hi everyone! thanks for all your responses. It's a long story, but I'll try to be brief. For 3 months we tried to get the GC to the bank. They had 2 meetings set up w/him, which he didn't show up for. Finally, he agreed to go to the bank w/us. After that meeting he needed to submit to the bank a cost breakdown, because he claimed he needed $89K to finish the job. The bank also wanted to see a list of where all the $$ was spent. So we asked for a copy as well. As it turned out the lists had some red flags in them, so for the next 3 months we had a meeting every week trying to get him to produce factual figures, as the first list was bogus. He said he paid the painters $5k. We knew he hadn't, because we did all the painting and paid for all the supplies out of our own pockets and he never reimbursed us! Not one dime! Asked us if we could just consider it sweat equity, so we agreed. Anyway, he did give us copies of the purchase orders for all the trades, so we called them up and found out the real amounts he had paid them. There were 3 vendors, aside from us, that he neglected to pay, which on his list he claimed he did pay. A lot of the vendors on his list had added amounts that they never got. Guess who pocketed that? Yep, the GC! All in all, there was $42K unaccounted for, and each week when I'd ask for an explaination, he'd claim other items over again that I'd already accounted for! We were getting no where fast with this guy, so we hired an atty. The next few months were bogged down with Atty meetings, phone calls, letters to the GC, etc. All this to no avail. All during this construction time, which started in feb. 2006, we were having the battle of our lives with cancer. they didn't expect my DH to live six months, now it's 1 and a half years later and we've just about won that battle! So, as you can see, we were not on top of things at the construction site. the GC never even went to the construction site, unless it was to have a meeting with us! We submitted a list to ROC with 25 items in our complaint. All our exposed windows leak. Our concrete floor cracked right through the middle of our great room, in two places, and not just on the break lines! They did numerous screw ups throughout the job and refused to correct them. All the arches were done wrong, and we told them that as they were framing them up, but wouldn't do them the way the plans specified. Now, the place is all sheetrocked and painted! I could go on and on, but I'm sure you don't want to hear it all. It's just too much and we are very saddened. We should have been living there many, many months ago. We need all the final plumbing and electric before we can begin to go forward. Plus all the baths need to be tiled. I mean there's no way we could even live there if we wanted to. It's a nightmare! what else can I say? And yes, I have been running searches on him, that's how I know about his home and how much he owes on it and how there's no equity left in it. He used to own property in the area we are building in, but he sold it in 2005, that's when we first got his proposal on our home. Well, I hope I've answered everyone questions. I appreciate all your feedback and support. We really need this. Thanks again.

Harriet, If you been burned once already, than you should know better than to just shrug off his demeanor as "not that business like". If he was business orientated enough to have you sign a contract for a backsplash and counter, then believe me, he's more business like than you're assuming. Originally, when you signed the contract with this guy, there was something that made you feel comfortable with him, even after getting burned. He may be poor at managing time, but I don't see how that will affect his tiling skills, especially if you're there to ensure it's done the way you expect it to be done. You have to give him what is considered to be reasonable notice, I'd give the guy 48 hours to get the project completed and insist that it be done during normal business hours not in the middle of the night, Sunday or a holiday. Confirm all your conversations in writing and give written notice. Do as Bill is recommending because that is going to cover your behind if you're not correct about him wanting out of the job or if he doesn't agree that financially your even at this point. And in the mean time, call your tile store, get a list of tilers and start getting quotes to get the job finished. Most likely, he's not going to be able to get that backsplash done in time to meet your demands and it will work out the way you want it to. You need to toughen up girl, it's not personal, this is business and he is as obligated to that contract just as much as you are.

Hi, We are having a similar situation with our 18 1/2 year old Son, except for the pot smoking. He got tired of school back in 2006, and it was fight to get him to go to his classes. He quit and we made him get his GED right away and told him that if he wasn't going to go to college then he would have to get a job. We didn't want him bumming around. Well, he has worked all of 4 months in the last 2 yrs. He is out all night, sleeps all day, and plays around like he's still a carefree kid. He is a very talented musician in a band (not making money yet) and he has alot of potential but NO motivation to get things on his own (work for them). His friends buy him cigarettes & food. His girlfriend drives him everywhere. He doesn't have a car, no license, and he refuses to walk or ride a bike to find work. Says all of his friends parents buy their kids cars, pays for their college, etc. We have dangled numerous carrots in front of him to try to motivate him (what we can afford-since we are poor), including finding him a job where I worked so he could drive with me. It lasted 2 weeks before he didn't like it anymore. We have tried the opposite too, by taking cancelling his cell phone and getting a land line for everyone instead (cheaper), but he always seems to adapt. He see's us work & he see's us share one old car and my Husband rides a bike & bus to work (for the last 3 years). He watches us struggle and he continues to act like he's entitled & selfish. We wouldn't mind him staying if he would grow up, contribute, and not be a mooch. I have been a bit more understanding (because of him being a musician & trying to support him on a creative level) but my Husband has been fed up for over a year. We both are now on the same page & decided to take a stand on it. This is the contract we came up with. We have all signed it. Mabye this will help someone else out. What do you think? I ____________ agree to do the following: 1) Find & Get a paid job (looking doesn't count-must be working by deadline). 2) Be respectful & courteous to others living under this roof. 3) Clean up completely after self & friends. 4) Keep back porch clear of cigarette butts, cups, food, soda cans, etc. 5) Keep own room & house clear of soda cans, cups, food, etc. 6) Follow rules of house. 7) Help without arguing or ignoring when asked to do things around the house, such as cleaning cat box, taking out trash, bringing up trash cans, etc. from time to time. 8) When paychecks start coming, give $25.00 a week to Mom & Dad to put in account to be held until we move or you move out. If you abide by the rules above all the money will be given back to you at that time above. If you do not abide by the rules at certain times then everytime a rule is broken and we have to clean up after you or listen to rudeness or disrespect then portions of the money will be deducted at our discretion. (example 1: you take Moms soda because you drank all of yours-you will be charged and the money will come out of the money saved) (example 2: you decide to make a mess & not clean up after yourself in your room, porch, livingroom, computer area, kitchen, etc. - I will charge a clean-up fee to be taken from the money saved) The amount you save will be up to you and your attitude. __________________________________ If the 8 requirements are met you will be on your way to gaining independence, earning respect, becoming mature, & saving money. __________________________________ On the other hand, if these 8 requirements are not met and kept up with by Saturday Oct 4th, 2008, you must pack your things up and move out. If there is an argument at that time we will move things out to the front yard & change locks if need be. Signed by ________________________ Date ____ Son Signed by ________________________ Date ____ Mom Signed by ________________________ Date ____ Dad

We have that same tile on our shower floor in one of the bathrooms that hubby and I remodeled. Ours was a diy job and we are very experienced DIYers. When it came to laying that floor we struggled and struggled when we were doing our mock layout, we could NOT get it to where we couldn’t see seams. I threw my hands up in the air and proceeded to pull off every darn rock off each sheet and we hand set every darn rock. It turned out fantastic (except for a couple of spots where we wiped away too much of the grout during that part of the job, so water likes to pool in those low spots now... sigh... it was the first time we’d ever done that kind of floor though, live and learn, and maybe one day we will chip out the grout there and redo it, for now I just use a little extra bleach when I clean there.) But yeah, I’ve seen more jobs done incorrectly with those sheets of random rocks than done correctly. I hear there’s a way to just pull of some of the rocks but not all of them so that you kind of fill in those lines, but I discovered that after the fact.