Anyone else getting quoted insane prices for work around your place?

[tallyho8]

One of my friends is a contractor in Austin. He did some work for a high end home, owned by a lawyer. The lawyer stiffed him, because he knew what it would take to get the money out of him.

My best friend's next door neighbor was a lawyer living in a very nice home. He bragged about how he never paid anyone for anything and didn't even bother going to court when he got sued. He said all they could do was put a lien on his home and that the liens on it now were way more than he paid for the home so he is already a couple hundred thousand dollars ahead. He said it was perfectly legal to do what he does and he never considered morality.

This made me for cautious when working for lawyers.

I have always wondered if there was some kind of list these people could be put on to warn contractors to avoid them in the future.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

My best friend's next door neighbor was a lawyer living in a very nice home. He bragged about how he never paid anyone for anything and didn't even bother going to court when he got sued. He said all they could do was put a lien on his home and that the liens on it now were way more than he paid for the home so he is already a couple hundred thousand dollars ahead. He said it was perfectly legal to do what he does and he never considered morality.

This made me for cautious when working for lawyers.

I have always wondered if there was some kind of list these people could be put on to warn contractors to avoid them in the future.

You are on to something. What's that list that you have to pay for to get names of honest contractors? We need one for dishonest payers. I guess it could be a list that only survives in court records, but how to access that list?

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I remember standing in line behind a couple of tile guys ( that's what it said on the back of their shirts), I asked what kind of tile work etc as I'm always collecting cards, names of subs in case I need that type of work.

The shirt said *** Company, so naturally, I assumed they worked there. Nope they came over from a Southern Country learned their trade here and now are competition for the company they worked for STILL WEARING THE GUYS SHIRT.

So not they do the same work for 1/3 the price, pay no taxes, pay no insurance, pay no license fees, pay no workers comp, pay no required anything so naturally they can beat everyone's prices in town.

That's the reason I finally retired. Between workers comp and insurance I was paying nearly 100K a year.

So when people say these are simple farm workers picking our crop, they are our construction workers IN BUSINESS, Tile laters IN BUSINESS, Brick MAasons IN BUSINESS, Arborists IN BUSINESS, Landscapers IN BUSINESS, Plumbers IN BUSINESS, Electricians IN BUSINESS, AC companies, and on and on. Making huge profits and competing with honest businesses to the point they can no longer compete. Some of these companies are working for wages only because they pay nothing out. No business can compete with someone working for just wages.

This is a HUGE loop-hole in this country that needs to be plugged.

100% agree. Hay Dude has found out as well. Why do the few carry all the rest? I will be retiring in a few years, my son may take over, who knows anymore. But, it is getting harder every day to make an honest, legitimate living.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

It's going to be hard to find Americans who will put up sheetrock, when they can stay home and get about $1100/week in unemployment.

It was hard in the first place to find them. It is super hard work.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

It's going to be hard to find Americans who will put up sheetrock, when they can stay home and get about $1100/week in unemployment.

It was hard in the first place to find them. It is super hard work.

Yes it is hard work. For many years I threw up 12 ft sheets of 5/8 fire rock. 110 lbs per sheet. Try balancing 110 lbs that is spread out over 48 sq ft. It'll put muscles in your shirt, that's for sure. And, you are right, try finding anyone willing to work hard anymore.

 

[KennyG]

This made me for cautious when working for lawyers.

I once bought a house from a lawyer. It was a complete nightmare until something happened and the lawyer needed his money quickly. Fortunately I had a good lawyer who held his feet to the flame when the circumstances changed.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

My best friend's next door neighbor was a lawyer living in a very nice home. He bragged about how he never paid anyone for anything and didn't even bother going to court when he got sued. He said all they could do was put a lien on his home and that the liens on it now were way more than he paid for the home so he is already a couple hundred thousand dollars ahead. He said it was perfectly legal to do what he does and he never considered morality.

This made me for cautious when working for lawyers.

I have always wondered if there was some kind of list these people could be put on to warn contractors to avoid them in the future.

One of my very last residential jobs was in Charlotte, NC. In the highest end development there was. PGA Golf at the country club, that kind of place. BIG BUCKS... Anyway, we were brought in to do all the exterior building; swimming pool, terraces, retaining walls, landscaping, and pool house. 200K in work. At the very end, my last payment due was like $7500. The guy said, sorry, not going to pay you despite the amazing job, I always keep the last payment. So, I went and put a lien on the house. What the guy didn't think about was he hadn't closed with his home builder yet, and technically it wasn't his house. Boy... did he call me fast from closing, I seriously thought he was gonna cry; the bank wouldn't close with my lien. I told him how convenient it was he was at the bank, I would come by for cash and then head right to the courthouse. Man, did he look sad and pathetic handing over that money...

 

[EddieWalker]

My best friend's next door neighbor was a lawyer living in a very nice home. He bragged about how he never paid anyone for anything and didn't even bother going to court when he got sued. He said all they could do was put a lien on his home and that the liens on it now were way more than he paid for the home so he is already a couple hundred thousand dollars ahead. He said it was perfectly legal to do what he does and he never considered morality.

This made me for cautious when working for lawyers.

I have always wondered if there was some kind of list these people could be put on to warn contractors to avoid them in the future.

This is always my biggest fear. What if I don't get paid, and then I have to go through the process of having to force somebody to pay through the lien process. I've only sent letters twice demanding payment. The rule is that you have send 3 registered letters after waiting 60 or 90 days for payment. After all three letters have been sent, then you can go to the court and file for the lien. Once filed, the homeowner cannot sell the house or refinance it without paying off the liens first. You also get to set your interest rate, but I'm not sure how that works since I've never gone that far. In both cases, they paid up days after getting the letter. One was a banker, the other a retired Air Force Colonel and current Mayor of that town.

I've had three clients bounce checks. The first two paid me the next day, along with all fees that where added to my account. The third, was the wife of a local, and well known Counselor for $100 to install a hanging bed on their porch by their pool. I worked for them for 8 years, and never had a problem, then she lied over and over again about leaving the cash under a floor mat, and then mailing it to me. Eventually I just took the loss and walked away. She called me last year to fix the damage from a water leak and I told her that I didn't work for people that do not pay what they owe.

All of my bigger jobs, I have a payment schedule in the bid. When I finish a certain part of the job, they owe me an amount that is written down in the bid. Usually it's $2 to $3 grand. I never want anybody owing me more then that amount.

I get a lot of jobs from people that paid upfront for the job, or paid a big deposit to secure their job, or gave money for materials, and the contractor never shows up. Most of the time, they have gambling problems. A few have other addictions, but it's the gamblers that are the worse!!!

 

[riptides]

You are on to something. What's that list that you have to pay for to get names of honest contractors? We need one for dishonest payers. I guess it could be a list that only survives in court records, but how to access that list?

Better Business Bureau, google, yahoo, web bases social media and word of mouth. There is a lot of information that you have available, put still have to sift.

That's for contractors, the other end...I have no idea. Especially so, now, in these times and circumstances.

 

[riptides]

....and just because you do your homework on a "good" contractor, there is no guarantee they will not have a brain fart or whatever and completely muck up a job.

Yeah..I should have fired the guy when the first stage of that project went bad. LOL. Speaking from experience.

 

[radios1]

My best friend's next door neighbor was a lawyer living in a very nice home. He bragged about how he never paid anyone for anything and didn't even bother going to court when he got sued. He said all they could do was put a lien on his home and that the liens on it now were way more than he paid for the home so he is already a couple hundred thousand dollars ahead. He said it was perfectly legal to do what he does and he never considered morality.

This made me for cautious when working for lawyers.

I have always wondered if there was some kind of list these people could be put on to warn contractors to avoid them in the future.

maybe it varies by State, but over here, if you don't show up in Court for even minor civil infractions, the Judge puts out a bench warrant for your arrest, and the Police force you into the Court in hand cuffs!!.. I don't see how it could be any different anywhere!!..

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have been mostly fortunate, never to have been burned by such people. They are out there for sure. Sometimes preying on "greedy" contractors. Often the clue is that price doesn't matter. It doesn't. They have no intention of paying you.

 

[Hay Dude]

Illegal workers are a problem. But there are rules, policy and laws to address them. I will say enforce those accordingly.

In addition, change the mindset of those that seek out and find illegal workers. Therein lies another issue. Employment of said individuals should carry some sort of penalty, even down to the Citizen seeking a "handy-man".

Those laws are rarely enforced.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I like paying for a mans work, talent and good will. I don't like paying for all the necessary behind the scenes Guberment BS, fall protection courses, permits, workplace violence training, port-a-poties, and stuff like that. So, under the table suits me fine.

 

[kenmbz]

I had my buddies team do my garage roof a month ago. Went through the permit process etc. He was the same price as I got from others and I won;t go to the "companies" with no traceability. Pool installer was the same guy who installed my friends pool, insured and I got permits.
Landscaper is a local guy and I give him side business when I am too busy on other projects.

Got tired of fly by nights a long time ago. I don;t go through the permit process to make the town happy, I do it to get a job done right and so far not regrets.
I am tired of hearing these other guys pay tax, sales tax and property tax in NOT income tax. No insurance, not willing to go through with a permit, no work from me.

I also do what I can myself, just replaced a motor/inverter on a washing machine, springs for the garage door etc., tractor work, clearing, cutting down trees, planting.

I try to do most work and hire good people when I can't.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Good people are often just too expensive, simply because they can be. But worse, they are often so overbooked, that they hire not so good employees which is who you get and they still charge top buck.

Speaking of garage springs. I have heard of garage doors guys just going nuts hearing of do it yourselfers messing with garage door springs, like a more dangerous thing has never been invented. lol

 

[ultrarunner]

I met a house flipper whose business model was to stiff the subs. He only used unlicensed contactors and when the contractor complained he'd say you aren't licensed and have no standing being unlicensed...

My floor covering friend had one guy get to him good... so good he made it a point to perfect a lien and then the strangest thing happened.... out of the blue a guy that had been stiffed by the same guy bought the Judgement at full value just for the satisfaction of getting even by foreclosing...

There are plenty of low life consumers preying on the trades too

 

[caver]

Probably well over 20 years ago I worked with a guy that did electric on the side. He installed some wiring in this guys barn and then the guy didn't want to pay. I said "what did you do, go back and rip everything out"? he said "nope, I knew his schedule and went back when he wasn't there." let's just say he made some improvements to the guys house. I thought that is genius and pure evil at the same time.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Before I retired from my business I had a list of bad customers in a notebook. A friend had a business and said he did the same thing, so we compared notebooks. They were mostly the same people. Some suppliers I new had a list people not to sell to. I've known of contractors not getting paid on jobs so large it bankrupted them.
A contractor I know gets 10% up front then 30%, 30%, final 30% as the job progresses.
Some subs he uses he lets the customer pay separately.
Lots of people I know have a "hassle fee" added in for people they know will be a problem.
I know good contractors who do good work and I get a good price, always pay them cash.
I like doing lots of things myself. I can usually do a better job but if it doesn't turn out right I know who to blame!
These crooked lawyers and people bragging about stiffing someone for money I can't see how they sleep at night. They'd have to be a sociopath.
Fifty years ago when I met my wife I knew she was the right one when she said she found $20 that had fallen out of my pocket the day before at her parents house. We've never taken a dime from each other.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I like paying for a mans work, talent and good will. I don't like paying for all the necessary behind the scenes Guberment BS, fall protection courses, permits, workplace violence training, port-a-poties, and stuff like that. So, under the table suits me fine.

That makes you part of the problem.