Bad Contractor

The Background

You are presumably here because you are thinking of hiring Chris Hoffman of Buffalo, New York as a contractor. 

(October 2021 Update – Chris is now apparently going by the alias “CJ Vanness”)

(January 2022 Update – he now has a plowing scam as “CJ’s Property Management”). 

What I am about to share is the unedited and complete history of my experience with him.  There are no exaggerations or untruths as that would be dishonest (and in this case, unnecessary).

I had a few projects that I needed done.  I saw Chris on nextdoor.com so I thought I would have him out to talk about my jobs.  I figured that I would give him the smaller jobs and if he did well I would talk about the bigger job.  So Chris and his buddy came out and did a good job on the small jobs.   So we talked about my bigger job – putting down a cement pad for a shed and another job.  We agreed on a price and a start date.

The Warning Signs

The irony in all of this is that whenever I wanted to hire someone to do small jobs is that I would invariably have to scour various websites trying to find someone reliable.  There are tons of handyman around looking for work – how would I know which ones are good?  So then I had an idea – why not start a side business where I could help these people get websites?  This would instantly help them to be more marketable and result in them not needed to scrounge around looking for odd jobs.

This isn’t the first dishonest contractor that I’ve come across and I’d like to point out that the similarities are always the same.

• No web presence or formal business and not interested in having one.  This makes it impossible to find reviews and that benefits them.
• They never show up for work when they say they will.
• They are very impressed with themselves and will tell you all day long about how honest they are.
• Immediately available.  When I contacted reputable businesses they are always booked weeks in advance.
• They ask for cash up front for small jobs

I offered to make Chris a website (a good one, not like this site) during our initial meeting and he said he was happy doing what he was doing, including helping old people clear out their attics.  It’s a clear lack of ambition – what proper handyman service would be happy cleaning out attics and doing landscaping?  It’s small-time and this surely means that the contractor is living hand-to-mouth.

The Events

So things were moving along at a decent clip.  Some excavation had happened and a frame was made for the pad.  A trench was dug and some stone was put in where the pad would be.

[4/23/21 9:03 AM] (716) 609-9098: Hey Adam, the power steering went out on my truck I just took it somewhere I'm waiting for him to tell me how long it will be
[4/23/21 9:04 AM] Me: Sure, no rush at all

A few hours later I get a phone call asking for an advance on his payment because the power steering broke on his truck.  Foolishly I did shoot him a little more money.

The top two charges were from friday. I have no idea why he listed the trencher rental twice – I guess it was better than “customer paid for my (alleged) truck repair”. Still, no worries at this point.

[4/25/21 5:31 PM] Me: How are we looking for Monday and Tuesday? 

[4/25/21 7:34 PM] (716) 609-9098: Good but won't be there till around noon tomorrow I have to pick up my truck in the morning they're suppose to have like an hour left on it..  if it ends up taking longer I can put the PVC in the car that I'm driving so either way I'll be there by then 

[4/25/21 7:35 PM] Me: Cement still set for Tuesday? 

[4/26/21 9:24 AM] Me: Is the cement still good for tomorrow?

[4/26/21 2:20 PM] Me: Can you give me an update please?

[4/27/21 7:32 AM] Me: Hopefully you are ok. If there is anything I can help with let me know.

[4/28/21 7:56 AM] Me: Chris, please contact me.  I see you responding to other requests on nextdoor.com. Let's get this job finished amicably

So yeah, this happened. Here he is not contacting me but in the meantime here is his activity on nextdoor.com.

Still no responses to me but obviously I know he isn’t dead or without internet. So I started reaching out to the people on this list and sure enough he has been meeting with them and talking to them on the phone. Chris must have seen the responses because I finally got a response.

[4/28/21 8:24 PM] Me: I just cost you 2 jobs (just got off the phone with <name removed>, have talked to others).    Either return some of the money or finish the job.  

[4/28/21 8:49 PM] (716) 609-9098: Adam I'm in the hospital I was brought my phone today i  apologize I haven't texted you . I was told my wife had spoken to a few people and I didn't know who she did and who didn't yet I guess I assumed you would of been one of the first because that's what I was currently doing but I have no reason to not finish your job. My wife and daughter are on nextdoor that's why it's the same scripted response everytime.. I have no reason to not finish your job.. you still owe 1k with about $500 cost left with concrete not only does it cost me know money there's still $500 dlr profit in it what reason would I have to piss someone off like that.. I would take $1000 loss before I let a client be upset let alone still be owed money  but I understand why you're upset obviously. The concrete dispatch # is 7165669690 I have to look at weather you need at least 24 hours with no rain after and Temps over 50 degrees for those 25 hours if you want to look into it and see if thats a possibility.. I don't know when I can work again but I will have mario and someone else there if I can't be there

It makes complete sense – he is laid up in the hospital without his phone. Are his daughter and wife worried? No, according to him his wife and daughter are on nextdoor replying to jobs and saying in several of them he is “immediately available”. Geez, and I thought my wife was a task master.

As you can see, at the end of April our hero is laid up in the hospital AND committed to me yet he is still out there immediately available for new work. Now that’s efficient!

So anyway, few more days pass where he is not responsive. After hearing from people on nextdoor.com I later found out that not only was he alive and well but he was also starting (and abandoning) other projects. But alas, another does of BS was on the way:

[5/3/21 2:47 PM] (716) 609-9098: Mario will be there Wednesday morning to do pvc and wiring, concrete on Saturday @ the latest hopefully friday

[5/3/21 2:49 PM] Me: Excellent, thank you

[5/4/21 4:15 PM] Me: What time will he be here tomorrow?

[5/5/21 12:17 PM] Me: What time is he coming?

[5/5/21 12:21 PM] (716) 609-9098: Him helping him wrap up a job now Show me get over there with enough time to do it today

[5/5/21 12:21 PM] Me: Great, thank you

[5/5/21 6:05 PM] Me: What time are you coming.

[5/5/21 8:46 PM] Me: When are you coming

And more of the same. Every few days he would toss out some nonsense that never happened. Surely our bud is just hoping that you give up and move along.

[5/6/21 11:48 AM] Me: Last chance.  Please state your intentions.  You will either finish the jobs or pay back the money.  No more fucking around. 

[5/6/21 7:24 PM] Me: So here's what going to happen. You have until tomorrow night to make this right.

[5/6/21 7:27 PM] Me: You may remember that I make websites on the side.  Saturday morning a site goes out detailing all of this with screen shots of receipts, text messages, more.  No exaggeration or lies, just an accurate retelling of your exceptional character through your actions.

[5/6/21 7:27 PM] Me: When people search on you or your business this site will come up

[5/6/21 7:28 PM] Me: I will set alerts for any handyman posts that come up. I will respond with a link to that website

[5/6/21 7:31 PM] Me: On Monday the site will be forwarded to new York state labor department fraud department by a friend of a friend that works for the state.  I hope you aren't claiming unemployment these days.  Will also be reported to tax department to be sure you are paying taxes on this stuff.

[5/6/21 7:31 PM] Me: And then I will be suing you in small claims court.  

And finally, a response from bud.

[5/7/21 5:29 PM] (716) 609-9098: It's pouring rain today adam what would you like me to do

[5/7/21 5:30 PM] Me: It hasn't rained for a week Before today. Bring the pipe over and assemble it

[5/7/21 6:16 PM] Me: Clock is ticking 

[5/7/21 9:10 PM] Me: Last chance. Repay the last 2 payments or everything gets turned on tomorrow.

[5/7/21 9:30 PM] (716) 609-9098: I don't care about your threats adam.. I would like to finish the job.. not because of your silly website because that's  What should be done. If that's what you would like to do I don't have a problem doing it and I will talk to you about it tomorrow.  I'm having a very hard time right now an im sorry you are as upset as you are and you have every right to be

[5/7/21 9:32 PM] Me: I offered last week to work with you, several times.  I am a good man but I have my limits

[5/7/21 9:33 PM] Me: If you are sincere call me first thing in the morning 

[5/7/21 9:34 PM] (716) 609-9098: I will

[5/8/21 9:19 AM] Me: Why don't you stop over this morning and we will take a quick look at things and figure this out

[5/8/21 11:00 AM] Me: Hello?

And of course, “tomorrow” came and went and there was nothing from him. So, here I am with my little website and the more that people see it the higher this site will load in google statistics.

In the meantime, here is what Chris was doing to other people.

There was more of the same in the post but you get the idea. Others weighed in:

And….

So not only was our hero committed to my job and laid up in the hospital and still applying for jobs, he was also at the T-Mobile store getting a broken phone fixed! It does seem a bit odd that he was texting from a broken phone – surely he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

So anyway, back to my project. I had some other contractors out and they all pretty much said the same thing. He barely excavated anything and didn’t put enough stones in. Also, the wire in the pic (it was obviously used and rusty) wasn’t going to do a bit of good for the cement.