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Anyone else been victims of contractor fraud?
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:04 pm
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:04 pm
I'm just looking to see if anyone else has had a contractor defraud them, and also to see if anyone's seen any justice done to these scumbags. Last year, we lost our house in the flood, and unfortunately we hired TWG Contractors (run by Michael Simmers). Dude completed about 50% of the house, and then stopped working. And a lot of the completed work was done incorrectly. And there's probably at least 20 other people this a-hole defrauded. Whenever someone talks about being a victim of contractor fraud, people usually respond "you always have to check to make sure someone is licensed and legit." Yeah, big fricking help. TWG was completely licensed and legit. They even had amazing reviews from former clients before the flood. And from what I've read, there are many victims in Louisiana who were defrauded by other completely legit companies.
15
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:06 pm to red_giraffe
Go to the DA
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:08 pm to red_giraffe
I know some guys that got a sum of money from their insurance company.
Said trashy people tried to hire sketchy contractors to repair their home for half the amount that insurance company paid.
Surprise. Repairs weren’t completed. They couldn’t get in contact with them, and it was a shite show. They had to come out of pocket anyway.
Moral of the story: Hire a legitimate contractor to do it right the first time, not someone who is trying to make a buck off a natural disaster
Said trashy people tried to hire sketchy contractors to repair their home for half the amount that insurance company paid.
Surprise. Repairs weren’t completed. They couldn’t get in contact with them, and it was a shite show. They had to come out of pocket anyway.
Moral of the story: Hire a legitimate contractor to do it right the first time, not someone who is trying to make a buck off a natural disaster
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:11 pm to boosiebadazz
Don't worry, we've been handling it in all the proper routes.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:13 pm to TDcline
Yeah, there's so many assholes out there. Thankfully, the second person we hired was amazing.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:14 pm to red_giraffe
You can handle it the legit way. But you'll probably never get paid.
I'd probably pay a bum kneecap him though.
I'd probably pay a bum kneecap him though.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:19 pm to red_giraffe
It seems like you did your homework in advance and checked this guy out.
Unfortunately you can't let up. Never pay a contractor a dime until he's completed some of the work and you have it inspected by a third party and the local code authority.
On a residence you should pay him only for the work done less 10% hold back. That may be tricky. He might bill you half and you may think he's only done 40%. Only pay for the work done.
Have him provide a clear lien certificate showing he's paid his subs and for his materials. Ask for receipts showing he paid too. Be careful, in La. it's your obligation to make sure suppliers and subs get paid.
Unfortunately you can't let up. Never pay a contractor a dime until he's completed some of the work and you have it inspected by a third party and the local code authority.
On a residence you should pay him only for the work done less 10% hold back. That may be tricky. He might bill you half and you may think he's only done 40%. Only pay for the work done.
Have him provide a clear lien certificate showing he's paid his subs and for his materials. Ask for receipts showing he paid too. Be careful, in La. it's your obligation to make sure suppliers and subs get paid.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:19 pm to red_giraffe
Did you have a clear scope of work? Payment schedule? I hope you didn’t pay up front.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:20 pm to Napoleon
It just depends on whether he still has the money. He's payed some of the workers he's screwed over. But we're pretty much trying to make sure he never gets a chance to do this again to anyone else. So far, he's on the shite-list of the Ascension, and Livingston sheriffs, as well as DA Hillar Moore.
Hypothetically speaking, frick paying a bum, I'd rather break his face myself... hypothetically speaking of course.
Hypothetically speaking, frick paying a bum, I'd rather break his face myself... hypothetically speaking of course.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:24 pm to red_giraffe
I've been on the working end of it before. Hired to complete a handful of rental houses that were down to the frame by a contractor. Completed the job (Contractor paid for materials), send over the final invoice for my work. Nothing. Call the company owner, nothing.
Ended up taking him to court, won the settlement, and have yet to see a dime of it. Can't take him to court again because the spineless bastard shuttered the company and filed bankruptcy.
That was about 7 years ago and a major reason why I will probably never work residential construction again.
Ended up taking him to court, won the settlement, and have yet to see a dime of it. Can't take him to court again because the spineless bastard shuttered the company and filed bankruptcy.
That was about 7 years ago and a major reason why I will probably never work residential construction again.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:37 pm to SeabrookTiger
A guy working for strictly labor should get paid every Friday or don't do it unless it's a very reliable contractor.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:40 pm to red_giraffe
My brother did. Dude ended up killing himself speeding around on a motorcycle recently. Quality contractor.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:53 pm to doubleb
quote:
Have him provide a clear lien certificate showing he's paid his subs and for his materials. Ask for receipts showing he paid too. Be careful, in La. it's your obligation to make sure suppliers and subs get paid.
That’s how my mother got screwed.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:54 pm to red_giraffe
Yup.
I even worked for the guy.
My parents had him building our house and I worked on a lot of other houses in college. He gave me a job in the summer and my parents sued his arse.
I even worked for the guy.
My parents had him building our house and I worked on a lot of other houses in college. He gave me a job in the summer and my parents sued his arse.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 10:57 pm to red_giraffe
Call on his bond through the contractors licensing board
Posted on 11/22/17 at 11:19 pm to AUCE05
quote:
Payment schedule? I hope you didn’t pay up front.
You'll get hit with a small amount upfront (I'd be hard pressed on asking any more than 20%) on any job of size... but having clearly dictated payment schedule moving forward should cover your arse. I do residential remodeling, so i hear these stories all the time. Sorry you got burnt, but very happy to see you are content with contractor #2. At this point the popo or d.a. are your options. Even if you win in civil court, you're not getting blood from a turnip. Best you can hope for is loss of license and what disappointingly will likely be probation vs jail time. Best of luck.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 11:22 pm to Mr.Perfect
quote:
Call on his bond through the contractors licensing board
Surprised this is the 1st mention of this advice.
Posted on 11/22/17 at 11:24 pm to red_giraffe
Sometimes a ski mask and a baseball bat are completely acceptable
Posted on 11/23/17 at 12:42 am to red_giraffe
As long as he completed some of the work in the first 30 days or so (haven’t read the LRS in a while) it’s not a criminal matter. It’s bullshite, but the contractors obviously had a good lobbyist when the statue was written. It could however be an open and shut civil case.
Posted on 11/23/17 at 8:05 am to red_giraffe
First off. Any job over $10k needs to be bonded. In your contract you need to spell out every bit of payment terms. Before the work begins you need a sub and supplier list. As work gets completed you need to get signed unconditional lien releases from the subs and suppliers.
Because if I'm a sub or supplier, if I don't get paid per my contract with the contractor I'm putting a lien on your house.
Because if I'm a sub or supplier, if I don't get paid per my contract with the contractor I'm putting a lien on your house.
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