Landscaper Jailed for Exorbitant Prices

I think it's important to note that this is an UNLICENSED LANDSCAPER!!! I also think it's important to note that this is happening in every community throughout the country every single day without consequence. It's almost refreshing to see results like this every now and again but much more needs to be done. HOMEOWNER'S BEWARE!!! I think I'll change my pitch from "The low price is RARELY what it seems" to "The low price is NEVER what it seems". This case is so common and no one would ever have heard anything about it were it not for the advocacy of his daughter who was appalled when she found out about it. The homeowner was understandably embarassed about being taken and probably would not have told anyone about it. Luckily the Contractors State License Board was called in and with the help of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) this homeowner may realize some appropriate resolve. And hopefully the actions of all the professionals who got involved has restored their faith in our industry. What the story does not say is that the work performed was so bad none of it should be considered anything like "industry standard". The article briefly makes mentions of "lackluster work". Actually the work that was done in this garden is"hiddeous" and a complete waste of money. The only elements that might be re-used were the plants but even they were not the most appropriate for the site. This is not just my opinion, it is borne out in CSLB's experts report that the project was only worth $84K and needed $70K worth of repairs (the $14K difference is probably the cost of the materials already on site). I'd classify this work as bad design, bad execution, bad construction and bad business. There also is no mention of the fact the workers were not insured (no worker's comp); there was no insurance or bond to cover poor work or liability the homeowner and his neighbors have been exposed to; there likely was no income reported so the state and consequently the community is bilked out of tax revenue that should have been paid. This list goes on. With the numbers of projects like this being installed in every community every day, this is what consumers are coming to expect as typical and that adversely affects every professional in our industry. Every landscape professional - landscape architects, designers, contractors, and even students (perhaps especially students) - should be very concerned about this problem and should participate in developing effective, lasting solutions. Do nothing and the problem will only get worse; eroding the confidence of consumers we've worked so hard as professionals to create. If this concerns you, as it should, GET INVOLVED! If it doesn't, don't complain. Complaining does nothing to create lasting change. But make no mistake - the problem is not going away and it's getting much worse. It's too bad that Irrigation & Green Industry News has watered down this story. The original story named the person convicted of unlicensed contracting and elder abuse. If we don't start holding these people more accountable and posting their information for consumers to see we may never sufficiently educate the consumers on the need to hire Professional Licensed Contractors.