MHIC Complaint Against Navy Sealcoating
Anonymous Sender
and 2) the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC):
Complaint Against Navy Seal Coating (MHIC # 92424)
Richard Stevens from Navy Seal & Paving who was driving a white Chevy
pick-up truck (MD License plate # 42R-266) knocked on my family home
door without an invitation on the morning of Wednesday, June 28, 2006,
asking if I wanted my gravel driveway “blacktopped.” He then proceeded
to tell me that he had 50 tons of asphalt material that he needed to
get rid of before the start of the July 4th weekend holiday and that he
could offer a great paving job for $3,000.00 cash. So we proceeded to
walk to the lower half of my driveway which has crush-n-run gravel on
it. After looking at my driveway, we both agreed that it needed: 1)
grading, 2) removal of the excess gravel and 3) herbicide applied to
kill the grass growing in the driveway. Because of all the recent
drenching rains, I inquired: 1) if he could pave over the soaked gravel
driveway, and 2) if the applied asphalt would withstand heavy truck
traffic since heating oil is delivered to my home during the winter
season? He stated that the pooling water in the driveway didn’t matter
and that he would put down an “airport mix” which would withstand
70,000 lbs of truck weight before cracking or breaking-up!
Later that same day, Richard Stevens returned with a front end loader
and proceeded to grade the lower half of my gravel driveway. After he
finished grading, I proceeded to ask him why he didn’t load and remove
any excess gravel as previously agreed upon? He told me it wasn’t
necessary. I then stated that the finished paved driveway would be
significantly higher than my pre-existing lawn and he responded that it
wouldn’t be. I told him that he was the expert and that I needed to
defer to his judgment, but he’d better be right or I would call him on
it! When I asked him about the application of grass killer, he said he
would do that the next morning prior to paving.
On June 29th the following morning, Richard Stevens and his work crew
arrived at my family home around 8:30 AM. I told him that I was still
waiting for a written contract. So he proceeded to his truck where he
retrieved a blank contract which he completed. He entered under Section
F that the machine applies “3” inches of hot asphalt type along with
the letters “AP.” I asked what the letters “AP” stood for and he
said “airport mix.” I then asked him to spell it out and he responded
that he couldn’t spell the word “airport.” I told him I would spell it
for him and he proceeded to write it out on the contract per my
request. He then asked me to enter my name & address and to date & sign
the contract which I did. He then gave me a copy which is attached to
this complaint.
Around 9:45AM, his son Mike Stevens (who was driving the company dump
truck) showed up with 25 tons of asphalt material. Richard Stevens and
his crew proceeded to apply the asphalt to my gravel driveway which
measured about 80 linear yards. After laying approx 50 linear yards,
Mike Stevens needed to get another load and departed. At approx 11:00
AM, Mike returned with an additional 15 tons of asphalt material which
he said he got from an asphalt plant in Aberdeen, MD. Richard and his
crew proceeded to apply the remaining asphalt to the end of my gravel
driveway where it meets with Jerusalem Road. The asphalt was then
rolled with a small (approx 1 ton) roller to compress the asphalt
aggregate. By 11:30 AM, Navy Seal Coating was packing up and leaving
the jobsite. Richard Stevens approached me and asked for payment and I
proceeded to hand over $3,000.00 in cash. I asked for a receipt and he
then asked me for my copy of the written contract where he wrote “Paid
in Full” and signed with his two initials “R.S.” He told me that I
could drive on the finished asphalt by early evening that same day.
On July 3rd the following Monday, my aunt who resides next door to my
property had a lawn care company over to cut her grass. In the process
of turning around their truck and trailer, I noticed skirmish marks on
my asphalt driveway. After further inspection, I noticed several stones
flaking away and separating from the top layer of the coarse asphalt
aggregate applied to my driveway. On Wednesday, July 5th, my brother
and I closely inspected my newly paved driveway. We noted: 1) that the
finished asphalt material was rather coarse compared to the asphalt on
Jerusalem Road which was just replaced during 2005, 2) that the asphalt
in the middle half of my driveway appeared to be as thin as 1” instead
of the 3” that was promised in writing on the contract, and 3) that the
coarse asphalt aggregate seemed loose particularly around the edges of
the finished job. Over the next few days, I noticed that aggregate
stones could be easily flaked away and were separating from the edges
of my paved asphalt driveway. Inspection of where the paved asphalt
meets with Jerusalem Road revealed even more aggregate stones flaking
away and separating from the paved driveway with relative ease.
So I began to wonder what kind of asphalt mixture was applied to my
gravel driveway a week earlier. I started calling several asphalt
suppliers (eg. Lafarge, Maryland Paving, Maryland Infrastructure) in
the Aberdeen area to inquire about their “airport mix.” I was
repeatedly told by all asphalt suppliers that they didn’t make or sell
an “airport mix.” After a morning of calling around, I ended up
discovering that Maryland Infrastructure (aka Independence Construction
Materials, 910 Old Philadelphia Road, Aberdeen, MD 21001) had sold 40
tons (eg, 25 tons followed by 15 tons) of a “base” asphalt mixture to
Navy Seal Coating on the morning of June 29th while paying for both
transactions with cash. Arch Bullock and later the Plant Manager Joe
(Maryland Infrastructure, 410-272-8640) told me that Navy Seal Coating
ordered and purchased a “19 mm base material made with 64-22 Level 1
oil.” Mr. Bullock told me that this “19 mm base” should: 1) have been
rolled with at least a 10,000 lb roller (as compression of the asphalt
aggregate is probably the most important part of paving), and 2) have
had another top coat applied over the “19 mm base” since it wasn’t
impervious to water. Mr. Bullock commented that if the coarse material
wasn’t covered with a top coat (using 9.5 or 12.5 mm stones), that
water would infiltrate the “19 mm base” this coming winter, freeze and
then likely crack/break the “19 mm base” into smaller pieces shortly
thereafter.
The reason for filing this complaint is multifaceted:
1) I was never told that Navy Seal Coating was paving my driveway with
a “base coat” asphalt material at any time. In fact, on Section D of
their written contract, it outlines application of “blank” inches of a
binder base. Richard Stevens left Section D blank and proceeded to
complete Section F instead never mentioning that he was intending to
apply a “base coat” of asphalt to my driveway.
2) Navy Seal Coating cooked up the name “airport mix” and never
mentioned the word “base” as it applied to the asphalt product they
ordered and purchased from Maryland Infrastructure for exclusive use on
my driveway. None of the asphalt suppliers (eg. Lafarge, Maryland
Paving, Maryland Infrastructure) makes nor sells an “airport mix” for
sale to paving contractors like Navy Seal Coating.
3) Navy Seal Coating left the job (with no hint of returning) and never
told me that I would need a top coat of fine asphalt applied over the
coarse “base coat.”
4) While my written contract from Navy Seal Coating specifies that 3”
will be machined applied, the middle half of my driveway is lucky if 2”
was applied and in some places, the thickness looks to be less than 1”
of finished asphalt.
5) According to Maryland Infrastructure, Navy Seal Coating did not
compress (by steamrolling) the applied “base coat” with enough force
and this is likely a leading cause why aggregate stones are flaking
away and separating from the paved driveway with relative ease just one
week later.
6) According to Maryland Infrastructure, I am sitting on a time bomb as
it is only a matter of time before water infiltrates the “base coat”
asphalt on my driveway, freezes and then cracks/breaks the coarse paved
surface into pieces.
7) My neighbor (two doors over) had Navy Seal Coating over approx a
month ago to pave over his gravel driveway and they used a “top coat”
of asphalt aggregate on his driveway. In addition, no aggregate stone
from that driveway is flaking away and/or separating from his paved
driveway.
8) Navy Seal Coating has paved several other driveways in the area
(3001 Woods End Drive, 3005 Woods End Drive, 12420 Jerusalem Road,
12514 Jerusalem Road) and none of them has the coarse “base coat”
applied which can be found exclusively on my driveway.
9) Richard Stevens never applied grass killer to my driveway. I ended
up doing it myself since his contract reads “all material is guaranteed
for one year except for grass and/or cracks.”
10) My finished driveway now sits anywhere from 1 to 3 inches higher
than my adjoining lawn despite Richard Stevens promise that it wouldn’t!
When these ten aforementioned issues were brought to the attention of
Richard Stevens and his two sons John and Mike, they became extremely
agitated, defensive, argumentative and rude over the telephone while
using numerous cuss words.
Further investigation reveals that Richard Stevens is doing business
under his daughter’s name Regina Stevens. One won’t find Navy Seal
Coating listed among “Paving Contractors” in the local yellow pages.
Navy Seal Coating has only had a MHIC (Maryland Home Improvement
Commission) license for two months dating back to May 8, 2006. Richard
Stevens and his crew appear to be living temporarily in a recreational
motor vehicle in a trailer park at 11345 Pulaski Highway, Lot 36 which
is located behind Brooks Ramsey Motors. The recreational motor vehicle
located on Lot 36 is up for sale! One has to wonder how long they will
stay around in the neighborhood before the MHIC complaints start to
pile-up!
At this point, I want all the inferior asphalt material removed from my
driveway. I then want my gravel driveway graded to allow for water
drainage including removal of excess gravel followed by application of
a 9.5 or 12.5 mm fine “top coat” such that the finished asphalt surface
doesn’t sit above my adjoining lawn. Needless to say, I don’t want Navy
Seal Coating back on my property to remedy the situation. I can’t trust
them to do what they verbally say they will nor what they contracted
(in writing) to do!
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS JOHN & REGINA STEVENS?
LOOKS LIKE A VALID COMPLAINT TO ME!!!
LIAR, LIAR, JOHN'S PANTS ARE ON FIRE!!!
CARE TO SEE THE MHIC INSPECTOR'S COMMENTS?
balti_...@yahoo.com
wrote:
According to John Stevens (john....@gmail.com):
"md [home improvement] commision can verify we have NO-COMPLAINTS"
in his own words as noted at: http://groups.google.com/group/balt.general/msg/e55d759ab63b65b7
Hey John, then how do you explain this valid complaint filed with: 1)
the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and 2) the Maryland Home Improvement
Commission (MHIC) as noted at: http://groups.google.com/group/balt.general/msg/1235370342fd9435
John Stevens ... YOU'RE A LYING MAN!
And so his your brother Mike Stevens and your daddy Richard Stevens!
BUYER BEWARE IF ANY OF THESE LOWLIFES COME KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR
OFFERING A GOOD DEAL ON BLACKTOP FOR YOUR DRIVEWAY!