Our issue with landscape ‘robbery’

We have been residents of Maricopa since Sept. 28 of last year. We came from Scottsdale, and, after purchasing our home, all was complete except the backyard landscape.

I noticed several signs along the side of the road on Smith Enke at Porter that stated concrete and landscape. Our dream was to have our landscape completed for what we could afford. $3,600 is what I had saved after many hours of overtime; with the cost of gas and inflation, my budget was tight.

We called the number listed on the sign, (951) 473-0812, to meet a man named Frankie Alonso. His number was from California; however, his residence was Mesa, Arizona.

My husband and Frankie agreed upon a contract to start with a down payment of $1500 and $500 after the concrete set, $800 to pull the boards and $800 to bring the remaining supplies: two 15 gallon trees, four one-gallon plants, 500 square feet of sod and a 100-square-foot concrete border for the grass. All our payments were written with a personal check.

The concrete was done; however, it began to crack, and no expansions were placed on the side. We saw a man working on a new home and asked him why we had cracks so early, and he said the work was completed with too much water.

After each check was given, we always had to track Alonso down to complete the next step. We were upset at the many delays and the time it took him to give us a call.

After the last check of $800 was given to him to bring the remaining supplies, we never received a call back.

My husband was smart enough to write down his Calif. license plate number: 8J9 3381; May 2008. We called the Maricopa Police Department and were told they could not assist us as this was a civil case.

I went to the Maricopa court and was informed it would cost $65 additional to serve him.

I began to do research via skip trace online to find a number that belonged to his parents in California, and the mother indicated she had not heard from him in awhile.

This problem caused a hardship as I had to work several more months of overtime to pay another landscape guy to complete the job.

This story is to assist our community to do more research on the person or company that you sign a contract with to see if they will conduct a good business relationship.

Submitted photos