R&J Home Improvements

I can't believe what I'm going to describe actually happened to us. I have never seen, or heard of, anything like it. The short version: Joey Dale contracted to do some limited remodel and repair work in our home on May 29, 2018. He started then stopped. It's October 3 and it is not completed and he is not communicating. The longer version: I selected R&J because of their six 5 star reviews on Home Advisor (First bad decision). Joey Dale and his cousin, Chase Brown, came to our home and reviewed the work we needed on May 7, 2018. He assured us he could do all the work required and agreed we would buy the materials and pay him for the labor. There was a delay in delivery of the bathtub. On May 29, he returned and we signed a contract. He asked for, and we agreed to, money in advance and a financial draw schedule (Second bad decision). Work scope: Remove and replace 14 cracked floor tiles, replace and reseal grout; remove and replace a large bathroom mirror; Repair 3 windows - one with BB gun hole, one semicircular with displaced "spokes", and one with displaced black caulking; remove cracked fiberglass whirlpool garden tub and replace with smaller whirlpool tub; Install tile around new tub; install pocket door between master BR and bathroom; remove and replace a toilette. Chase and a helper arrived fairly promptly thereafter, removed cracked floor tiles, and placed mesh and red adhesive across underlying slab cracks to prevent further cracking. A few days later we received a text from Joey saying he had a death in the family, and would be delayed. We expressed our sympathy and forgave the delay. Now it's late June. A few days later we received a call from a woman on Joey's phone who identified herself as Joey's wife saying Joey's "right hand man" had a heart attack, she was afraid Joey was going to have one because of his heavy work backlog, and she had taken his phone. Since we had previously planned to be out of town for all of July (that's why we started on the first of June), we told her we "thought the world of Joey" and for her to tell Joey not to worry about us for now. He could have all of July to get caught up and we would call when we returned in early August. To make a very long story shorter, after we returned in August, Chase and a helper eventually returned, replaced and grouted the floor tiles (the new grout doesn't match the old in spite of an extensive pre-work discussion of this issue), removed the old bathtub, and built a wood frame for the new tub, which has been sitting in our garage since May 28. Since the work was progressing, I agreed to pay the second draw (another bad decision). After several days unexplained delay, Joey committed to having someone at our home on Tuesday, August 28, to finish our project. When they had not arrived at 8:40 AM, I texted to ask when we should expect them. "They loading up now" was the reply. This began a pattern that was to be repeated several times. No one showed up. Joey would not answer our calls or texts. No explanation. Nothing. Silence. The last instance of this was his commitment to be here personally last Monday, October 1 to "make this right". He didn't show up. No calls. No texts. No communication . Nothing. We were naïve and allowed ourselves to be scammed based on exemplary reviews. We now, after 90 days (120 - July), must find someone to finish the work started by R&J Home Improvements.