I hired a NY licensed Home Improvement Contractor and signed a contract and amendment on the same day. Once signed he did whatever he wanted. I do believe he didn’t understand the job he took. He didn’t try to meet the amendment. He did inferior work and not to NY electrical code. Didn’t take out permit or get inspection as per amend. didn’t hire licensed subs as per amend. I had residual damage due to his work and had to replace 2 bow windows. He did siding and installed windows, repair on the 2 bows which caused damage and didn’t do what was in amend. He did brick work and gutters leaders, I have a ceiling open in the bathroom that he didn’t renovate also. He installed 6 windows incorrectly, not in square and not told the siding job will be compromised to reinstall the 6 windows and add flashing he didn’t do. Siding job compromised to do electrical and can’t get estimate on work. I am trying to get estimates to redue this job and can’t. See this job and now run away. How do I get this done when contractors do not want to fix this mess I am left with. He came with his subs to my house for payment before job finished and before I had water into the walls with his inferior job. Contacted a lawyer and was told you could win and not get anything so put your money into repair of this job. which means doing many areas over and due to siding on some needs to be replaced now. I can’t get contractors who want this job. Not good ones. Any ideas as what I can do now. I didn’t even list all wrong with this job including siding loose, gutters and leaders not right, plumbing left gas into my house for 2 weeks, so much wrong. He was supposed to take out permits and get inspections which he didn’t do. He used non electrician and plumber to do work even siding guy doing electrical work not in code. did electrical over 3 times and still not in NY code. Water is noisy now, I think maybe venting problem with what they did. Any suggestion would be great.
Did you consider small claims court? You won’t require a lawyer. Although I believe the damages are capped at $5,000 which sounds like considerably less than you have but also, sadly, probably more than you’ll recover.
Moved to IMHO from General Questions.
samclem,moderator
to Samclem Hi, I do not know what IMHO is or how to move it and why. Please respond. I am a senior and having trouble navigating around computers. Please find a way to explain what I need to do. I hope I am responding correctly. Thanks
to Jonesj2205 Hi, yes I have paid over $25000.00 for this job. And job was for about $40000.00 so small claims doesn’t mean much or even cover residual damage and due to siding all costs to repair other things are now more expensive. Thanks
You don’t need to do anything in response to Samclem. His post is just informing you that he has moved your thread from the forum you posted it in, “General Questions” to a different forum called “In My Humble Opinion” (abbreviated to IMHO). The reason he took that action is because “General Questions” is for questions that have factual answers, and “IMHO” is for questions seeking opinions and advice.
No harm, no foul. This is a routine action, nothing for you to be concerned about.
Does the guy have a bond? I always thought having a bond was part of being licensed, so that if there was some kind of problem like this, he had the ability to pay.
Are there dispute procedures written into the contract? Like say… something about arbitration? If so, exercise them.
Contact your state’s Registrar of Contractors or similar agency, and ask how to file a complaint
Thank you for your info. I will try to remember this and post in correct area the next time.
Going after his bond is the right path, assuming he actually was bonded. Many criminal contractors also have a fake license number, assuming that you won’t check up on it. At the very least, the city needs to be notified that he never pulled permits and was using unlicensed tradesmen. This guy needs to be shut down.
Other things to consider:
(a) Call your county property office (the office that deals with recording deeds) and make sure that there are no liens on your property. Some builders buy supplies on credit and give the homeowner’s property as the installation site. When the builder doesn’t pay, the supplier goes after the homeowner.
(b) Call who ever deals with elder abuse in your state and start a complaint about this builder. In some states this could be treated as a criminal act (fraud targeting seniors). You might not want to do that, but you will be saving other people from being abused the same way that he abused you. If you can’t find the office, call your local police department and they’ll probably be able to give you the number.
© Contractors aren’t going to want to get involved because there is no way to define the difference between what he did wrong and what they’ve done. I was building a building and the contractor flaked out, I could not find anyone to come finish the job for that specific reason. I had to force the contractor to get his shit in gear and finish the job. Then I had to FORCE him to fix all the screw ups at his own cost. It was a nightmare and you can bet that I’ll never touch the guy again and have spent years telling anyone who will listen what a screw up he is.
(d) As said above, find the license board and start a complaint with them.
Is the State’s Registrar for Contractors the same thing as NY Consumer Affairs? Thanks
Yes he has a bond that he had to pay $200.00 for when he got his Lisc. It is a bond trust i believe and there is supposed to be money in there for repairs one person told me and the other person said that is not true. Contractor having this bond has nothing to do with wining a case in court and actually receiving money from the contractor for repairs.
nothing about disputes in cont or amend. I didn’t realize this.
My problem is how to get contractors to give me documentation for work not correct and to get estimates. they do not want to go against another contractor and also do not know fully what is involved like electrical till they get into it. Do I have them work with out an estimate and charge anything they want? also siding has to be lifted up all over the place to do this and some removed and replaced due to holes where screws were etc. this is my problem now. told to lie to contractors saying i need estimates for insurance co to get it. I don’t like doing this at all and how can they begin to understand what they are up against then. besides siding is new gutters not done right buy new how do i say this?
Does the guy have a bond? I always thought having a bond was part of being licensed, so that if there was some kind of problem like this, he had the ability to pay.
Are there dispute procedures written into the contract? Like say… something about arbitration? If so, exercise them.
He did put $s200.00 into bond trust to get his lisc. Has nothing to do with him being able to pay himself. Lawyers told me don’t take him to court I can win and get nothing except paying them. Told contractors have protected themselves regarding not having money in there name.
no dispute in cont/amend.
He is lisc. I have checked on it before hiring him.
He should loose his lisc. Problem is I was also told close down under one name and open up under another.
I am dealing with NY consumer affair only at this time and it is up to me to prove what is wrong. hard to do without having help from contractors. any advise here. they do not want to be involved with this against another contractor. can’t give me prices in some areas till they take it apart like elect. that is not to ny building code.
If I report it to the building dept I get fined not him do to he worked without permit even though it is in the amendment that he was to take out permits and didn’t. and didn’t get inspection. didn’t hire lisc electrician doing electrical so how could he take out permit in the first place. I didn’t want him to work like this. even told his siding guy doing elect. for the second time over again to stop and not do this. contractor said he wants him to do it. romex simpull interior wire for outside lights directly under vinyl siding is not in code in ny. contractor said it is, code dept told me it isn’t.
do i give myself a fine? and be forced to fix it maybe within certain amount of time? not sure what will happen to me then.
Originally Posted by bump View Post
Does the guy have a bond? I always thought having a bond was part of being licensed, so that if there was some kind of problem like this, he had the ability to pay.