T C Browne & Co

In Dec 2010, we purchased our first home, an 850 sf 1 bedroom apartment in a prewar coop building in NYC.  The apartment had not been updated in many years, and we decided to renovate, focusing mainly on the kitchen, bathroom, and closets.  We did not want to spend more than $60,000, and interviewed a few contractors, designers, and architects.  An acquaintance recommended T.C. Browne, whom he had hired to do limited contracting work in his apartment (hardwood floor refinishing, building bookcases).  We met Mike Browne, the owner of T.C. Browne, who said he could do the job for $61,000 and complete it in 2 months.  He referred us to an independent architect, who said he could draw up plans and manage the project.  Because Mike and the architect came in at the best price and timeline, and they seemed like a good team, we decided to go with both of them.In Jan 2011, we developed drawings/plans with the architect and discussed the scope of work with Mike.  We decided to maintain the prewar esthetic, so we kept many original fixtures (doorknobs/latches, door frames) and kept the design simple, although we explicitly requested quality materials (e.g. real wood trim) and workmanship.  We signed the contract and scope of work in early Feb, and the demolition started in mid-Feb.  Despite several requests, we did not receive a project timeline from Mike, but we expected and were promised that the work would be completed by end of May 2011, so that we could move in during Memorial Day weekend.  As instructed, we ordered/purchased all the kitchen and bathroom items (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, bathtub, toilet, medicine cabinet, bathroom floor tiling, new ceiling lights, under-cabinet lights, etc.), which arrived on schedule.  Mike ordered wall and kitchen floor tiles and other items.  New kitchen cabinets were included in the scope of work and subcontracted out to Mike's cabinet guy.After the demolition work, the pace of work slowed considerably.  We understood from Mike that the work had to proceed in a specific order (e.g. the electrical wiring and cables had to be moved behind the walls before they could plaster), but there were days when there was only one guy at the apartment working on one room, when there could have been multiple people doing things in the different rooms.  On many days, there were no guys at the apartment at all.  When we would call or email Mike with questions, he would not get back promptly, sometimes days later.  The architect was not able to keep things moving and only came to check on the apartment when we had scheduled meetings with him and Mike (every 10-14 days).  Mike kept reassuring us that the work was on schedule, but in May only 50% of the work was completed, so we weren't able to move in on Memorial Day as planned.Besides the failure to stick to timelines, the quality of the work was substandard, and many mistakes were made.  For example, the kitchen cabinets were made according to a plan from the architect, but when they arrived, they realized that the space for the under cabinet microwave was too small.  They had to take the upper cabinet down and remake it, which took 3 weeks.  (Mike and the architect blamed us for this, since we asked for minor changes (e.g. paint colors) to the cabinet drawing; not sure how that accounts for the cabinets being made the wrong size.)  We decided to pay Mike and the architect extra to design and build new radiator covers (not in the original SOW), but the radiator covers (3 out of 4 of them) were not built deep enough, so it was impossible to reach the radiator valve.  Instead of remaking the covers, Mike cut the front base piece down to the floor, making for an awkward removable front piece.  Also, the radiator covers, baseboards, and trim were supposed to be made from real wood but were made from compressed wood.  (Unfortunately, the scope of work didn't specify "real wood," so Mike refused to remake them.)  Mike replaced the doors, but some of the doors were cut too small (big gap on sides or on the bottom), and his guys lost some of the original door hardware, so there are a few missing screws.  The ceiling in the hall closet was dropped before the cable was rewired, so the cable could not be hidden where it enters the apartment.  As a result, the cable wire is visible along the wall in the entry way and closet.  We had made plans to travel for vacation in late June, and Mike told us he would definitely be done before that, so that we could move before leaving for vacation.  By mid-June, the kitchen and closets were still not done, so we had to postpone the move again.  Mike promised to finish the job while we were away on vacation for 2 weeks, but when we returned, very little had been done.  (The architect had by this time checked out, due to embarrassment over the radiator cover design fiasco.)  We decided we could not wait any longer, so we moved in mid-July, with the apartment renovation about 85% completed.  After moving in, we could only have Mike's guys come in 1-2 days/week to complete the job.  After moving in, we discovered more problems.   Instead of using a separate electrical line for the living room air conditioner outlet, the same one line feeds the outlets for the air conditioner, the kitchen, and the guest room.  We realized this when that line blew when we had the toaster and air conditioner on at the same time.  Mike's electrician's solution: Don't use the toaster at the same time as the air conditioner!  The cable for internet/TV stopped working shortly after we moved in, and the cable guy found that the cable behind the wall was pulled taut and poorly spliced.  Turns out that Mike had the cable and electrical run under the marble saddle to the kitchen and poured cement on them, so they can't be lengthened without tearing up the walls and floor.  The cable guy was able to "fix" this somehow, but warned us that it might not hold for long.In Oct 2011, after 8 months, the work was mostly done (although with many mistakes, as above), and we paid off the remainder of what we owed to Mike.  We had to negotiate, because he wanted to charge us more for re-working the radiator covers and the extra time involved.  I reminded him that it was not our fault that the radiator covers were designed wrong and that the work went over the projected time, but he had the nerve to blame us, since our "constant pestering" slowed things down!  Bottom line:  Don't hire this contractor for any substantial renovation work.  He will cut corners, do things on the cheap unless you specify exactly what you want in the scope of work, not manage the project well or stick to timelines, and not fix mistakes he makes (or charge you more for fixing those mistakes!).