ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Don't do what I did,..

My suggestion is to
1) talk to a lawyer well versed in construction contracts in your state.
2) if possible file a lien on the work you did less the cost for you to fix the damage you did and wait for the home owner to try to sell. He will then have one bill to pay to compensate you for his bad faith.
3) learn to bill out every day for time and material work, you do not have to send the bill out every day, just send on at your normal billling cycle for that job.
4) If you can have a place to put all your tools and materials every day that is not inside the building as part of your every day clean up. I use a trailer.


This way if a home owner wants you off his job you can hook up and leave and with no material or tools inside you can more easily walk away. As ways stated once something is installed it's there and unless your contract gives you repossesion rights it's stays there. And if you bill out daily for work done that day, you have a docuementaion trail for the setteling up arguements.

I learned this the hard way, just like it seems you are now learning.

Have been on both sides of those job take overs, I try to make sure that any job I take over is because of the previous E/C inabnility to do the work not because the homeowner wants a ceaper bid.


Good luck.

Well stated - My old EC used to keep a gang box in the garge, but not "inside the house" just for that reason. He also taught me about keeping repo as an option, and ALWAYS including access rights as part of a contract... just in case!

If I ever go on a job that has been half done, I try to see why that is so.If it is down to incompetance on the part of the 'electrician/handy man/building super', then ill bid the job at a regular price. If the job looks like it was being done professionally, ill ask my self why wasnt it finished? am i going to get grief over this.. when i bid the job i will then double it. this has one of 2 outcomes, the client may well go back to the origonal company and agree to pay them accordingly etc etc, if not, and i win the job i score financially .it makes up for the times where we dont get a result from those bounced check moments that occur on occasions.

... Well, I contacted the H.O.,and apologized for the "disconnecting" of the wiring,and told him I'd return any supplies he "thinks" were his,as well as repairing the wiring as long as he stops legal proceedings...he agreed.I then brought him the said supplies and made arrangements to do the repairs...After he got the stuff back,the sleazo tried to extort $4000.00 from me saying he now doesn't want me there,that he has a new EC,and if I don't give him $4000.00,he's going after my Licence...sounds like extortion to me,...I'm seeing a Lawyer on Wed...this guy won't stop,..He agreed with me to the return of the stuff,and the repairing,and now is going back on his word... I'll see him in court...Seems he's trying to get me to pay for the deposit due the new EC,..as most of the existing wiring I'd installed and gotten paid for,(and not cut) has to be redone,due to a framing issue,and all the wiring is now BEHIND another newly framed wall..everything got buried because they had to "thicken" the walls...
Russ

Russ,Don't get upset by this but,in next state over from me(New Hampshire), I've read about a fellow who got his license suspended for a similiar situation.The vandalism thing is what is going to hurt you in this case.Get a lawyer who is familiar with construction contracts/practices.I hope it turns out OK for you.
Andy

Never ever start a rough until the framing is done. Unless you like headaches.

Excuse me for asking, but how did you get to the point where the homeowner fired you? Was there any communication between "I be back when it's ready" and "You're fired".
It sounds to me, if you had a contract, that before you cut the wires you had a great case to be paid damages of your own. I suggest you try once more to patch things up with the home owner, perhaps a written apology before the legal route.

Never ever start a rough until the framing is done.

Amen to that. I've lost jobs because the HO's wanted me to "just start" and I was firm on the framing being 100%. They don't understand what a PITA that can be.

-Hal

Do they have "Lein Law", where you're at?!There's nothing that scares a someone to pay due, than a Bank that's pissed due to a lein. It's a real pain, takes time, a real hassle for all, but better than getting locked up, or having a bad rep.

Long ago, (Ten years) when I was kinda new (4 years)I went on a Service Call with this guy who was showing me the ropes. ( of the bussiness end) Don, and Mike, if you're reading this, I learned SO much from you guy's! Anyway, Don and I go out to this Print Shop with no power. We get the work order signed, and Don starts taking the panel cover off the main, we both notice the service is brand new! Big 3 phase 400A, bunch of panels. Don puts the panel cover down, then picks it back up, and puts it back on! Then he looks at me, and says, "Go start my van, I'm gonna have a talk with that guy, if I'm not out in fifteen minutes, get out of here, and call the cops!" What? "Just... do it." He goes inside, I'm in the van. He comes out ten minutes later, and says, "Lets get out of here, I'll tell you all about it..." He said as soon as he pulled the cover off, in giant magic marker, was the word "BANKRUPTCY!". He went in, and demanded, a few days pay up front on Emergency Rates, and $1000 for misc. material in CASH, or CASHIERS CHECK to start work. And that we would leave when the money ran out! We never saw that job again!

Anyway, AtticRat sounds like this guy had every intention of not paying! Get a cow, milk it, try to put milk back into it, milk it again. Won't give, get a new cow, etc, etc.

[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 06-16-2004).]