A $130,500 build, 18 months and $54,000 in damages later, a judgement against Ned Michael in Oconee County GA Superior.
A $130,500 build, 18 months and $54,000 in damages later, a judgement against Ned Michael in Oconee County GA Superior.
Are you having problems with Ned and Jackson Michael? You are NOT alone! I have been contacted by many people since going public with our bad experiences and have heard stories of delays, property damage, contract breaches and even a lien against a homeowner because of Ned Michael’s failure to pay one of his subs. I have seen documentation and been informed by regretful customers and contractors of issues with delinquent accounts of credit. If you contracted with Ned or Jackson Michael, and they are not fulfilling their responsibilities to you as a contractor, get in touch. All personally identifiable information will remain private unless you choose to go public. Any information posted publicly will need to be verifiable to maintain credibility. Don’t be another victim! Together, we can hold them accountable and protect others. Contact info at the bottom of this site.
Ned Michael, found in breach of contract and ordered to pay damages. In typical fashion, Ned Michael did not accept his responsibility until a FI FA was obtained placing a lien against him. He has since paid the court ordered damages which after legal fees will cost $47,000 additional to repair.
The following are comparison videos of our spa compared to the one Ned Michael showed me during our consultation. Ours has no action because the jet pump we were told we were getting, later shown and contracted for, was not installed due to a failure of Michael Enterprises Pool and Spa to install the required plumbing
I was told by Ned Michael that we didn't really need the spa jet pump I contracted and paid for. His subcontractor, Marcus said it was just a valve adjustment. Ned told the judge, 'this is the way we do it now'.
Our spa incorrectly plumbed with no jet pump installed
The spa I was shown prior to contract which has the jet pump
We contracted with Ned Michael, dba Michael Enterprises Pool and Spa in March, 2021 to build a freeform gunite pool and spa which after a $130,500 investment has an estimated $54,000 in damages.
Construction began three months past the agreed to start date and has been filled with problems since it began which may be partially contributed to the fact that Ned and his son Jackson only came here one day while and for the purpose of work taking place and that was on dig day. But I will say, when it comes to payday you can count on Ned Michael to come when he says.
Damages include:
Spa related:
During my consultation, Ned Michael stated that if we chose to install the spa it would come with a dedicated spa jet pump. Immediately following our consultation, we met at a nearby location to view a pool that had a spa plumbed for the dedicated spa jet pump as he had described.
We later contracted for and received the equipment which included the spa jet pump which could not be installed because of the failure of Ned Michael and his subcontractors to install the required plumbing. Although I was told later that we didn’t need the pump, the comparison videos of our spa versus the spa Ned showed me tell a different story.
Deck crack and voids:
The day the pool and spa were filled, it was reported to Ned Michael that the spa was losing water. The next day, water was observed seeping out the top of the spa LED conduit at the equipment pad and reported that but no one came and I capped it myself. But the spa kept losing water and 42 days from the initial report, water began seeping from the retaining wall. I sent a registered letter and email to Ned notifying him of the issue, telling him it was high priority and that he would be held accountable for any damages, but got no response to either. Exactly 60 days after Ned was first notified, he sent his plumber out and the leak was plugged with the installation of the LED in the spa. By then, an estimated 2880 gallons off water had seeped underneath the deck. Several weeks later, a 30 foot long deck crack appeared and ground penetrating radar detected/confirmed the existence of a void 2.4 feet deep, running the entire length of the crack. Another void, 1.2 feet deep runs between the spa and terminates at the retaining wall, in the exact location I saw, photographed and reported seepage.
Coping related:
The flagstone coping has extensive joint cracking due to the lack of an expansion joint between the coping and deck. I was told that a foam barrier would be placed in between the coping and deck, later trimmed and mastic applied. The foam was installed too low, verifiable with photos, and as a result, the concrete deck is directly against the stone causing pressure from expansion of the deck. Ned Michael wanted to apply mastic without addressing the expansion joint issue.
Pool filter:
We contracted and paid for a Hayward sand filter but Ned Michael substituted a single cartridge filter without my knowledge or consent. I’ve had many experts here and all of them agree that the filter that was installed is entirely too small for the amount of water we are pushing.
Hayward Trivac 700 cleaner:
The Trivac cleaner we contracted for was delivered but not installed and told by Ned Michael that it was defective, was being recalled by Hayward and would be replaced by him with a Polaris but that never happened and we still don’t have a working cleaner that we contracted and paid for.
Electrical:
Ned sent a plumber to install our electrical which was not to code. I contacted the Madison county building inspector and found out that Ned Michael was using the affidavit of a licensed electrician and having an unlicensed plumber do the work, without the knowledge of the electrician shown on the affidavit. Among the issues were no GFCI breakers and wire gauge too small creating a potential fire and shock hazard. I contacted Ned with the knowledge I had gained and he sent someone else here, who could not tell me his license number and without updating the affidavit with the building inspector, to tear out and replace the electrical. After two attempts, there are still code violations which will have to be addressed.
Pool overflow drain:
The pool overflow drain, encased in concrete, was installed too low and barely meets the 2 inch recommended water levels the manufacturer at the skimmer throat. The issue is that if the water levels drop by any amount, air could be sucked into the pumps and cause them to overheat. While this can be rectified by blocking off a portion of the drain, it is just one more example of sloppy workmanship due to a lack of supervision and inspection.
Heat pump anchoring:
The recommended and supplied anchor straps were not installed per repeated request by myself to Ned Michael. In the event of strong winds, the heat pump could become airborne due to the lack of weight. But my request like others were ignored by Michael Enterprises Pools and Spas.
Plumbing valves:
After the equipment was set, no one told me what any of the valves did. I worked with an acquaintance to sort them out for myself. I made repeated requests to Ned, to label the valves but was ignored as usual.
Plumbing at the equipment pad:
It was Ned’s plumber, Jeff, that informed me that the return and suction lines were not paired and would result in excessive amounts of turns. Because of this, there are (17) ninety degree turns that had to be used to make the connections creating unnecessary restrictions to an already compromised system.
On May 2, 2023, over two years after we signed our contract, Ned Michael, dba Michael Enterprises Pool and Spa, received a judgment from Oconee County Superior Court, (case number SUSR2022000046) for Breach of Contract specifically related to the spa plumbing, filter and cleaner. He was ordered to pay $15,500 in damages. Prior to that, I made every attempt to get him to accept his responsibility from emails, text messages, registered letters, and even mediation. He has failed to keep his word time after time with excuses for everything including Covid, weather, technology, health. It remains to be seen if he will willingly pay the damages or if further legal steps will be required. Further updates will be made which may include videos, photos, recordings, GPR results, damage estimates, court documents and more.
It is my hope that this review will serve to prevent others from making the same mistake we did in choosing Michael Enterprises Pool and Spa.
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