Flooring fiasco

COMPLAINT: Andrea Olivier, Rochester, N.Y.

"I hired Monroe Hardwood Floor Mechanic to put in a plywood platform to level the floor in two rooms. I was new to the city, and [Frank Santillo, the owner] took advantage of the fact that I couldn't get the other flooring companies to return my calls for estimates. He called me 'honey' because he said it was easier than remembering my name. He lost the keys to my apartment, so it took him a month to do a job he originally said would take a week.

"He demanded extra money in the middle of the job, and he didn't bother to sand and finish the floor, which he included in his estimate. He buffed and coated the remaining hardwood without removing staples and paint stains and didn't make the necessary minor repairs or clean it first. That crud is now stuck to the floor. I had to clean up after him, and I paid to change the locks because I wasn't sure I had all my keys back. For the work he actually finished, Frank charged me three times the cost of what other professionals estimated his work was worth."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I paid $2,990 for work valued at $1,012 by contractors who gave me estimates on [Santillo's] finished work. I want him to refund me the difference: $1,978."

STATUS: Penalty Box