GRAZIANO GARDENS

I hired Graziano Bros. Landscape, Inc. (a.k.a. Graziano Gardens) to do my  landscape project.  Chris Graziano drew up the plans showing location and type of bushes/shrubs to be used.  Dave and Mark Graziano were the installers. Prior to the start of the project, I met with Dave Graziano and went over the plan drawn by his brother.  At that time I agreed to the planting locations but changed some of the bushes (species)  that were to be used. On 7/1/13  I received a letter from Dave confirming the changes we had made. The removal and disposal of the old edging and shrubs/bushes as well as the installation of 60' of new black edging was completed on 7/12/13.  Dave Graziano asked to be paid for that portion of job ASAP.  On 7/15  he stopped by my residence and I paid him $920.00 ($600.00 for removal/disposal, $320.00 for edging material) as he had requested. The remaining portion of the project (planting 17 new  shrubs/bushes and installing 5 cu. yards of stone) was done on Friday, 9/13/14.  After the new plants had been installed, Dave Graziano left to pick up the 5 yds of brick stone at Haluchs Gravel.  While he was gone,  I mentioned to Mark Graziano that the edging they had installed on 7/12 had already separated at the three connecting joints. Mark then told me that the separation was "normal, due to temperature fluctuations."  I wondered to myself  just how much the temperature had fluctuated from 7/12 to 9/13. Dave returned with the brick stone and they went to work putting it down.  When I noticed that there was alot of stone left over that they didn't use in the dump truck, I mentioned to them that they didn't use all of the 5 cu. yds. they had gotten. To that, Dave and Mark both informed me that they always get extra stone so they don't have to return to purchase more if it's needed.  Knowing that the stone is not returnable to the gravel company, I found that comment strange.  When they were finished spreading the stone, Mark then ask me for the remaining payment.  I told him that I had to go to the bank to get the check (I had taken out a loan to pay for the work) and I would drop it off.  He was upset with me and told me that "he needed the money to pay bills".  Later that day, I called Dave Graziano and told him to stop by the next day (Saturday) and I'd give him the check.  He stopped by around 4 p.m. on Saturday, 9/14 for the check.  While he was here I told him that I had called Haluchs Gravel and was told that Graziano had  purchased 4-1/2 yds of brick stone, not the 5 plus cu. yds he told me he had gotten. Dave then replied that he  "knew the bucket loader operator and he gave me extra".  I just wonder how long a gravel company would stay in business if they gave everyone they knew "extra free" stone as Dave told me he had done!!!!  I believed they used 3-1/2 to 4 cu yds on my project but I was charged for 5 cu yds. The next question I asked Dave was what could have caused the edging separations.  He replied that he "didn't know" but would return and close the separations and install more stakes to keep the edging in place. I asked when that would be and he told me he'd call me once he checked his schedule.  Before handing him the check ($1,966.00) paying in FULL for the remaining balance of the project,  I asked him to sign a statement saying that he would return to make the necessary repairs.  He did so and I took him at his written word that he would call me with a repair date for the work to be done. He never called.  I finally reached him at the shop on 9/22 and he told me that he had scheduled the repairs for Thursday, 9/26 around 4 p.m..  No show.  I reached him by cell at 5:45 p.m. and was told that he was running late, perhaps he'd be able to do it on Saturday 9/28 and that he'd call so I could plan accordingly.  NO CALL- NO SHOW. On 9/30 I sent him an email at 11:22 a.m. with a picture showing the separation and the manufacturers label that was now fully visible because the edging had moved so much.  See picture attached.  That email was confirmed that it was read by David Graziano on 9/30 at 12:39 p.m.  After numerous promise dates that I was given by Dave (none of which were kept) he finally showed up with a shovel on Saturday, 10/9 after 5 p.m. After shoveling a few shovels of dirt away from the edging he told me that the repair would go quicker with additional workers.  He then told me that he'd get back to me when he'd be returning with additional help.  That was 10/9 and when I finally made contact on 10/21 with him, I was informed that he was unable to set a definite appointment date as he does repairs after his new installs were completed.  I wondered if that was his "polite" way of telling me that he already had my money, so I can wait?  I have stopped by Graziano Gardens on several occasions and spoke directly with Dave Graziano.  Each time he gave me his word that the repairs would be done by fall.  On November 4, 2013  I sent a certified return receipt requested letter to Dave Graziano at Graziano Gardens asking for a DEFINATE DATE for the repairs to be done.  The letter was refused by Mr. Graziano and returned to me unopened by the post office a week later.  The last contact I had with Dave Graziano was on 11/14/13 when I spoke with him on his cell.  At that time I asked him "point blank" if he was going to do the repairs this fall.  He told me "oh yes, I'm going to do them.  I just can't give you a date.  I'll get back to you."  I replied that he had told me that many times before and never gotten back to me.  He then told me that he doesn't like being pinned down but he'd look at his schedule and get back to me.  Since then he has ignored my many emails, phone calls and refused the certified letter telling me that he was so busy that he just didn't have time to go to the post office to pick up the certified letter. In November I went online to Ace of Diamond Lawn Edging, the manufacturer of the edging that was installed by Graziano Bros. Landscape.  I now know why the edging separated.  Based on the installation instructions, the edging is to be backfilled both front and back with loam firmly packed down as well as being staked every 5 ft. using more stakes if edging is curved (which mine is).  Graziano Bros Landscape did neither of these.   Dave Graziano did bring out 4 bags of top soil so that I could backfill it myself.  Because I am a female widowed senior citizen with arthritic problems, I had to hire someone ($120.00) to help me move the brick stone away from the back of the edging and backfill the 60' of curved edging .   Now that it is April 2014 and winter has come and gone, the 3 edging separations have gotten bigger.  My experience with Graziano Bros. Landscape (Graziano Gardens) has been a nightmare.  The planting diagram that they drew up and we agreed upon called for 17 new plantings (they did 14), specific plants we had agreed to in writing (they planted flowering shrubs that I told them I didn't not want when we reviewed the plan and made revisions before work was started), I was lied to MANY, MANY TIMES (temperature fluctuation caused separations, purchased more than the 5 cu. yds of stone, would do the repairs by fall 2013.)  Apparently, both the written and spoken promised words of Graziano Bros. Landscape are not to be believed.  FYI:  I checked with the BBB (after the fact) and saw that I was not the only customer that was charged for more mulch/stone than was used. If you want to be over billed, lied to on many occasions, have improper installation performed, hire Graziano Bros. Landscape (Graziano Gardens), they won't disappoint you.