I moved here permanently 4 years ago and purchased a home. It's the only home I own. I noticed during the closing there was a separate document for well water leasing. I signed it and was paying the well owner a monthly fee for water. It said in that document that if anything went wrong with the community water well, it was up to each individual homeowner to find their own water source. Something went wrong and it became necessary for me to have my own water well drilled.

The intent of my post is to ask is this the way things are done here.

The company came out and gave me an estimate. To clear a pad, drill the well, set the pump, install a pressure tank and fake rock cover, cut out a trench to the house for the pipe and electrical wires, hook everything up and make it work - $6,000. I thought that was a lot, but my friends told me that was about average.

The bulldozer showed up and cleared a 25X40 foot pad in the woods. He put a 10 inch pvc pipe down in the road for a gutter drain and pulled about 30 yards of dirt out into the road and over the pipe. I told him that could not remain permanently in that condition and after the job was over, the dirt would need to be put back on the pad and the pipe removed.

The drilling truck arrived and was so heavy when it drove over the dirt piled on top of the pvc pipe, the pipe crushed in the middle and bowed up at either end making it useless as a drain. The truck drilled down 645 feet and didn't find water. Hard to believe. The driller pulled all the pipe and told me that would be $5850 for drilling the 6 inch hole ($9 a foot), $300 for the 60 foot casing ($5 per foot), and $300 for building the pad. The total was $6450 for his work and he asked, "Would that be cash or check?"

There went my estimate and all I had was a deep, empty hole.

Next the "Hydro Fracting" truck arrived. They would pump water into the well at high pressure, fracturing the rock below and allow water to seep in faster. He asked, "Can you call so-and-so over there and get permission for us to fill our water truck from his pond?" I did, and they filled their truck with pond water. They put pipe down to 600 feet and did their hydro fracting with the pond water. Afterward they told me they were receiving 7 gallons per minute out of the well. They pulled all their pipes, handed me a bill for $3250 and asked, "Cash or check?"

Now I'm up to $9700 and have a hole in the ground that has pond water at the bottom. Guess me thinking that $6,000 estimate as being high turned out that it would have been a really good deal.

A couple days later the "Install Crews" showed up with a track hoe. They dug a trench 180 feet from the well to my house while another crew "set" the pump down into the well. It listed on their estimate the submersible pump would be set with pipe, wires, and rope. I didn't see any rope. Only 2, 300 foot sections of black plastic pipe, which they spliced together with a metal tube and 4 hose clamps, and some 3 conductor wire that they crimped on the submersible pump and taped on the pipe. Meanwhile, back at the trenching, I asked why it was only 6 inches deep and the wire was being layed directly on the dirt and not in conduit like another wiring job I had done a year or two earlier. The guy said, "The other guy that did that job must have been a licensed electrician."

The track hoe operator filled in the trench covering the wires, while two other workers drilled a hole up through my house and hooked the wires to a new 220 volt breaker they put in my breaker box. They flipped the breaker on and nothing worked. No water. They all left. I had no water in my house.

The next day a crew showed up and had to pull the 580 feet of black plastic pipe with the 3-conductor wires taped to it, all back out of the ground. Turns out no one tested the submersible pump first, and it was defective. It went back to Meyers and another new one was hooked to the pipe and spliced on the wires. Still no rope. Everything went back down the hole and this time I had lots of dirty water at the house. They handed me a bill for $3226 and asked, "Cash or check?"

Now I"m up to $12,326 and here I was thinking that $6,000 estimate seemed high.

A couple days later I called and asked when they were coming back out to clean up everything. They had broken 2 hand shovels during the job and they were laying in my yard. All their plastic water bottles were all over the yard, the trees they cut down were laying in my driveway obstructing the water drains, the 14 inch culvert under my driveway was filled with dirt and rocks, and there still was 30 yards of dirt and a crushed pvc pipe laying out in the road. They said they'd be out next week.

The following week a small buldozer showed up and moved the 30 yards of dirt out of the road and back onto the well pad. They took the crushed pvc pipe out of the roadway gutter, then left. They didn't take any of the broken shovels, empty water bottles, cut down trees with root balls in my driveway, clean out the culvert, nor restore the driveway gutter drains. The fake rock cover was on back order, and there set my 20 gallon pressure tank, relay switch, well cover, and all the wires out in the open on a 25X40 foot bare dirt patch in the woods.

I received a call from the company yesterday, 2 weeks after the job was finished and was told, "We need another $600 for "site restoration." I asked what that meant. They told me it was for putting the dirt back on the well pad with the bulldozer.

I tried to explain, without too much expression of anger that putting a customer's property back into a useable condition was part of the professionalism of their job, and I wasn't paying another dime. I explained that a bill for $12,326 on a $6,000 estimate was enough and it had to end somewhere.

In the meantime I have been cutting up the trees and roots they left in my driveway. I cleaned out the culvert under my driveway, and hand dug the driveway drains to clean out all the dirt and rocks they left. I also glued on a pvc cap to the pipe coming from the community well, where they had just cut it off and left it open past the original shut off valve in a green box at my driveway. I gathered up all their plastic water bottles and trash they left all over the place. I also bought grass seed, straw, a hose and a sprinkler so I could get something growing on the bare dirt 25X40 foot pad they cut for the well.

I know this is a long story, but my simple question is - do the companies here in Fannin County that come to your house for work, just trash the place then want to charge the customer and additional fee to come back out to pick up after themselves and restore the customer's property to a useable condition? Also, should I bring it to the attention of officials that they injected bacteria-laden water into the underground drinking water source? I searched on the Internet and it says without exception that hydro-fracting should be done with "chlorinated freshwater." And how about the electrical wires? Do I force them to come back out and do the job to code?

I'm certainly not paying anything else for "site restoration." But do I just walk away and hope I don't get sick from the pond water that was injected into my well 600 feet below the surface, and hope the 220 volt wires buried just 6 inches below the surface, and not in conduit remain there and not electrocute anyone walking over them? And if that pump ever has to be pulled back up for any reason, where's the rope? If the pipe splice or the electrical wire splices give way during the pulling, the pump will fall back to the bottom, then there's a lot of trouble.

I've been photographing and videotaping the entire process, actually just for curiosity. Now looks like I may have to be standing in front of a judge with evidence in hand about how poorly their professionalism was conducted at my residence, and possible health and electrical rules were not followed.

Is this the way business is done here?

They sure do things different up here. I will say that. Doing things to code seems to be over-looked by a lot of "So-Called" companies you'll find in the phone book. Not all of them are like that but there sure are quite a few you will find that do business just like you experienced.

It sounds to me like the company that handled your job hasn't a clue. Reading your story and after having a few wells drilled and installed in my life time I will say that group that handled your installation created a book full of no-no's during that whole project. If I were in your shoes I would not let them get a way with the crappy job you received for $12,000 bucks.

There are health concerns they have left you with. There are numerous codes that were broken that could cause the system to fail or heaven help you cause injury. That cannot be tolerated. When you pay that type of money you expect to get a job done professionally and correctly. That is not what you received...at all.

First of all...and I do not mean to get on you because I am not. I have learned the hard way from past experience myself. But you should have made sure a head of time that they were licensed to handle the job correctly. I would have really checked the company out before they came out to my house. Second if you need to get a lawyer involved and if you can afford one up front I would do it. People need to be made aware of the type of work this joke of a company is producing out there. If they did it to you you can be sure you are not the only one and you will not be the last. They need to be stopped or made to clean up their act before someone really gets sick or hurt.

I would bill that company through your lawyer for all the time you put in cleaning up your property...which was their job to do and not yours. $600 dollars sounds like a great starting Price for your time cleaning up. Hey how can they complain if that was what they figured it should cost you to clean up their mess in the first place right? That just makes me really mad to read that you were forced to clean up your own property after they left. Then the nerve of them to tell you that they will come back out and clean it up for an additional $600 bucks. These people are criminals and obvious don't care in the least.

I am sorry you have had to deal with this. I really am. I would not wish that on my worst enemy. You were taken advantage of and treated in the utmost disrespect. NO! You should not just walk away from this. You were done wrong and that is not OK. They need to come back out and do the job right and not leave until you are satisfied. They need to finish the job up to code and someone needs to be there supervising the job that knows the way it is suppose to be done. If they cannot do that then that company needs to be put out of business.

Unfortunately they have probably already cashed the checks you have given them. If not I would get a hold of my lawyer and stop payment on those checks and tell the company they are not to step on your property until the matter is resolved. I would certainly get a lawyer though and follow this through. Don't let them get away with that.

Please keep me and everyone else updated as to how this goes for you. If you don't mind I would like for you to PM me the name of the company that handled your Well installation. I would like to do some investigating on them myself. I have a lot of Construction contacts that know just about everyone in the business with things such as this. Thanks.

P.S. This company can begin cleaning up their acts by going back to school to learn what an "Estimate" is. It is understandable to find out that a $6,000 dollar Estimate might be 1 to 2 thousand dollars more than quoted...But to be more than double the amount your were given is a joke. What would have happened had you not had that amount of money? They cannot be allowed to do that to people. Not up here. A lot of hard working folks up here are trying to make ends meet and do not have that type of extra cash just laying around. Unbelievable.

Thanks for the information. I will dig into it some and let you know what I find out. Sounds like you are off to a pretty good start though. You should follow through with what you told me you were going to do in the PM you sent me. I think you have a great case and if your Lawyer is as good as you said She is then go after them. No matter what...they did not do you right.

It takes strong folks like yourself to put a stop to this poor business practice that some companies try to pull off. Companies like this need to know that they will and are held accountable and cannot get away with doing whatever they please. They do not have all the power like they like to pretend they do.

I've removed 4 full 3/4 ton truck loads of timber and brush left in my driveway. I've spent 3 full days shoveling, raking, and restoring the driveway gutter drain and the culvert under my driveway, and I've spent $100 at Home Depot on grass seed, straw, and mulch to restore the bare dirt 25X40 ft spot left in the woods. I've also dragged off 3, 8 foot long tree trunks with roots still attached that were left in my driveway and gutter drain.

I worked for law enforcement 25 years and retired in 2004. I wasn't a cop. I have degrees in Photography and Electrical Engineering. I was in charge of the Technical Unit. I ran all covert video and photography operations, conducted court-ordered wire taps on wire-line and cellular telephones, as well as operated and maintain the Remote Operated Vehicle (robot) for the Hostage Retrieval and Emergency Response Teams. I also built, maintained, and operated the ROV for the Arson/Bomb Squad. If you've ever seen the movie "Enemy of the State" with Will Smith, I was one of those tech geeks that spied on everyone. I didn't have the ability to take control of a satellite like those guys did in that movie, but I can tell you some technical spy stories that you would think incredible.

I am highly trained in collecting and presenting evidence. I collected evidence and testified in court cases against thousands of criminals in my career. I'm not afraid of any attorney, and can stand and speak eloquently before any judge. I have been photographing and documenting the construction and restoration of this entire debacle on my property.

The father that originally owned and ran this company might have had a sterling reputation in this county, but my attorney is bringing in State of Georgia investigators for water quality and electrical code compliance. I doubt the local family that runs this outfit has the same pull with the state investigators that they do with the local "good old boys." If negligence and non-compliance are determined that involve health and safety issues, criminal charges could possibly develop, as well as a "cease and desist" order for their company.

I'm not looking to put anyone out of business, but I'm also not looking to become ill from bacteria being incompetently injected into my water well, or have someone electrocuted from walking over 220 volt power lines that were intentionally buried only 6 inches below the surface, knowingly circumventing code. That happened to 2 of our police horses back home. Someone buried power lines just below the surface, not in conduit, and not to code. It was a rainy night when the horses, with metal shoes walked over the wires and were shocked to death instantly. Cops were mounted on and riding the horses at that moment, but luckily they lived. The site manager was charged with negligent death of police animals, found guilty, and sentenced to 3 years in jail.

Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not a mean, hateful person. I just paid more than double the estimate for what I expected to be ethical, professional work on my property. I feel I received some of the most incompetent, and blatantly deceitful work I have ever encountered. Then, after I paid all their invoices in-full, I get a phone call and they want yet more money. So it's time for this Disabled Viet Nam Veteran to stand up for my rights.

Amen Brother. I from what you have told me 100% agree with you. I know I would not be happy at all if what happened to you had happened to me. I know I would be doing something about it as well. Seems to me like they tried to pull a fast one over on the wrong guy this time. When you do people wrong it will eventually come back to bite you in the butt.

Tomorrow (Monday) I am going to make a few phone calls to some of my buddies and ask around about this company or better stated as an outfit. LOL
I will PM you and let you know what I find out. Some of the details you have told me are mind boggling and anyone with common sense would have major Red Flags going up all over the place.

Good for you for not backing down and standing up for your rights when you know you have been done wrong. To many people let themselves be intimidated to letting things like this go. I say stand up for yourself. If more good hard working people did that you would not have outfits like this trying to make money off of people with poor crappy unprofessional work. People just cannot continue to do work up here without following code like so many do. Code is put in place for a reason. The amount of code that gets ignored up here is crazy. It has to stop. It needs to be enforced or the ones that cannot abide by them need to be fined over and over again until they get it or go out of business.

We suffer as citizens by allowing people and companies to get away with it. Not to mention ignoring code is dangerous and will someday really hurt an innocent bystander with it can be avoided if people would just do things right the first time. I have enjoyed talking with you about this. I am sorry it has been a conversation that has brought your stress but I am glad you are going to do something about it.

Keep me posted and I will try to help out any way I can.

Much respect for your services in Vietnam but you sound like a typical Floridian who really doesnt belong or fit in the Country. I heard ******** has strict codes ya might wanna move back.

I removed many people just like you from the gene pool while serving my country in Viet Nam. Did that so real people like me could live in a free society, where ever and how ever we please. When President Richard Nixon summoned me to the White House and pinned the country's second highest medal on my chest in 1971, I wasn't thinking about living my life through you.

cabincams, after reading your reply i had to jump up and salute you and the others who have served our country bravely. i was classified 1A, but was never called on, the war "ended ", during a time of the draft, something most can not understand. your service will always be honered by real people like myself. good luck with the well issue , bless you and yours and take BC with a grain of salt. best southern regards, jwburchard

cabincams, I live in Florida, bought a second home in
Blairsville. My wife and I come up for ten days a month
every month. We haven't missed a month yet after three
years. We can't move yet, a family reponsiblity comes
first. We bought almost four years ago. We make sure
we are loyal to all merchants in Blairsville, buy every-
thing we need for Blairsville in Blairsville.

I love the locals, that is why we are here, nobody is
from Florida, just passing through due to work, retirment or whatever. Sometimes I feel sadden to
experience the dislike the locals have with us. Just
smile and hope they will come around. Not all locals
dislike us, but one rotten apple can spoil the barrell.

Bears way

My dad was born in Georgia in 1900. Don't know where his dad was from. Could be my family has been in Georgia longer than those who are making fun of me for being a Floridian. He moved south and met my mom. I was born down there in 1949 and don't feel ashamed of where I was born. I understand Floridians are held responsible for lots of things in the tri-state area. Down there we all made jokes about the "snow birds" that moved down during the winter to get away from the north. And now I heard a new one on me. "Half back." That's someone who moved to Florida from the north. Then moved to north Georgia from Florida. So they moved only half-way back to their original home. Heck, even heard a joke about the locals when I moved here. They were fighting the gorilla farm that was planned for the area. They were afraid the gorillas might escape, marry their women and take their jobs. So everyone jokes about everybody. That's just life.

I was lucky enough to return from Viet Nam alive and in one piece. I did come back paraplegic, paralyzed from the waste down. But I made it back. Unfortunately more than 58,000 of my brothers didn't make it back alive. I had a good friend over there named George. Now he was just a simple country boy. He'd break out in a big Cheshire Cat style grin from ear to ear, and in a soft spoken voice say, "Everybody's got the right to be as big a fool as they wanna be." Wish he'd made it back alive.

I live his saying in his stead. We all make fools of ourselves from time to time. Just some are better versed at it than others. Right before my helicopter hit the ground and exploded into flames I thought just for an instant that maybe enlisting, volunteering for Viet Nam, and volunteering to be a door gunner in a search and rescue helicopter was a real foolish stunt. They even made me sign a waiver that I understood the life expectancy of a door gunner was 27 days. I didn't go over there to kill people. I went to save people. The logo on our squadron's patch said it all, "So that other's may live." That's why I went. But I've never lost sight of my patriotism for my country. And I am blessed. Two years in two different hospitals and many surgeries later I started to regain the feeling in my lower body. Another year in a serious rehab facility and I learned to walk all on my own. Now, 40 years later I can even carefully wade into a clear stream and wave a stick at the fish!

I may bark at a few fools every now and then. But my bark is much worse than my bite, because I know someone else is barking at my foolishness. And I bark at my own foolishness quite frequently.