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

[Steppenwolfe]

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.

Been there, done that. I had a guy stiff me for $3,000 on a really nice swimming pool we built for him. He didn't care there were 20 other contractors ahead of me on the lien list. Six months went by and I couldn't let it go. That was in 1995 and I had a wife, 4 kids, 6 cats, and a dog to feed. So, one night I hopped over the fence we had built, walked up to the pool house we had built, and went right to the pool equipment. I shut the pump off, cut every plumbing line off from the pool except for the main drain. Flipped the pump back on and walked out. The entire almost 40,000 gallon pool was drained, flooded his neighbors and his basement, ( felt bad about the neighbor) and of course he still needed 1500 bucks worth of pool plumbing to repair. He called me cussing me out like I was the bad guy and I just laughed and hung up the phone. My God, that felt good. Wifey approved as well.

 

[Fuddy1952]

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.

Many years ago I did work for this woman who's check bounced. "You can't get blood out of a turnip" she bragged to me. "No but you can put a turnip in jail" I replied.
I went to court and got a property lien. About a week later I get a call from a city deputy..."we're at this woman's house with a box truck, she has a China cabinet, tv, stereo, furniture, etc. What would you like?". In the background I could hear her screaming...then "hand me the phone!".
"Make them stop! Make them stop!" She said. I said if you're here in 15 minutes cash in hand I'll call it off. Cops said they would wait. Ten minutes later she bursts in the door with cash, money she owed + interest+court fees. Sweating profusely.
I counted it out, called her house, thanked police, all was well.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Many years ago I did work for this woman who's check bounced. "You can't get blood out of a turnip" she bragged to me. "No but you can put a turnip in jail" I replied.
I went to court and got a property lien. About a week later I get a call from a city deputy..."we're at this woman's house with a box truck, she has a China cabinet, tv, stereo, furniture, etc. What would you like?". In the background I could hear her screaming...then "hand me the phone!".
"Make them stop! Make them stop!" She said. I said if you're here in 15 minutes cash in hand I'll call it off. Cops said they would wait. Ten minutes later she bursts in the door with cash, money she owed + interest+court fees. Sweating profusely.
I counted it out, called her house, thanked police, all was well.

:thumbsup: Good luck with that today...

 

[grsthegreat]

I dont and wont work for lawyers. My brother filed a lein on a lawyer and he won. Still never saw a dime. Lawyer bonded around lein and refinanced without paying my brother.

I had a lawyer rewrite the bid i gave him on wiring his house many years ago....i did not know he was a lawyer until he pulled this junk. He took my 3 page proposal and handed me back a 10 or 10 page manuscript with so many clauses and non performance stuff that i refused his job and tore up contract in front of him. Never trust a lawyer.

 

[radios1]

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

ever see what happens when one of those let go? it can kill you!.. I opened an attic pull down door, which has smaller springs, the springs let go, and flew past my head, puncturing the Sheetrock 25 feet away!.. luckily, no one was injured!.. nowadays, the put a steel cable through the center of the spring, and secure it at both ends, to prevent the springs from flying..

 

[Fuddy1952]

Good luck with that today...

That was I'm guessing 25 years ago. Can't you get a property lien today?

 

[Jstpssng]

I'm surprised that the Bar Association will let the lawyers slide who do what some of you describe. Here at least, many professional licenses require a background check amoung other things, and the various trades police themselves.

 

[Industrial Toys]

A friend is just shopping for a new roof. Building supply manager warns him of numerous scams for upgrades that are often never carried out.

 

[Hay Dude]

Been there, done that. I had a guy stiff me for $3,000 on a really nice swimming pool we built for him. He didn't care there were 20 other contractors ahead of me on the lien list. Six months went by and I couldn't let it go. That was in 1995 and I had a wife, 4 kids, 6 cats, and a dog to feed. So, one night I hopped over the fence we had built, walked up to the pool house we had built, and went right to the pool equipment. I shut the pump off, cut every plumbing line off from the pool except for the main drain. Flipped the pump back on and walked out. The entire almost 40,000 gallon pool was drained, flooded his neighbors and his basement, ( felt bad about the neighbor) and of course he still needed 1500 bucks worth of pool plumbing to repair. He called me cussing me out like I was the bad guy and I just laughed and hung up the phone. My God, that felt good. Wifey approved as well.

“Felt bad about the neighbor” ?
If I was that neighbor you felt bad about, I would have hired an attorney and sued you for damages.
While what you did sounds like deserved prairie justice, damaging the neighbors property was reckless and could have gotten someone completely innocent hurt. I’m surprised you weren’t legally prosecuted. You took the law into your own hands instead of following the very easy to use legal system, and you damaged a completely innocent persons property.

 

[Industrial Toys]

People often don't do due diligence to protect themselves and then cry about it. I had a boss that would never let bad stuff happen to him. I learned a lot from that man.