Asphalt Maintenance

The initial installation was for $9,000 for 2800 square feet of a new asphalt driveway so as to permit the use of wheel chairs for my parents I was caring for in their 90's. The contract included a one year guarantee. The work.was not performed per quote. A 2 foot high stump in the center of the new drive was to be removed but was not, the amount of asphalt was supposed to be 4 inches pressed to 2 inches, but in half the area was 1/2 inch to 1 inch. Install was done Nov 2017, by March 2018 there were numerous plants growing thru the thin areas of the asphalt. Vendor had promised to return May 2018 to remove the stump and patch that area. I called in March 2018 and numerous times thru 2018 and vendor kept delaying until Nov 2018. He came, ground down the stump but then said it was too late to fix the asphalt and would return June 2019. Since the one year guaranty was expiring, and he had not come sooner to fix it, I had the vendor sign a statement to return and remove the asphalt in the bad area, dig lower, replace 4-6 inches of item 4 and repave with 2 inches of pressed asphalt. Also in the half that was not too thin, large tire ruts made by the cars were to be filled, all at no cost except a $1500 dump fee. In July 2019 vendor returned and said he would not repave the bad area, just dig out the plants growing thru it and patch the holes. He required $3,000 to redo the bad area and repave over the tire ruts. When I confronted the vendor with the signed promise of remediation, he said he didn't have to honor it.. Then his twentysomething year old son approached me and said I should have called sooner than 2 years to fix it, at which time I told him to keep quiet because he did not know the history of when and how frequently I called. He then threatened me and said " How about I split your lip". I was 66 years old with a heart condition. At that point the vendor said to just pay the money and let them do the job and leave. I felt intimidated and had no choice but to pay and allow him to finish the job.

There was a large stump near the center of the proposed driveway, which I offered to have ground down before he came to do the driveway. The contractor said he would remove it and included it in his price, but failed to do so. He used a small machine to try to pull it the first day as he prepared the area, and said he would use a large dump truck the next day with a chain. He didn't because he arrived a half day late, with just enough time to spread the asphalt before dark. The stump is now protruding out of the asphalt and looks ridiculous. I now have to hire someone remove the asphalt from the roots they covered, and grind down the stump and roots and patch the area.