The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a local concrete contractor after multiple Tyler area senior citizens reported being scammed out of more than $57,000.

The Better Business Bureau issued a statement after receiving complaints from residents in Tyler, Hawkins, Hide-a-Way, Jacksonville and Longview, as well as a church in Troup, about the contractor. The victims said that G&J concrete takes payment up front, usually in the thousands of dollars, and then never returns to complete work. The business also operates under the names Garrett’s Custom Concrete, Affordable Custom Concrete and Gary’s Concrete.

Sheriff’s Detective Stan Head confirmed he is investigating multiple complaints against the owner of the businesses, Gary Lynn Garrett.

The BBB and the Tyler Morning Telegraph attempted to contact Garrett but did not get a response.

A church in Troup claims they paid more than $16,000 for work that was never completed.

“We chose his company over other bids because he claimed he was a licensed plumber and would do the plumbing portion of our project at no charge,” a church representative said. “We later found out that he was not licensed.”

The BBB confirmed Garrett is not a licensed plumber. The sheriff’s office also was unable to verify his licenses.

The Tyler Morning Telegraph found multiple lawsuits filed against Garrett in civil court in Smith County. In at least two of the suits, Garrett was found liable and ordered to pay damages to the victims.

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office asks that anyone who believes they might have been a victim to call the sheriff’s office at 903-566-6600.

Twitter:@TMT_Cory  

 

Better Business Bureau tips for hiring professional contractors

Ask for recommendations . Ask friends, family members, and neighbors to suggest a reliable contractor. Check out contractors at bbb.org to read reviews or complaints. Contact several contractors in the area to ask them a few questions about your project before getting an estimate. Find out how long the contractors have been doing business. Note the time it takes for the contractors to respond to you.

Get written estimates . Get at least three written estimates from different contractors. Be sure each contractor visits your home to check out the job in order to give the most accurate estimate. Ask if the land surrounding the project will be disrupted or removed during the job. Find out how long the project will take to complete and how weather conditions will affect the status of the project. Beware of unusually low estimates; they usually don’t give you the best value for your money. Base your decision on the quality of the work and materials, rather than just the price.

Make certain they are insured. Only hire contractors that are bonded and insured. If the city requires a permit for your project, be sure the contractor can obtain the permit before working.

Request references . Ask the contractor to provide a list of references you may contact. Ask that a few of the references be customers from one to two years ago to check out how the contractor’s work has held up over time. If you want concrete that has patterns and texture to resemble brick, wood, or other materials, be sure the contractor is an expert in stamped and decorative concrete. Ask for multiple references that have stamped and decorative concrete to check out their work. Ask the references if they were completely satisfied with the work that was done. Find out if the final cost was close to the written estimate or if there were additional costs along the way.

Get Everything in Writing. Don’t rely on verbal agreements; get all the details of the project and additional promises in writing. Be sure the agreement includes: a payment schedule, a description of the services, a start and completion date, the materials for the job and a warranty. Be sure the agreement identifies who’s responsible for the cleanup once the job is completed.