This isnt really a political topic but I have to vent a little here.I have my own little construction businuesse here and have been getting a lot of calls this summer from people.There seems to be an epidemic of people running around who think because they own a hammer and a pickup truck theyre qualified to work on other peoples houses.
Earlier a elderly widow lady called me about her brand new roof leaking, the guys that shingled it were actually school teachers doing roofing to make extra money in the summer.They tore the shingles off, there was several layers and when they got done there was a large gap between the siding and roof where it connects to the main house in different spots.They apparently didnt know what to do so they just filled the void with a board and caulked the hell out of it instead of replacing the flashing, it leaked badly and they wouldnt return her phone calls.Ive fixed 2 other roofs theyve done in 2 years.
2 days ago I got a call about another leaky roof.This one was much more serious and the guy should be sued for what he did to thier house.They hired him to add a 3 car garage on to thier house, he screwed everything up from the cement floor which slopes the wrong way to the roof which has leaked since he finished it.They did the valleys wrong, they voided the warranty on the shingles by putting them on wrong and somehow they managed to turn the ridgecap into a large flat funnel that pours water in when it rains.The ceiling are falling down, walls are starting to mold, its a mess and is gonna cost them close to 2 grand to get just the roof fixed.The doors he put in dont open and shut properly, the siding and soffit are screwed up and look terrible, and once again he wont return thier calls.He charged them close to $20,000 and turned thier new modular home into a piece of crap and lied to them about different things the entire time he was building it.
I know some of you guys own homes and have to hire things done, be very carefull who you get to do it.Dont just go with the lowest estimate, ask for references, if possible look at some of the work theyve done in the past and see what it looks like.Accidents happen, I even had a new roof 2 years ago that leaked, I had to fix it in the middle of a thunderstorm in the end because I simply couldnt find the damn leak when it wasnt raining.But theres getting to be a lotta guys that are just butchers, you cant build an entire garage in 3 days and do a good job of it.[]
I know where you are coming from. At our previous home the roofer did not caulk around the vents and ventilators. We had a building put up by a guy who was recommended as a good Christian builder. Was away working in CO. The guy did not put the plastic barrier over the sheathing. He just put the bricks on. It leaks, of course.
One has to be very careful here in OK. Folks get ripped off by shyster builders all the time. One Lawton "builder" was sued into bankrupcy for shoddy work. The pad and foundation of one house actually broke in two. The scumbag declared bankrupcy and is now back to putting up houses again.
There is no one to turn to here in OK. A person can sue but they will seldom get one red cent.
My former next-door neighbor owns a construction business. Earlier this year, he was arrested on charges of theft over $10,000 and a bevy of other charges. I got a call from a Knoxville attorney a few days ago. The attorney says that he hired the guy to remodel a house for him, and the guy charged a little over $30,000 to the attorney's credit card and the attorney's credit accounts at various hardware stores. The attorney said that when he became suspicious because the work wasn't being through, he called the guy and said he'd like to see his supplies. The guy supposedly said, "Sure, come on down anytime." The attorney said, "Well, as it turns out, I'm on my cell phone about a block away from your business." By the time he got there, however, the dude was gone. And that led to an ensuing investigation.
It turned out that there were several other victims, including the contractor's own cousin, who had paid him to put down a new floor in his home. The cousin always pays with cash, and after the contractor had done part of the job, he paid him. The contractor followed him as he went into another room and got into a safe, where he had several thousand dollars in cash. A few days later, the cash turned up missing.
The contractor pled guilty last week to 7 different felonies and a couple of misdemeanors. He received a suspended 18-year prison sentence and will serve 20 years supervised probation + pay restitution.
I'm glad I usually just do things myself.
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In a way it is political. Think about it. A system of purveying a service that everyone needs some time or other is creating serious problems for the end user. Some people are actually not getting the service they need. It clearly requires changes and additional governmental oversight to prevent further problems.
Gee, that sounds just like health care, doesn't it?[8D]
Licensing requirements, which would be available only with testing of the applicant and a requirement that the applicant be able to answer questions about code requirements would help a lot in that business.
Government steps in when the any given system fails. That is as it should be. Laws are required to force people to do what they cannot or will not do of their own volition.
There are more then plenty of guidelines and govermental oversite in this area. I myself got a call from the BBB in my area because someone called them before they called my business. The BBB asked me to fill out a form so they had something on file. I gladly did that just in case someone else took the time to call again. It's the homeowners own fault if they don't take the time to check references, and/or the BBB. Heck now we have the private sector getting involved and doing this for free call Angie's List. Never seen it but I've seen the ads for it all over the place.
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
There are more then plenty of guidelines and govermental oversite in this area.
Apparently not. Read his post again. If licensing were required, the hacks wouldn't be out there or would be prosecuted if they were. All anyone would have to do is ask for a copy of the license before the work began.
The BBB in most areas has ZERO to do with law. No business is required (in my area at least) to even respond to a request by that outfilt. Additionally, much of what they do is after the fact...the take complaints and file them for future reference by the end consumer.
Any laws in place now are also after the fact. Yes, you can sue the hack...after the fact, after you've already been ripped off. So what good is that doing to protect the public? Answer: not much.
Quote:
It's the homeowners own fault if they don't take the time to check references, and/or the BBB.
FM, that's your answer to everything, every problem. It's the consumer's fault? If that reasoning were true, we'd need no laws what so ever. Everyone would have foresight and most of all they'd have experience in all matters in advance. You're dealing in theory instead of reality.
There are plenty of people in contruction and a variety of other businesses and services that prey on the unexperienced. That is how laws often come about. Clearly in the case cited, there is a gap causing tremendous financial loss.
There are more then plenty of guidelines and govermental oversite in this area.
Apparently not. Read his post again. If licensing were required, the hacks wouldn't be out there or would be prosecuted if they were. All anyone would have to do is ask for a copy of the license before the work began.
The BBB in most areas has ZERO to do with law. No business is required (in my area at least) to even respond to a request by that outfilt. Additionally, much of what they do is after the fact...the take complaints and file them for future reference by the end consumer.
Any laws in place now are also after the fact. Yes, you can sue the hack...after the fact, after you've already been ripped off. So what good is that doing to protect the public? Answer: not much.
Quote:
It's the homeowners own fault if they don't take the time to check references, and/or the BBB.
FM, that's your answer to everything, every problem. It's the consumer's fault? If that reasoning were true, we'd need no laws what so ever. Everyone would have foresight and most of all they'd have experience in all matters in advance. You're dealing in theory instead of reality.
There are plenty of people in contruction and a variety of other businesses and services that prey on the unexperienced. That is how laws often come about. Clearly in the case cited, there is a gap causing tremendous financial loss.
Licences are required (at least here in CA) for any job over $500. So by Law, those guys were breaking the Law.
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VC, your not forced into any contract. People make the choice to enter into the contract. If they do so without doing their own homework or choose someone not license, they made the choice. Who fault is it when they get burned?
Yes, my choice is always personal responsibility. It's called freedom and America was founded on this pricinple. Free to make your own choices good or bad.
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
vc111:I don't disagree with your view on the appropriateness of government in this case, but your response comes off a little too "knee jeck" sounding, much like the gun control crowd. Perhaps this is a case that requires enforcement of existing laws (perhaps not, I don't know). And perhaps that's part of what you meant. Again, it's the impression I get when I read your post.
Disgusted
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