Legal Question in Construction Law in California

Landscape company not taking care of weeds

We paid a lot of money to have our front and back yards completely relandscaped. We had a lot of crabgrass, which is why we decided to start from scratch and hire a professional company. Two weeks after it was done, crabgrass is growing thru the sod and in the planter areas. We've been told by the landscape company to wait a month and put on crabgrass killer. Before the work began, we expressed our concerns about the crabgrass and were told not to worry because we'd get all new dirt and it wouldn't be a problem. Since it's already a problem after 2 weeks, we're worried what it will be like in a month. Crabgrass can quickly take over an area. Can we somehow force the landscape company to remedy this problem, as it should've been killed off before they began the work? It's very discouraging to walk out and see crabgrass growing all over our new landscaping after paying more than $18,000.00. Thank you for your advice.


Asked on 8/21/04, 10:53 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Gary Redenbacher Redenbacher & Brown, LLP

Re: Landscape company not taking care of weeds

Assuming that part of your contract was to get rid of the crabgrass, this sounds like a routine breach of contract action. You'll need to find out how much it will cost to get rid of the crabgrass and get your landscaping back to where it should be. I'd contact the Contractors State License Board and register a complaint with them. They're pretty effective on problems like this. You can also sue for this amount. If it's under $5000, you can do this easily in small claims court. If it's over $5000, you'd have to go to the Superior Court. You could try to do this on your own, but unless you've got hundreds of hours available to learn the ins and outs of law, I'd hire a lawyer. But, be aware that lawyers generally go for $200/hour and up so it's likely that the amount in dispute doesn't warrant hiring a lawyer.

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Answered on 8/21/04, 4:31 pm


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