertops, appliances, etc........as it was nearing an "end" they told us that a LIEN HAD BEEN PLACED ON US BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT PAID THEIR DEBTS TO THEIR SUPPLIERS.

We got a formal letter in the mail telling of this lien. The bad thing was we had decided to return to Vermont and put the condo on the market for sale..........not easy when you have a lien, through no fault of your own, on your condo. After my husband threatening to sue them, they paid their debt to their supplier which took our lien off. But, it was nerve wracking, to say the least.

We returned here and bought another house on our same old street.
Again, a handshake with a known reputable person is the best way to go.

In Florida, there was so much "paper work" and "contracts" for every little thing, whereas here it was back to business as usual.......a handshake sealed the deal. WE'VE NEVER GIVEN A CONTRACTOR MONEY UPFRONT.......and we've done a lot of remodeling to this house..........my husband has even offered them money and they won't take it until the work is done...and they are always fair. NEVER SIGNED A CONTRACT.

Maybe our one little complaint is that they all take on more work than they can comfortably handle and the "window of opporunity" is a short one in the northern climates (for outdoor projects)......so they kind of start one customer.......and then bounce around a bit.......unless it's an indoor project they can do in the winter...........but we like all of our carpenters, roofers and plumbers and our landscaper we held in our arms when he was a newborn infant.

Again, this is a cradle to grave community. Now that the temps are no longer 24 degrees but in the 50's.........it's beautiful and warm out.
We were "roasting" this morning when the sun was out at 50.

[Mack184]

I am very sorry that the OP got taken. There must be some special place in hell for scam artists. BUT...After reading these boards for a number of months I find this interesting..there are people here who raise a purple fit when some neighbor's dog lifts a leg on the corner of their lot, (people you know) yet people have no trouble letting in somebody whom they do not know, didn't ask for, and willingly give them money. I'm missing something here. Another poster said that "we are a trusting generation", but I don't get that feeling from reading these boards. People here have been very clear repeatedly that they don't want uninvited people at their doors or on their phones, yet somebody or multiple somebodies are willing to do business with unasked for unknowns who just happen to stop by? Doesn't that ring any sort of alarm bells? Again, I feel very sorry for the OP, but if you didn't ask them to come by, why in the world would you do business with them in the first place?

[ribil]

It's so sad that you have to go through this at a time when you should be enjoying your retirement. I'm sure you will never have to be reminded to do a little research on someone who shows up at your door. The best resource for getting something done by a contractor is the Villages Warranty Department. The second best is your neighbors' experiences. We've had a lot of work done and have always tried to stay with the contractors that do work for The Villages. They can't have complaints against them or the Villages will drop them. Granted, they cost a few pennies more, but well worth it for the great craftsmanship and a job done right. Again, we are sorry to hear of you troubles. You just picked the wrong guy.

[kaydee]

Just for the record, we did not just answer the door & hand over our money to some solicitor. Our neighbors driveway was being done, we asked the guy to give us an estimate, we liked the estimate, we gave deposit after signing a contract which included the specs such as date to be completed, paint choice, design etc. Do I wish I never laid eyes on the guy??? of course but..the situation is what it is and I was hoping to get some suggestions or maybe I just needed to get it off my chest. Thank You elevatorman for the link to seniors vs crime project.

[Goodhealth]

May 27, 2012
****Please don’t get taken like our Villa’s did – This is just my story – pass it on!!!
We would like to file a complaint against Roger Greenlee and request some restitution of compensation for the following reasons:
We originally contracted with Roger Greenlee; his business card identified his company as Professional Services Plus, LLC. in February 2012 when he approached my husband at our garage entrance. He was going door to door soliciting business in the neighborhood of Crestview Villas. This particular contract included driveway/sidewalk painting at our new home in Florida. It included pressure washing, painting, base coat, top coat and sealer on driveway and sidewalks, in both the front and back walkways.
We contracted again (before he was finished with the first one) for the landscaping of our property. This one included some concrete work (building a pad and doggie step), waterfall, palm trees, flowers and plants, removing all sod, putting rock down and capping off/relocating sprinklers to the appropriate spots.
The first job began on schedule in February 2012. The work stopped at our home to allow time for him to acquire materials for contract #2. However, we identified areas to him which needed to be finished: no sealer coat applied to any of the driveways in Crestview Villas, spray paint on our home and fences, including our neighbors, needed to be removed, painting on the driveway next to the front door, doggie step had not been smoothed over or painted (left to dry with debris mixed in), and where tape was placed in the lanai, when removed; peeled paint inside enclosure. All items were identified to Roger or Patty (his assistant) as they were discovered. Said they would finish all the work after the landscaping and concrete pad work was completed.
While waiting for the materials to arrive for our contract, he proceeded doing many other driveways in Crestview Villas. As a result of this, work did not start in a timely manner for the landscaping. I called and told Roger we would do it ourselves, but I wanted the money back that we had given him in advance for this contract. Roger finally sent someone out to start removing the sod in the back yard in mid-March. He pulled some sod up in the backyard, however, the employee didn’t return the next day. We were getting very frustrated by now. After seeing the quality of work with creating the doggie step, we contracted with another company to pour the pad and sidewalk, figuring we could deduct that money from the estimate. I again informed Roger of the delay in doing the work. Next, as time went by, we hired another contractor to pressure wash the house hoping this would remove the paint, in addition to cleaning the vinyl – no such luck, paint wouldn’t come up (still there). Rogers’ employee came back again to finish removing the sod. Landscaping started and the waterfall was finally being constructed.
Well, here we are in May. The work that needed to be finished from our initial contract still needs to be accomplished; but now, add the fountain leaks (can’t run it, drains all the water into the lawn somewhere). There was not enough slate to even cover the tub of the fountain. The new concrete work was to be painted along with the doggie step. None of the paint was completed per estimate. After such a long wait and no calls/contact with Roger except once said they would be back in the next couple of days (April timeframe) I hired another contractor to finish the work. Oh by the way, our fence was hit with a bobcat when he was landscaping the yard…Cost to fix the dents, is yet to be determined.
Below is recap of the timeframe and money this contractor has cost us to date. Please take into consideration some unfinished work still needs to be completed correctly, our costs to hire additional contractors are included with additional materials that also had to be purchased. We ended up paying Roger $1200.00 for the first incomplete contract and $8900.00 for the second. However, we spent additional money to hire others to at least help fix some of the left other problems.

(First Contract)
First payment: 2/14 $400.00 Second payment: 2/21 $800.00 Both Checks
(Second Contract)
First 2/12 $3500.00 Check
Second 3/1 $ 500.00 Check
Third 3/26 $2500.00 Check
Fourth Cash 4/6 $ 500.00 Check 4/6 $ 500.00
Fifth Cash 4/10 $ 200.00 Check 4/10 $ 1200.00
Additional contractors hired:
Pour concrete $1640.00 Check
Pressure Washing $ 150.00 **** Check
**** (As far as the pressure washing goes, we needed to do this house anyway, just hoping it would take off the paint too)
Slate purchased for waterfall $ 87.74
Our time repairing/fixing TBD
Additional Painting Completed $ 800.00 (Backyard only)
The following are work still needs to be accomplished:
- Front Paining redone with the right kind of paint and fixed where left unfinished $ 800.00

- River Rock purchased/delivered to fill in the no rock spots and build it up to where it should be (edge of walkways) $ 826.80

Since Roger Greenlee has been misleading Villages residents on what he is unable or unwilling to finish, we are requesting a partial refund to in-turn pay the additional contractors in completing the work we paid Roger to do. We have also spent a great deal of time just trying to finish the waterfall correctly.
I asked repeatedly for a receipt for the landscaping contract, but was never given one. I do have all other receipts. To date, we have had to spend an additional $2677.74, not including our labor or the work that still needs to be done right. There are so many more individuals, in our neighborhood alone, that have also been taken by Roger, but are afraid to speak up. Please help us all. If you can, I’ll try to get the rest that have been taken by Roger Greenlee. “Talk of the Village” website has additional warning/complaints on this contractor in other parts of the Villages. If you need to contact us, call 633-2505. Thanks for your assistance with this matter.
//signed//
Ann M and Tony L Seldomridge 2108 Shady Hill Court (Crestview Villas) Village of Buttonwood

I was scammed by Roger also please call me at 702 321 7255

[JohnFromMaine]

I just posted about this guy (Bad and Good Driveway Painters) but I got away relatively cheaply. My heart goes out to all who have been ripped off by this loser. It's too bad that there are people like this out there. I now only have people do work for me who are recommended by satisfied customers.

[gamby]

I've been a contractor all my life !

Here are some helpful tips;


Never give any more then a small deposit about 20 % and only pay additional monies after each project section is completed and acceptable.


Do your homework ; find as much possible about who you hire before you hire. Call your local building dept. Contact the BBB.

All states have a dept. that registers contractors, call them !

If you feel uncomfortable with a contractor at the first interview don't hire them. Ask for references !

There are some good posts here for you !


Al