I finally did it ... I fired my contractor.

flatcoat2004

15 years ago

After he disappeared on March 31st, I have had periodic letters from him from his jail cell, telling me that he is going to bail out soon, going to be paroled soon, etc etc etc. I bought into his story until this week, when I checked the court website after his "probation hearing" to find that he has been sent back to jail until mid-August (at least). He pleaded guilty to charges of theft from client in SoCal. I am finally admitting defeat, and wrote to him to tell him exactly what I thought of him, and that our working relationship is over.

Sigh.

The good news is that I think I am fairly close to project completion. The bad news is that the entire house is an absolute mess, and I have no idea where many of the materials are.

But here is my question of the day for all you good folks ... my kitchen cabinets are installed, and right before the contractor disappeared, the soapstone folks came and templated. During templating, there was a lot of discussion between them and my contractor, and my contractor was going to modify some things before the soapstone arrived (the templaters were comfortable with him doing that). Of course, then he disappeared. The soapstone has been ready to install for ages now, but I have been holding off in the hopes that contractor will get out of jail and fix everything. Argh.

I am kicking myself for not forcing him to fix the cabinets right away, and for not understanding the issue better (most of the conversation was in Spanish). I know it was about the entire run of cabinets not being level.

Another issue is that the contractor was going to mud the walls in preparation for the tile backsplash. I *think* the template was made to allow for the thickness of the mud. Can the soapstone be installed before the backsplash is mudded ?

Should I just go talk to the soapstone company, explain the problem, and ask for help ?

I hate this. I am such a type A person, and I hate not knowing/understanding what the next step should be. I gotta tell you that my faith in people has really been shaken by this experience. I thought I was a pretty good judge of character, and I liked this fellow, but clearly I am not. I wish I had never met him.

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Comments (9)

pbrisjar
15 years ago
I'd say talk to the soapstone people. They should know what to do.

Good luck on getting things completed.
sue_ct
15 years ago
Wow, you take patience and understanding to a new level when you say you were waiting for your contractor to get out of jail for stealing from another client so he could complete yours. I would have fired him on the spot and NEVER let him back in my house. Just MHO but leaving room in a template for mudding doesn't sound good. Everything that could effect the fit of the countertop against the wall should always be done before the template is made. That said, and assuming the countertop has already been cut and is ready for installation, you need to hire someone to finish what he was supposed to do before the countertops go in. I would ask some of the stone people here to tell you what the better option is now. You definitely have to have those cabinets leveled first. Are you sure the contractor paid the for the soapstone, fabrication and installation already? If not you need to find out from them what their arrangement with him was and how much you owe them. I would call, ask them for a list of what he was supposed to do, find out about the finances, and take it from there. You have not paid him in full I assume?

Sue
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solarpowered
15 years ago
Sorry to bring this up, but you might want to talk to a lawyer about your situation. I would not be at all surprised to learn that there are suppliers and subcontractors that he has not paid. If that is the case, they can come after you directly, and put liens on your house. The situation varies from state to state, so you need advice from someone who is up to speed on your state's laws.
deedee-2008
15 years ago
Flatcoat...I've followed your sad story from the beginning. You did have the patience of Job waiting for this guy. At least now you can put this saga behind you and move forward to the finish line. Call the stone company and tell them your story...I'm sure they can fill you in on the needed details, and maybe even refer you to an honest person who can complete the job for you. And as I previously told you, don't let this guy back in your house to retrieve his tools. I hope this has a happy ending soon for you.
sue_ct
15 years ago
Another thing, if this guy is in jail for stealing from a client he likely has had, will have and SHOULD have his license revoked by the state. What that means, is that you could have been in position of having an unlicensed contractor doing your work that may or may not be to code. I would not let him in the house, find out what subcontractors have/have not been paid, try to get all the ones who have been paid to sign lien waivers, and see a lawyer if he has not used what money you have given him so far to pay the subcontractors who have been in your home. Then have another licensed contractor review his work, make sure it is up to snuff and give you a quote on what it would take to finish everything.

Sue
bethv
15 years ago
Oh flatcoat, no advice. just a big internet hug : )
elvisandcallie
15 years ago
If you're in California, look up his license number with the Contractors State license board. There, you should be able to find his bonding company information. You can file a claim with his bonding company for the remainder of the work. You get a bid or bids and send them to the bonding company, and you very well may get reimbursed. You can go ahead and have the work finished, but make sure you document everything. Pics, explanations, bids/quotes.

You might even consider having a home inspection company come and review the work that was done. It could run a couple of hundred dollars, but it can make the path a little easier with the bonding company.

If you contractor wasn't licensed, you can still file a claim with the Contractors license board, but they can only fine him.
kkupstate
15 years ago
Ugh. That really, for lack of a better word, sucks! Maybe the stone people can recommend someone who knows better what to pay attention to regarding getting cabinets ready for countertops. However, the surface being level is a basic need, right, so if the contractor didn't have that done then maybe this is a blessing in disguise getting this guy out of the picture before more damage could be done.

And hopefully, and thankfully, he didn't steal from you, right?

Best of luck!
mustbnuts zone 9 sunset 9
15 years ago
I would take everyone's advice about the lawyer situation. One can never be too careful. If you are in central ca, I can refer you to my contractor or KD. Both are excellent and should know what to do.

I finally did it ... I fired my contractor.

Comments (9)

pbrisjar

sue_ct

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