Ossining couple learns licensing lesson from leaky home improvements

An Ossining couple who say they had never dealt with contractors are accusing two Mount Vernon men of wrecking their home improvement project.

Matthew and Amanda Eleuterio Presta say they paid nearly $50,000 to Fernando and Fabricio Aparecido Alves for shoddy work, in a complaint filed Nov. 6 in Westchester Supreme Court.

“Immediately after the work was completed,” the complaint states, “the bathroom sinks began to leak, the toilet began to leak, and the bathtub leaked causing damage to the laundry room lighting. Shortly thereafter, the shower leaked down to the basement, destroying the ceiling and floor.”

Fernando Alves did not reply to a message asking for his side of the story.

Last year, the Prestas bought their first home — a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 2,140-square-foot ranch house on Cedar Lane, with a hillside view of the Hudson River a half-mile away — for $510,000.

They hired the Alveses to remodel the first floor, including redoing the bathrooms, sanding and polishing hardwood floors, installing lights, and painting.

Their complaint does not explain how they found and chose the Alveses, but says they “relied on” a business card for FFA Construction and they did not know the men were unlicensed.

The Alveses and FAA Construction are not listed on Westchester County’s Department of Consumer Protection database of licensed contractors. Nor are they listed on the county’s “renegade renovators” database

In addition to the various purported leaks, bathroom tiles cracked and loosened, grout fell out, a shower door track came off, and a kitchen sink malfunctioned.

As portions of the work were completed, the Prestas paid the men with cash or through the Zelle digital payment network, totaling more than $40,000.

Four months after the work was done, the Alveses  allegedly contacted the Prestas and said the roof needed to be replaced. Scared that their roof would fall apart, the couple claims, they agreed to the project with the understanding that the new roof would last 20 years.

The Alveses assured the Prestas that the plywood base was in good condition, according to the complaint, and the couple agreed to pay $8,000 to replace the shingles.

Months later, the complaint states, the Prestas discovered that instead of stripping out the old shingles, new shingles were nailed onto them.

The Prestas agreed to pay the men another $650 to redo the work.

The couple has since discovered holes in the plywood, according to the complaint, and this past September a roofing company concluded that they need a new roof.

In all, they say they have spent $49,706.

The Prestas are accusing the Alveses of breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, deceptive business practices, deceptive advertising, and fraud. They are represented by Manhattan attorney Brandon S. Schwartz.

Though the complaint shows the Alveses as living in Mount Vernon, on June 15 they registered FFA Construction LLC with the Connecticut Secretary of State and they list a home address in Greenwich.