General Contractor from hell ! Does anyone know a website where

[candy]

you can list the name of a rotton,lying,stealing GC so other people can be aware of this jerk before they hand him some money?

This ass is in Massachusetts if that's pertinent.

Thanks!

[amazona]

1. all general contractors are rotten, lying, stealing SOBs

I don't know if you need a list. They'd all be on it. :-(

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[gardenista]

13. And all lawyers, and all politicians, and all police officers, and all

doctors, and all whatevah!

Doesn't the consumer have a responsibility to make an informed decision before hiring a contractor? Check licenses, references, insurance?

Sorry, but as a contractor (not a GC), this bashing gets my britches in a knot.

I know you're just joking, but I don't like my profession impugned by such generalizations.

[Mugweed]

2. Better Business Bureau

http://www.bbb.org/

Lodge a complaint.

[amazona]

3. ha it won't do any good

The BBB is not a public service. It is an extortion ring. You pay your fee to be in the BBB and they say nice things about you. You don't, they won't. They are predators of small business on tight budget.

I'd say a better move would be to see a lawyer or file in small claims court if the amount is small enough. That gets their attention.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[lpbk2713]

9. That's exactly right..... BBB is just a good ole boy club.

They will cover up for members and shaft the non-members.

[valis]

20. Again: any objective evidence? If so, post it. If not, it's slandering.

[valis]

18. Never heard of that. Any proof of your claim?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. good website

http://www.ripoffreport.com/

[candy]

28. Thanks ! We sure need it!

[DODI]

5. In CT the state licenses EVERYTHING -- it can be a pain (my hubby

has to re-up his telephone license every year and take 8 hours of continuing ed -- but overall it is worth it for the consumer. The CT State Government web site has a license verification page where you can check out anyone from a general contractor to a doctor. It lists complaints and lawsuits. We have found it to be a very useful tool. I would assume Mass. also licenses GC and you can file a complaint with the state. Check out their consumer protection pages.

Good luck!

[flvegan]

6. Ripoffreport.com

Some good reading there, too.

[Writer]

7. Contact a local station...

One with one of those "investigation" teams. Tell 'em you have something interesting... maybe something they can run in July... about a bad contractor.

They always love running cookie-cutter "investigation" reports during sweeps. July is just around the corner and it is during the high season of home repair.

Just a thought.

[Coyote_Bandit]

8. So Sorry

but he has a fundy relative here in JOklahoma. I didn't sue the ass because it wasn't financially viable.

But the next time I hired anyone to work on my home I hired them based on a referral from someone they had previously worked for AND for whom they intended to do more work. Guy was more expensive but he did really good work. Now I get referrals from him.

People who work in the industry and do good work typically do not recommend anyone else who does not do good work. At least that has been my experience thus far.

That said, I still watch their every move and question everything. Once bitten, twice shy, I guess.

[gardenista]

12. Now you're an educated consumer.

Good for you!

[Coyote_Bandit]

15. True

but I still got screwed by that fundy ass contractor.

My lack of sophistication does not in any way justify or excuse his incompetent workmanship. He did the work in a mostly timely manner and for the sum agreed but he cut corners and did everything on the cheap - often using inappropriate materials. Fpr example, he put a skirt around the storage barn in my backyard using very thin plywood and he repaired the sheetrock around the dryer vent using only drywall mud and tape which, of course, came down very quickly due to the heat and moisture in the vent. However, he told me that he used masonite for the skirt and that he cut out and replaced the drywall. His work appeared to have been completed properly.

I do not think it is at all uncommon for contractors and repairmen to do this kind of crap to single female customers like mtself who usually have less sophisticated knowledge of building materials and practices.

There is a part of me that still wishes I had sued that guy just out of principle even though it really was not financially viable - something which I'm sure he realized. These folks are not licensed here in JOklahoma so absent a lawsuit a consumer has very little recourse.

An acquaintance referred the guy to me and I checked some of his references - including one from a guy who later was arrested for (and plead to) attempted wire fraud in connection with the Sweet Tea investment fraud case. I also found out later that this guy does a lot of cosmetic quick fix jobs for local realtors and that he church hops moving from one congregation to another scouting for less sophisticated customers.

I had a referral and I checked references. I got bids and signed contracts for the work to be performed. I did everything I knew to do to protect myself from being screwed. And what I did was not enough.

The idiot who ripped me off happened to be a religious Limbaugh loving fundy repuke. I firmly believe that what goes around comes around. Someday, somehow he will get his just due.

[gardenista]

16. Oh no, a fundy, on top of everything else?!

An important note here is to check on a contractor's license. Most states have licensing boards, and if a complaint has been lodged against a contractor, it is in the record.

Also important to check their bond. It makes it alot easier to collect if they have a bond, and you don't have to worry if they are "judgement proof", i.e., too poor to sue.

When you look over the contract, look for words to this effect, "all work shall comply with industry standards", or "all work shall be completed in accordance with trade association standards" (I say trade association, because in my trade, we have an association that publishes standards on a regular basis.)

I'm sorry this happened to you, and you are right, he will someday get his due. It's a shame that Oklahoma is not interested in protecting consumers.

[Coyote_Bandit]

26. Perhaps you misunderstood

In JOklahoma various contractors and home repairmen are NOT required to be licensed by the state.

And when I said that it was not financially viable to sue the guy I was not necessarily referring only to the ability to collect a judgment against him - though that certainly would be a secondary issue. Sometimes court costs, and investment of ones time in foregoing other income producing alternatives (or alternatively in hiring legal counsel) are more expensive than what one stands to gain. Justice after all costs money here in the good old US of A.

It also takes time to pursue a claim against the guy through his insurer. And most insurers have clauses in thier contracts which exclude damages for intentional acts. Which means that an insurer can deny coverage to a homeowner if they determine that the damage was the result of intentional rather than negligent acts of the contractor or repairman.

I happen to be licensed to practice law. I understand contractual language. One major accomplishmet of including a reference to "industry standards" in a contract is the opportunity to hire a number of expert witnesses to define just exactly what those standards are should litigation follow. Sure it is a good idea to have that clause in the contract. However, it can be vague - especially where there are no written standards in place. It is usually far better to specify specifically what will be done and what specific standards will be followed. And this is where those who have less sophisticated knowledge of building practices often get screwed. They often do not know the best materials and practices - or where to begin to find such information.

It would be nice if JOklahoma would protect its consumers - and its workers and build and maintain good roads accessible to all rather than perpetual turnpikes. But I'm not holding my breath waiting for it. This is an old money good old boy state. God deliver me....

[GOPisEvil]

10. All contractors are licensed. Or they should be.

If he is licensed, turn him into the licensing board. If not, also turn him into the licensing board, who will know what to do with people who practice without a license.

[gardenista]

11. Did you check his license before you hired him?

If not, then all I can say is caveat emptor.

I'm a contractor, (not a GC, but a contractor, still), and value my reputation, have never had an unhappy client due to errors or omissions on my part, and work very hard to be sure my client are satisfied by my work.

Frankly, I get kinda tired of competing with unlicesed contractors who rip people off, and then hearing about how "contractors are bad!!!"

Jeez, people do your frigging homework! Call references! Look at their other jobs! Check their insurance! Demand a performance bond!

All I can say is, you get what you pay for, and if you don't do your homework, you deserve to get what you paid for.

[candy]

24. He sure is licensed,that would be a given.

An attoerney is working on it now.

[sbj405]

14. State licensing board.

Assuming he's licensed.

[Ilsa]

17. Yeah, there is a nationally syndicated radio show that handles

these spawns of Satan (unlicensed rip-off artists). I don't know the name of it though. I heard once this last week on around 9 am central daylight time, probably out of San Antonio or Houston. They track down contractors and home improvement con artists and try to get some justice.

Maybe a local tv news station near you likes doing these once or twice a week?

[valis]

19. What job was it, if you can say?

it would be interesting to know what happened (of course, don't post anything so specific as to lead to ids).

[candy]

22. It is a 2 room addition to a house. Started a year ago.

They worked about 3 or 4 days a week for about 2 months and then 1 day a week and then 1 day every other week and then stopped returning phone calls at all since about January.

What a costly nightmare.

[valis]

23. darn... but I guess they wanted to be paid?...

next time you should only pay them at specific milestones...

[candy]

27. They didn't get the entire fee but quite a bit for work not done.

It's the damned frustration of the entire thing.

When the building frenzy slows down,as it always does,we just want to get his name out there for when he may really need a "small job",as they call it.

[radwriter0555]

29. You need to enforce your contract, and sue them for liquidated damages.

Use the power of the law, get their asses into court.

[unhappycamper]

21. Some Mass. resources

Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation: Look Up A Home Improvement Contractor
http://www.mass.gov/portal/index.jsp?pageID=ocasubtopic&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Consumer&L2=Housing+and+Home+Improvement&L3=Information+on+Home+Improvement&L4=Look+Up+A+Home+Improvement+Contractor&sid=Eoca

And a complaint form:
http://www.mass.gov/dpl/boards/forms/complaint.pdf

This isn't what you asked for, but you can make the general contractor spend some time filling out paperwork.

[candy]

25. Thanks!