My mother had a contractor do renovations he kept wanting money up front like 4 times and now hes nowhere to be found. Is she completely screwed now? do any people actually get back money from this scam that some of them do?
When a Contractor Ghosts you
- Thread starter Claudia Love
- Start date
You dont keep giving money up front.
A good contractor will take 20-30% up front to cover materials, then the rest as the work progresses or is complete.
What is she getting done and how much has she already paid ?
It happens all the time. That is why it’s always best to go with a reputable contractor that has good references. Often times people go with the lowest price, and ends up costing them more.
bathroom she paid this idiot 10k and the bathroom has been touched as in takin apart but nothing refinished ugh
Old prospector rides into town and heads to the saloon. Asks the bartender where he can find a hooker. Bartender says go upstairs. Knock on the door Room 21. So he goes upstairs knocks on the door. Voice says "what do you want?" He says "a piece of ass". Voice says "slide $20.00 under the door". Prospector does. Nothing happens. So after about 5 minutes he starts banging on the door. Voice says "what do you want?" Prospector says "I want to get fucked!" Voice says "what? again?"
Most reputable companies do not ask for an advance,. They will ask you to sign a contract.
If asked for a down payment, never give more than 20% of the estimated cost.
The contractor has to purchase material and that is reasonable request.
Any thing more than that, just get prepared to get screwed.
If asked for a down payment, never give more than 20% of the estimated cost.
The contractor has to purchase material and that is reasonable request.
Any thing more than that, just get prepared to get screwed.
Sorry, he is not the idiot. He is a shrewd con artist. Good luck on finishing the project.
Happens way to often. Agree 100% what others have said about signing a contract and not more than 20% down. If calls go unanswered, go to his office and raise a bit of hell but in a nice way. Record the interaction too, that way if it becomes a legal matter you have a recording of the reasons for him not showing up to do the work or not answering calls. If there are pics of the bathroom before he tore it apart and the current state showing a time stamp is just more evidence.
LTO_3
LTO_3
That's IF he has an office ...good luck if he does not have one and ... all you have is a voip phone number...
Sorry to hear what happened. Usually if you don’t get a name through a referral I’d go with either Home Stars or Jiffy for contractor work. The trades on those two sites want more work and referrals.
She probably won’t get her money back, but usually a review somewhere with their name and phone number will save the next person some money.
She probably won’t get her money back, but usually a review somewhere with their name and phone number will save the next person some money.
first a written estimate. 10% as an upfront deposit. in a written contract a schedule of payments at certain milestones in the project. 10% to be held till all work is complete.
Very true. Especially if their family was of no use or help. It's like closing the barn door after the horses are already out. LOL
That 10k is gone - sorry for you mom - that is awful - I hope the fkr gets what he deserves. Always check HomeStars or any referrals. Or even better yet - go to Lowes or Home Depot - you pay a bit more - but you know the job with get done and covered.
Small Claims Court is your friend. Sounds like breach of contract, but also fraud if it's clear there was no genuine intention to do the work.
In the latter case, you may also want to contact the police. The sketch might have a trail of other vics. But in any event, file a claim in Small Claims court. Was the deal in writing? Did your mom hire the guy personally? Or a corporation?
In the latter case, do you know how to do a corporate search?
I hesitate to say this, but I have a man crush on this dude. (A purely professional crush LOL!)I love his TV show. I think you should call the casting for Holmes on Homes! https://makeitright.ca/holmes-advice/bathroom-renovation/how-to-hire-a-contractor-get-it-in-writing/
You can sue, but with the legal system, your mother will never be 100% whole, and it takes a long time.
I agree about including benchmarks throughout the project that are linked to payment. Demo, framing, rough ins, drywall and finishing are the usual benchmarks. One sign of a good contractor, is the amount of detail they require before the job starts. The contractor likes to have the shower fixture, bathtub, vanity, vanity fixture, toilet, basically everything being used for the project, on site.
They are needed so you can determine the location of the rough ins, no one wants any surprises when you make to final hook ups. Also the tile should be selected and present (at the very least, a sample) to determine thickness of wall and floor. You need to know the thickness of the wall when you rough in your shower control unit.
If the client pays for all fixtures and finishes, the contractor's portion of the overall bill is reduced thereby reducing your risk if they're scam artists.
They are needed so you can determine the location of the rough ins, no one wants any surprises when you make to final hook ups. Also the tile should be selected and present (at the very least, a sample) to determine thickness of wall and floor. You need to know the thickness of the wall when you rough in your shower control unit.
If the client pays for all fixtures and finishes, the contractor's portion of the overall bill is reduced thereby reducing your risk if they're scam artists.
My major Reno was like this. Did basically every room in the house. So it was chunked up. I bought all materials and paid him weekly based on a day rate. So on Friday if he works 4 days, he got 4 days pay. He never stayed longer then the 8hrs/day contacted. If he showed up at 7am, left at 3, if he showed up at 9am, he left at 5.
This worked well for that Reno.
But before I had hired him to do work on another project at the office and that was paid with deposit as he got supplies and then pay based on completion of two different parts of the project, so he got three payments total.
