ALAN BURLEY LAWN CARE INC

On March 31,2008, Alan Burley came to give us a estimate at the proposed work area (our home). We discussed everything that needed to be done and walked around the yard area discussing the yard. Alan Burley required a contract and 6 months of payment in advance. He says he requires the money up-front as people don't always pay. We wondered about paying up front but knew he had done the Derby Downs Condo area in Silver Springs Fl. area at one time. Thomas signed the contract and June wrote the check on March 31, 2008 for $450.00 which made the contract through September, 2008. Alan started work the next week. The day was selected as Friday, if not on Saturday, so that the lawn would look nice for the weekend. There are many hedges all around the quarter acre, and the house. Alan had viewed before his quote everything that needed to be done and the extent of the landscaping involved. We had been gracious enough to provide a cold soda to each of the workers (2 workers in the beginning). He expanded to 3 workers for a couple of months in the summer. Alan claimed he was training the hedge trimmer with the long hedge cutter. However Alan acquired another job at the neighbors that involved mowing, edging and blowing. Alan would take his mower and go down the street to that neighbor's house and mow their lawn. Meanwhile the young person, who was suppose to be training, was left to do for himself. He had difficulty handling the long hedge trimmer and trimmed some hedges in a wavy motion that left the hedges uneven. One hedge on the boundary is taller and he had difficulty holding the trimmer high to get the top. This hedge is a boundary hedge and we requested to have both sides trimmed, as the other owner does not keep his hedges trimmed. The neighbor is aware and allows cutting of that hedge on his side. Trimming and shaping of the back side of the hedges was also required, keeping a space between the brick house and the hedge. Alan would come back to assist the worker but really did not work with him in training him to improve his ability to cut hedges evenly. The worker then would have a cigarette break and rest while Allan did some lower hedges or once a month trim the 4 red tips. The edging was completed and the driveway blown off. The porch was blown off but he always blew dirt up on the furniture. When there was 3 workers, one time the third worker threw himself on the lawn and complained he was tired. We had thought the cold soda was a reward of appreciation but the work declined and it seemed there had to be continual reminders of something that wasn't done. It seemed continually areas had to be checked and things were not done appropriately. The friendliness disappeared and it seemed we knew we always had to be here when the work was done. He never furnished us with a copy of the contract in 6 months.