Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Household Management -> Finances
Wwyd, financial loss



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother
Cerise


 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 9:51 am
The story is as follows and I am open to any feedback. I hired a contractor to do work in my house and he left in the middle of the job, on his last day of work then he had even taken some money for supplies and I had no reason to believe he would stop the job. I paid him way more than what he has left which I realize now was a mistake but I guess I was naïve. His last week working here then he had mentioned that "person x" had called for an estimate and it was a big job and they were calling him back to discuss the terms but he was going to push off the work until he finished by me. He never came back. I know who "person x" is from the community since we have mutual friends... my question is if I should call "person x" and say anything...1. to warn them. 2. ask them if they can possibly send him back to finish the job and then he can continue by them. Any advice is appreciated. I can't be sure until I would finish the job with someone else but I expect that this will set me back about 10-12K, so it is significant!
Back to top

momnaturally




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 10:24 am
I would contact person x but it needs to be done smart. Perhaps mention to person x what occurred and suggest that they ask contractor for references. Also they should mention to contractor that they heard he was working for you (op). They should ask contractor if true. They should say they know you so you would be a good reference.
I have a funny feeling contractor will call you immediately and let u know he us coming back tomorrow...
Back to top

33055




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 10:41 am
momnaturally wrote:
I would contact person x but it needs to be done smart. Perhaps mention to person x what occurred and suggest that they ask contractor for references. Also they should mention to contractor that they heard he was working for you (op). They should ask contractor if true. They should say they know you so you would be a good reference.
I have a funny feeling contractor will call you immediately and let u know he us coming back tomorrow...


The contractor will see right through this.

OP should have the BD direct payment to her after speaking to appropriate counsel.
Back to top

amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 10:47 am
I would have a lawyer send a letter to the contractor.
I'd take this to court. The threat of court might wake him up, and you might not need to follow through with actual court action.
Back to top

momnaturally




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 10:50 am
Squishy wrote:
The contractor will see right through this.

OP should have the BD direct payment to her after speaking to appropriate counsel.

No the contractor will be worried about jeopardizing his new job.
Beis din is many times just not worth it cost you more to go then what is at stake...
Back to top

momnaturally




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 10:52 am
and court certainly will cost more.
he will call your bluff on that too.
the most powerful tool you have is his customers. just do it smart.
Back to top

amother
Cerise


 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 11:01 am
amother wrote:
I would have a lawyer send a letter to the contractor.
I'd take this to court. The threat of court might wake him up, and you might not need to follow through with actual court action.
Back to top

amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 11:14 am
I recently paid for a used car, and the dealer said he'd have it cleaned same day. Three days later, he had every excuse in the book why it hadn't been cleaned yet. Every day I called and said I want my money back. Each time, he said it's not possible to give back my money.
Meanwhile, I found another car, from another dealer, that was cleaner.
I told him I didn't want to do this, but I see no other way, and if I don't have my money back by the evening I will go to small claims court the following day.
The following morning he brought me the money.
I think there's a chance your contractor will do the right thing if you tell him you're going to go to court unless he returns tomorrow to continue the work. But I think you gotta mean it. I really meant it when I said I was going to go to court. If you mean it, they hear it in your voice.
Back to top

33055




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 11:26 am
momnaturally wrote:
and court certainly will cost more.
he will call your bluff on that too.
the most powerful tool you have is his customers. just do it smart.


The contractor already lost job 2. You got nothing more to take from him with your threat.

Perhaps a different threat to go after his license, but job 2 is a dead soldier.

The BD has the power to direct job 2 to pay job 1. They don't have a lot of enforcement powers, but that one works.
Back to top

momnaturally




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 11:50 am
Squishy wrote:
The contractor already lost job 2. You got nothing more to take from him with your threat.

Perhaps a different threat to go after his license, but job 2 is a dead soldier.

The BD has the power to direct job 2 to pay job 1. They don't have a lot of enforcement powers, but that one works.

If you bash him to job 2 yes he will likely lose it. But being smart means giving them just enough information that they will mention your name to contractor but not close the lid on him. For example you can just tell job 2 that contractor has been hard to reach recently and you just want to make sure that he isn't leaving you hanging but it could just be totally he is very busy the past week.
By them mentioning your name it will pressure him to call you and they will have been warned to look in to him but it could be a non issue...being smart means saying the right thing to them.
Back to top

33055




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 12:06 pm
momnaturally wrote:
If you bash him to job 2 yes he will likely lose it. But being smart means giving them just enough information that they will mention your name to contractor but not close the lid on him. For example you can just tell job 2 that contractor has been hard to reach recently and you just want to make sure that he isn't leaving you hanging but it could just be totally he is very busy the past week.
By them mentioning your name it will pressure him to call you and they will have been warned to look in to him but it could be a non issue
...being smart means saying the right thing to them.


I am trying not to offend you. The bolded advice is naive. It would take a really sophisticated person dangling a multimillion commercial contract to pull it off. OP doesn't have that kind of juice.

The simplest is to get money assigned her contractor is due.
Back to top

momnaturally




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 12:13 pm
maybe your right and op can't pull it off.
it's worth a shot though even if a savvier friend of hers mentions it to job 2. It can't hurt her to try.
Back to top

SixOfWands




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 1:46 pm
amother wrote:
The story is as follows and I am open to any feedback. I hired a contractor to do work in my house and he left in the middle of the job, on his last day of work then he had even taken some money for supplies and I had no reason to believe he would stop the job. I paid him way more than what he has left which I realize now was a mistake but I guess I was naïve. His last week working here then he had mentioned that "person x" had called for an estimate and it was a big job and they were calling him back to discuss the terms but he was going to push off the work until he finished by me. He never came back. I know who "person x" is from the community since we have mutual friends... my question is if I should call "person x" and say anything...1. to warn them. 2. ask them if they can possibly send him back to finish the job and then he can continue by them. Any advice is appreciated. I can't be sure until I would finish the job with someone else but I expect that this will set me back about 10-12K, so it is significant!


Have you called the contractor? If not, that's the best place to start. You left the job half finished, you have been paid for more work than completed, when are you coming back here.

Next, put it in writing. We had an agreement (please tell me that you had a written agreement) dated __________ , requiring you to _____________. You have been paid _____________________ (including money for supplies). You walked off the job. If you don't return by DATE, I'm going to hire another contractor, and sue you for the cost of completion. At the same time, I'll post reviews stating that you walked off the job before completion on Yelp and Angie's List. I trust that won't be necessary.

Don't contact the other people. Chances are they paid him extra to get him to walk off your job. That's the way it works.
Back to top

amother
Olive


 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 1:53 pm
SixOfWands wrote:
Have you called the contractor? If not, that's the best place to start. You left the job half finished, you have been paid for more work than completed, when are you coming back here.

Next, put it in writing. We had an agreement (please tell me that you had a written agreement) dated __________ , requiring you to _____________. You have been paid _____________________ (including money for supplies). You walked off the job. If you don't return by DATE, I'm going to hire another contractor, and sue you for the cost of completion. At the same time, I'll post reviews stating that you walked off the job before completion on Yelp and Angie's List. I trust that won't be necessary.

Don't contact the other people. Chances are they paid him extra to get him to walk off your job. That's the way it works.


Yup. and to add a lawyer would likely issue a statement of demand before issuing a legal claim.
Back to top

amother
Cerise


 

Post Sun, Mar 25 2018, 3:00 pm
The contractor is a [gentile], the person he is by now is Frum, I don't think they will drop him since he already started working by them, they would just be more cautious.
Back to top

amother
Cerise


 

Post Mon, Mar 26 2018, 9:48 am
Squishy wrote:
The contractor already lost job 2. You got nothing more to take from him with your threat.

Perhaps a different threat to go after his license, but job 2 is a dead soldier.

The BD has the power to direct job 2 to pay job 1. They don't have a lot of enforcement powers, but that one works.


does this work if job 1 and job 2 are both frum and the contractor is not jewish?
Back to top

amother
Olive


 

Post Mon, Mar 26 2018, 9:55 am
amother wrote:
does this work if job 1 and job 2 are both frum and the contractor is not jewish?


no. of course not.... unless you want to bring the job 2 family to bais din for theft of your contractor - but given that he is a person, not an object - not sure that would go very far.
Back to top
Page 1 of 1 Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Family planning cuz of financial stress
by amother
6 Yesterday at 6:08 pm View last post
Financial struggles
by amother
1 Tue, Mar 19 2024, 4:57 pm View last post
Organizations for financial aid
by amother
8 Mon, Mar 18 2024, 11:56 pm View last post
Any financial advisors here? Please help
by amother
4 Thu, Mar 14 2024, 11:05 pm View last post
Starting weight loss shots
by amother
2 Thu, Mar 14 2024, 1:12 pm View last post