Please do not hire this company for any large-scale project.
My neighbor and I paid $11,690 to bring in soil and grade our backyards to slope towards the tree line. Instead, we were left with deep, sitting water long after rainfall, uneven surfaces, improperly compacted soil, drowned hydroseed, and several instances of property damage. See pictures provided as evidence for each claim.
PROPERTY DAMAGE. The crew left two long scratches and three deep gouges in a new driveway after loading and unloading their skid-steer on it, which were never repaired. Owners set up orange cones to protect downspouts and sensitive underground drainage pipes. However, the cones were ignored or moved, and the crew drove heavy machinery over the most sensitive drainage pipe. Two downspouts were crushed, only one of which was replaced. Deep ruts and gashes were left throughout the property, especially where the new soil transitions to established lawn, and the job was deemed “complete”. This was only partially repaired upon request. A shed pad comprised of gravel and a burn pile full of rusty metal knobs, hinges, nails, and screws were contractually specified to be removed from the property, but were instead bowled over with a harley rake and ground into the lawn’s surface. They were allegedly raked out, though some construction material was simply thrown into the neighbor’s woods.
UNEVEN SURFACES & IMPROPER GRADING. Work orders specified that both properties would be brought to grade and sloped towards the back tree line using a laser level. “We will start the grading just past the firepit and slope it towards the woods” and “we will set the grade to go from the house down to the woods line with a lazer [sic] level”. Several high and low areas were photographed, highlighted digitally, and sent to contractor, but remained after “job complete” and hydroseeding began. Significantly large, low areas were made visible after ½ ich of rainfall on October 8, which left several inches of water in uneven pools across the property. Contractor attributed the “surface puddling” to soil reaching a “saturation point”, but the pools remained after four days of little to no rain.
SOIL SHORTFALL. Contractor attributed low and uneven grade to “some degree of settling” common to earth work, yet failed to properly compact soil, which he had assured us he did (“the skid has been running over it all day so it will be compacted”). There would be little to no surface puddling if the grade had properly pitched towards the back woods as was specified in the contract. Lastly, contractor verbally agreed to lay clean fill first, then topdress the surface with topsoil. Instead of using clean fill at $5/yard, as agreed, he purchased OVER 100 YARDS OF TOPSOIL, at $40/yard, for a quarter acre. Contractor admitted that this was “on him” and a “learning experience”, and this led to a severe soil shortfall, poor compaction, and significant low areas. Contractor charged an additional $480 for added topsoil, which I paid, thinking that they had properly pitched the grade and completed the work per the contract. Flooded areas have drowned much of the hydroseed.
OWNER GHOSTING. We have attempted to contact the owner, Ben Jennings, multiple times since . He ghosted us for several days before sending a single email attributing these issues to “settling” and water “saturation points”. All above claims, barring verbal exchanges, are supported in the attached photos. Several requests to revisit and remedy damages have gone unanswered and we will be taking Mulch Mogul to the Town of Clarence Justice Court to recover as much of our $11,690 as legally possible.
We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the actions and behavior of Mulch Mogul Landscaping LLC and its owner, Ben Jennings, for poor workmanship, excessive and careless destruction of property, irresponsible budgeting, contractual violations, and unresponsive, unprofessional behavior.
