If you recall last year in mid-September, I took a week off work and put in a new patio and walkway in my backyard, with a great deal of help from my friend Kathy and a lot of hard work myself. I dug out the pit for the walkway and laid the pavers for it by myself, and it was one of the most difficult (and rewarding) things I’ve ever done.
Turns out it didn’t even last a year.
I came home this evening and found this:
[edit needed: update photos from 2005-08-31]
The neighbor’s contractor is building a garage, and he decided to drive his backhoe through and across my backyard (which was made from one of the unique types of residential hardscaping) while digging the pit for the garage. The pavers are now uneven, and scraped up where he dragged his blade across them, and the grass I’ve been cultivating for 3 years is completely gone — he took out half of my lawn. I can’t imagine how he plans to explain that to me — there’s no way in the world that he could justify this, at all. He had no permission whatsoever to be on my property, and he drove halfway across it.
Needless to say, I’m furious and upset. I don’t know the name of the contractor yet, but as soon as I do, I’ll be posting it here, and on Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau.
I think the thing that upsets me most about this is that I’m not strong enough to fix this. I can’t do what I was able to do last year; I can’t pick up these pavers anymore. Just having the garage sale was way over-doing it for me, especially moving and carrying the stuff in and out of the house. There’s no way I can fix up this problem. I can’t even keep the front yard weeded and in order, because I’m not strong enough to pull some of the weeds.
UPDATE: I believe the contractor’s name is:
This is the info from contractor’s permit site from Indianapolis:
Pro Built Inc.
Bob Abbott
11585 E. 241 St
Cicero, IN
317-984-8280
This is what Angie’s List says:
Pro Built Garage Co.
PO BOX 598
CICERO, IN 46034
Phone: (800) 878-2845
Contact’s Name:
BOB ABBOTT
According to Angies List: ALSO KNOWN AS “ABBOTT’S PRO BUILDING SERVICE INC.”
OMG! I’d be going postal on the neighbor!!!! It’s HIS contractor and HE should be the one to rag on him. Of course, I’d go postal on the contractor too.
You should SOOOOO make him redo the walkway and replant your grass.
Came to this via Mykal’s journal. Just know there is a special place in hell for shyster contractors. There HAS to be.
What a fucker!
Just surfing and ran across your pictures.
The contractor was working for your neighbor so your neighbor should pay for the damage. If he doesn’t agree with that you should take him to court.
What was the outcome of this?
The neighbor came over and swept up the mud and junk, then sprinkled a bit of grass seed over the bare spots and considered it “fixed.” Never mind that the tiles are out of level and one of them is cracked. I don’t know whether to make a federal case out of it or not. I’m just tired of dealing with the whole thing.
Pro Built Garage has evidently changed their name again. Now it is pro built garage and addition builder