If I could rate a negative number I would, this bunch of unprofessional people deserve to get no rating at all. Check their contractors license and their associated DBA in Orange County where they do business. Had we done that prior they would have been removed from our list of qualified vendors. We hired them to install new mail boxes and a 15 sq ft roof to protect packages from rain. They sold us on being a construction company, handling permits. It was disclosed after we accepted their bid they do not get permits nor do drawings. Weird that's what contractors do. They only handle the United States Postal Office 'permits' aka approvals.
Our city does not require permits for a small structure. I offered to do the drawings and Hillcrest agreed to build. Hillcrest wanted payment (all of their fees upfront) they begrudgingly agreed to accept a lower amount. They can't afford to pre-order the off the shelf boxes so we had to advance that money.
After our check was cashed things went off the rails. An email Monday afternoon requested the color desired and box numbers. I wasn't able to answer that same day. The next morning, Bryan MacMurtie sends a message: 'the owner was going to pass on the installation of the roof.' When I called, Bryan tells me 'oh I was just trying to get your attention since you didn't respond to my email. wow ! He assured me that they will build the roof structure and they have enough information to get me a bid. The next day I get a email with their 'attached proposal' and an invoice for $2,880. In addition to $6,830 to procure the boxes and install them.
The drawing attached: looks like it was drawn with crayons with skewed angles. Nothing like what was provide to them; less than $100 of material; it wasn't attached to anything and just sits on top of a brick wall; the slope of the roof would pour rain water onto people, instead of sloping the opposite way to a concrete pad; The roof was too big and would hit the buildings structural columns; They tried to bend it around the bricks instead adjoining it to structure of the building.
A homeless man on skid row building with wooden pallets and cardboard has more construction acumen and design intelligence than whom ever drew what I received. They would stay drier than our mail would. I wouldn't even put my dog under this roof for fear it would fall on him.
I called to ask what is going on? Bryan indicated that the owner drew up the roof and he has 45 years of experience. I ask for the owner. He was introduced by his office staff and 'Randle' and he answered as Randle. I went through the problems in his drawing and referred him to photos sent. He never got them. What information was the guy going by to provide us his version of a roof? It seems none at all. Randle asked Bryan for the photos and tried his best to make sense of the site. He says, 'what am I looking at? oh that's the roof'. Randle told me that he would sit down the next day 'Wednesday' and sort it all out. I called on Friday morning and Randle was on vacation until Tuesday. I phoned on Wednesday, he hasn't looked at it and it would be two more weeks. It's obvious he can't do the job so I offer instead to move ahead with just the installation of the mailboxes. Either this has to get installed or you have to return the money. Randle agreed to put it on the schedule.
Concerned, I looked up their contractors license, and filings. You should check for yourself. Among other things the owner is listed as James R. McDaniel which is the same as the invoicing. But wait he was introduced as Randle? Oh. Its James Randle McDaniel. Maybe he just hates his first name, but then he incorporates as James R. McDaniel and puts that on his invoice. When his staff was questioned as to why he refers to himself as Randle, 'I don't know what you are talking about'. Hmmm.
An email comes back from Bryan with his best line of all 'I guess you underestimate my worth here. We will be returning your check' I will let the reader decide how much an employee is worth? when the company is returning your money and staff has at some level been paid to expend their time on a project that the company is no longer getting paid to do.
They return the check in what they say is overnight USPS tracking, only a week goes by and the package doesn't show that it has moved out of LA. I called to follow up, office staff says the check 'is in the mail' I pointed out that its been in the same location for over a week, the screaming starts 'don't interrupt me!' WOW. The nonsense is so ridiculous all you can do is laugh. Fortunately the money was returned and cleared. My advice, stay as far away as you can, Randle doesn't care about his business or license he is checked out. He doesn't care about your work.Do us all a favor Randle and just retire. read more