cozort construction

After many failed inspections, multiple workmanship errors, and continued payments to Cozort and his subcontractors totaling tens-of-thousands of dollars over the agreed upon estimate, weeks after the original completion date passed, we hired an attorney, on 1/10/2013 to help create a contract for completion of the job. We texted Cozort on 1/27/13: "We decided that it would be in our best interest to have a contract written for the completion of the job. We wanted it to be done correctly so we have hired a contract law attorney to write it. When we get that back we will submit it to you for your review and approval. Thanks for your patience." We did not have a chance to submit a contract to Cozort for completion of the job because he emailed us on 1/28/13: "Please do not waste your money having a contract drawn up. I have no interest in working with you other than as an hourly employee." We continued to maintain communication with Cozort until April 30th 2013 in a good faith effort to come up with an agreement so that Cozort could complete the job, however, an agreement could not be reached. Due to the multiple workmanship errors, worksite violations, and unfinished work that Cozort incurred while working on our home, we filed a complaint with the California Contractor State Licensing Board on April 30th 2013. The California Contractor State Licensing Board is recommending legal action be taken against Cozort Construction at this time. Of the workmanship errors, Cozort incorrectly measured the kitchen. He tried to correct the measurement errors by 1) cutting off the bottoms of the doors of the cabinet over the refrigerator 2) tearing apart the cabinet over the stovetop in order to make it smaller but that would have placed the microwave off-center from the stovetop so he instead installed the cabinets 6 inches over a window now requiring us to have a new, smaller window installed over the sink 3) tearing apart the spice rack that was supposed to go in on the left side of the stove-top base cabinet so that it might fit at a different space, however, we are now left with an empty space where a spice rack is supposed to be placed. Workmanship errors in the kitchen also include the fact that the cabinets on the West wall of the kitchen, next to the refrigerator, have started to fall off the wall and need to be re-hung properly into the studs. The crown moulding is not even, with large gaps in some areas. Cozort did not have the gas line, which originally came up through the floor underneath the dishwasher, moved into the wall when the kitchen was gutted, and a hole had to be drilled into the side of the base cabinet under the stovetop in order to accommodate the gas line, but then the drawer in the base cabinet could not be installed. We eventually hired a plumber to re-route the gasline but because the cabinets were already installed, the gas line had to be routed to the outside of the house leaving a hole in the side of the base cabinet. Further workmanship errors in the kitchen include improper placement of the electrical outlets in relationship to the backsplash, such that the bottoms of the electrical outlet covers need to be cut off in order to place covers on the outlets. There are some holes left around outlets Other workmanship errors include a 3-inch hole that was drilled through the hardwood floor in the family room. Cozort also drilled a hole in the ceiling larger than the base of the chandelier that was to be hung there. There are also multiple other holes around the home that were created by Cozort and missing drywall that need to be repaired (outlet hole in the living room, a hole in the bathroom wall that was created while they were re-wiring the home, a hole around the ceiling fan that Cozort installed, holes in the entryway to the lower level created when they were re-wiring that area for lights, holes in the walls that were made during the re-wiring process that were not closed/repaired). Cozort installed an exterior door without any trim around the door. A private contractor repair estimate to repair the mistakes and complete the unfinished work of Cozort have amounted to $30,758.91 for the kitchen, electrical, permit completion, and other holes/drywall around the home (excluding the hole around the chandelier) plus an additional $1,200.00 to repair the hardwood floor. The repair estimate from the Contractor State License Board investigation is $41,295.00. We have already paid $4,704.25 to a plumbing company to re-route the gas line, which had to be placed on the outside of the home.