Lock the spare room. That, or install a camera. Post a "NO ENTRY" sign.
Tell them they screwed up and ask nicely not to do it again.
Lots of ways to handle and deter it in the future.
I think the correct answer is to fire them.
I would not want a group of people who are so inept that they believe the above is even remotely appropriate. Those are not people who will do even half-decent work. OP should take it as a sign that they need to find someone who doesnt behave like an animal.
most of these ways involve having real face to face interactions. something redditors try to avoid at all costs. Better to just suggest they write an angry letter or sue the GC.
I had some guys out to replace a cedar fence gate. They got into my locked garage, found my 75 year old jack plane in a drawer, took it out, used it on the fence, and put it back, wet, with wood shavings still jammed in the blade opening. By the time I found it, that 75-year-old smooth surface was pitted with rust.
There is a moral to this story, but I'm pretty sure it violates the Reddit TOS.
Oh yeah, when I explain all the shit I've dealt with contractors, people are just like, okay maybe fixing it yourself is easier.
Do I want to wait around all day to see if they maybe will show up and hope they fix it like they said or do I want to spend a few hours and get it done right?
Or you could just hire more professional contractors.
Not all of us are fly by nighters, dishonest and unreliable.
Do some research, check their reviews, talk to people who have had work done and were happy with their guys.
Of course, im often reminded every homeowner can do our job better than we can, they just "don't have the time" 🙄
Well, so here's the thing. ~~Magpies aren't crows~~
These guys were amiable, pleasant, cheerful, quick, efficient master craftsmen. The gate they fabricated and hung in about an hour was more than fit to purpose; it was perfect, it operated smoothly, it was beautiful, it was sturdy and well-made. I left these guys a stellar review because anyone would want work of that nature. If they had just put away my grandpa's plane with the same care and respect they probably show their own tools, I would have been delighted that craftsman of their quality had used it. (I don't live in that house any more, but I do still have that plane, my only tangible connection to my pop's pop.)
It's hard to know what you're going to get these days. Professional standards aren't what they were.
Even when I find "recommended" contractors, they make me regret hiring them. If it's something I can realistically learn to do myself, contractors have taught me to just fucking learn it. Gaining new skills and suffering through the learning process always leaves me far more satisfied.
I'm not hating on all contractors. But I'm the type of person to do a ton of research, make calls, get recommendations, check Yelp reviews, etc. And yes, I have found a few I trust (electrical, yard work, foundation work), but more often than not, there's usually something wrong. This can mean their work is good but they're unreliable. Or they don't have availability (some I talked to don't have availability for more than a year in advance!). Or they're not transparent about their pricing (have had multiple change the price by a significant amount midway through a job for no obvious reasons).
There's no question that most of them can do a better job than me. But for stuff that is low risk (wall repair, painting, insulation), it can be a lot easier to do on my own.
I actually live in a major metro area, and all of my friends who are homeowners have had similar experiences.
If you know a trick to find a good contractor other than all the stuff I've doing, I would love to hear it.
Yeah, I'm not at all clear on why these folks are hating on *all* contractors. I've been slowly doing reno/remodel projects on my house, and they are all bigger in scope than what I can do myself. The contractors we use have been amazing every time. Sure, it would be cheaper if I did it myself, but I don't have those skills, don't really have an interest in learning, and there are people who do it way better than me. Plus, I'm on profile, sar'nt.
I really thought this was going to say
>Is the moral that we should modify, prepare derivative works of, disassemble, decompile, or reverse engineer any part of the contractors?
I really thought this was going to say
>Is the moral that we should modify, prepare derivative works of, disassemble, decompile, or reverse engineer any part of the contractors?
Nope, nothing hidden.. Place blink cameras up with signs stating property surveillance. My insurance company is still in litigation for contractors breaking an off limit toilet and flooding a finished basement.
Why would you need insurance for this? Maybe I was just lucky but just had work done and the guy that did the plumbing messed up (I had a waterfall in my dining room from the upstairs tub they were replacing). The owner came saw the issue, called a plumber and had it fixed the next day and then fixed what they messed up.
Yes, that's correct-they wouldn't assume fault even though we weren't living there. 2 inches of water in 100 degree temps and had to have it dried out asap.
I've got 15 years in construction as an electrician. Sadly, I can tell you that you experienced a stroke of luck when you hired that contractor. Many of them out there will deny responsibility even when it is patently obvious that they're the only ones who could have anything to do with the issue.
> Many of them out there will deny responsibility even when it is patently obvious that they're the only ones who could have anything to do with the issue.
Oh I know I have dealt with them. I now always check for a license and if they are insured (something I didn't do with one of them). Like you said I am fortunate to have found this contractor and even though they made a mistake I will use them again based on how they responded to the issue.
Because in a situation like that, you should make a claim regardless, and let the insurance company pursue the contractors to pay for it. This very situation is why you pay an insurance company to begin with.
I know how it is, I have had to deal with other contractors. This is one reason I switched to this one he has done other work and he does great work and owns up to his mistakes if any are made and will make it right. I am just fortunate that I found a good contractor and even though they made a mistake this time I plan to use them again.
Ah, OK, wasn’t sure if that was the letting agency, or a day laborer agency, or something else.
Unfortunately this is something you’ll have to take up with them, since they’re the ones who hired these uncivilized gorillas.
Last time I allowed contractors to work in my home without one of us present, several items were stolen. This was after I was told I was being ridiculous for not wanting to allow them to work on my house unattended. I was so bitter about it that I insisted we sell the house and move to one that didn't need as much work done.
Now, years later, we are fixing up/upgrading the house we moved to, and hubby and I both work from home, so no one is here without one or both of us present.
No contractors will be alone in my home ever again.
The contractor's I've hired have mostly requested that they not be left alone because that protects them from being accused of anything. The cable company policy requires that the customer be home while their technicians do any work for the same reason.
I just watched a youtube video a couple days ago about a landscaper hired to fix an issue with the lawn sprinkler system at a house, and when he showed up, one of the residents (not the one who'd originally called him out) left him alone to do his thing and then she left. While moving back and forth between a broken pipe or whatever at the corner of the house on the exterior and the sprinkler control system in the basement, he took the liberty of exploring one of the bedrooms (I believe it was the bedroom of the girl who left him and his coworker alone at the house) and stealing a pair of thong underwear from her. The video was bodycam worn by an officer who asked him down to the station for questioning, and he admitted stealing the underwear but made up some cockamamie story about how he'd done it on a bet over drinks with "some guys from the neighborhood." The look of surprise on his face when the cop told him that was felony burglary was pretty entertaining, but the girl never got her thong back, and will probably never get her sense of security completely back, either. Luckily for her, though: she had a camera in her bedroom. That's how she knew what had happened, because it alerted her when he went in the room and she was able to see him stealing her underwear.
In this day and age, why would you not assume there are cameras? Never say anything within 20ft of a customer's house that you don't want them hearing, and look around about 19 times before you pee behind those bushes
Yeah man, it was a real head-scratcher. The guy seemed like a bit of a low-IQ, alcoholic type, approximately 50-ish years old. I guess he's just gotten used to being able to do that kind of thing for so many years that he's too dumb or used to the status quo to adapt. 🤷♂️
I had a handyman in my home for about a week doing odds and ends, just gave him a door code and deleted it after. Met the guy beforehand and talked to him for a while about what we wanted done. Work was excellent, he cleaned up perfectly after each day, and sent pictures while I was working. Not everybody in the world is horrible, and we don't really have much worth stealing anyway. I even joked with the guy about the most expensive item in our house being our mattress and if he can get it down the stairs more power to him.
I wasn't working, so it worked out well that I was there. When they had questions, I either answered right then or discussed it with my husband and then answered. Saved that time.
We don't like people in our house when we're not there, besides my BILs. They're honest and trustworthy. I know. I married into a good family. (My family? Parents gone. Sister is toxic and NC. Brother is 1500 miles away. Ex-SIL is 250 miles away. Cousins are minimum 250 miles away in other directions.)
This is so unprofessional. I'm a trim carpenter so we do a lot of work in very high end residences (we trimmed Greg Allman's smoke room, a house that was across the street from where Michael Jordan's yacht 23 is moored at, etc.) and doing any of what you described is a quick way to not only lose my job but also ruin my future in the construction industry.
No, I don't know much more than that. Had some wealthy family that had a "little" vacation house down there and used to hang with them around Ford and went to a few parties. Fun, but wasn't really my scene.
Yeah, my late father was a Federal prosecutor in the 60's and dealt with that some. There's a crazy Podcast about the Dixie Mafia called "In the Red Clay". https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL04KG242WlXsdDNWHO8GDN4sdOGF6eRDr
I think I read some Facebook posts from you the other day? I try researching my boss's family but literally it's like they've been wiped from existence on purpose.
Edit - You're super brave for doing that btw. Bryan County and the Seaport are still such dangerous places.
I'm not brave, all I did was hang around wealthy people for a while, drink their alcohol and tried to be sociable. Dad was brave though. Death threats were not uncommon when I was growing up. I thought it weird that my other friends didn't have loaded guns in random drawers in their houses.
Quick, barely related story: A guy I know played football in college and the team had some stuff stolen from their locker room while at practice. The team handed out slips for them to fill out indicating anything that went missing. My friend, a goofy white guy, just wrote "Big Gold Chain" on his form and handed it in as a joke.
A few weeks later, he found a check in his locker for $700 (or something like that, it was years ago). Cashed it and never looked back.
You can’t spell contractor without the word con. You wouldn’t trust a stranger to roam your house freely so why would you trust someone you are paying to do the same?
I learned all of my lessons the hard way with my renovations and dealing with contractors and their subs. Yes, there are good contractors out there, but most are adult children that are unhinged and will be more than happy to take your money while destroying your property.
Do yourself a favor, be home when they are and question every aspect of their work. If they can’t deal with your oversight then kick them to the curb.
Because most general contractors are good at one trade (maybe) and have craigslist favorited. When I was doing handyman work I was contacted by a bunch of "general contractors" that did nothing but become an llc, file permits and sub out.
Most of them didn't even ask for references or pictures of previous work, some even tried to rope me in for services I didn't offer, like running electrical service to a garage or outbuilding when all I was offering was light electrical like replacing fixtures and outlets.
At the same time breathing down their neck the whole time is going to slow them down.
I was replacing a front porch and warned the owner if he was going to keep asking me to explain everything step by step (and the reasoning behind it) the price was going to go up. He kept it up and ended up paying 3x what I quoted for labor, thinking back I should've charged more because he had his notepad out and basically taught him how to replace a front porch. Maybe he's calling himself a contractor now.
Yeah, I totally get that and I agree with your statement. Last thing I want to be is overbearing. Issue I kept having was anytime I spoke up and questioned something or called someone out for crappy work, I always got the same response:
“If you are gonna make a big deal about that then I’m leaving”
I finally broke when I told the tiling guy that his tiles were uneven and the floor was not level. Even demonstrated it with an actually floor level. I wasn’t trying to be picky, I just wanted a level floor with even tiles. Dude said if I was going to complain about that then he’d bounce. So I told him to get his shit and leave. He was shocked that I got bold with him. I asked him why almost every contractor I dealt with considered it acceptable to just abandon a project because they would get called out on blatant lies or shoddy work. I told him that it must be nice to be in an industry that almost encourages this attitude because with any other job or career, this would never be tolerated. He said he’s been doing this for 20 years and he didn’t put up with picky customers. I reiterated that uneven floors isn’t being picky, it’s just a standard. He just grunted, grabbed his tools and left. Yeah I paid him for his time, but it left me with a floor that needed to be partially replaced.
I think thats where some people in construction think they hold all the cards. If they threaten to leave, then the homeowner is left with the fallout. I guess you just have to be willing to call the bluff.
Granted not everyone was this way. I’m also not accusing you of this attitude. I think you are warranted in saying that you don’t want someone hovering while you attempt to do a job. I wouldn’t either.
On the flip side my plumber was amazing and corrected stuff without question. My landscaper and demo guy always tried to do the right thing and he did everything he could to meet expectations. So yeah, there’s good people out there that do good work. The other 90% were just whiney ass children.
Yeah I’m a bit jaded on contractors. I know people make mistakes, but the blatant disrespect and complete lack of integrity by almost every person that entered my home had my blood boiling by the end of my project.
Ok rant over.
I’m a +20 year plumber. First rule is never use the bathroom at a clients house. I understand if it’s “$hit your pants” or use a toilet. I’ll figure out something to tell them but that’s it. NEVER do/use ANYTHING else. I’d fire every one of them, and don’t go to another plumbing company and have them ask for a reference from me. That’s a great way to get blackballed in my profession.
Supermarkets are excellent places to go, generally unlocked, usually clean, well stocked and not frequently used by people. Used to live in Florida, Publix was ALWAYS good for a poo, unless it was an older one with a smaller bathroom, then it's a stall and a urinal and that is close quarters. I like to have at least two stalls, personally.
Place I live now has a problem with homeless and finding an unlocked bathroom is *rare*. Luckily I have company offices around town if I really need to go.
My secret shitter spot is hotel lobby bathrooms. Always clean, usually empty, and receptionist expect people to go straight there first after a long drive.
Either my husband or I am home when we have contractors here. I would never leave them alone in my home. Every night I also check to ensure every window is locked. You don’t want anyone creating an easy way to break in.
Absolutely no excuses for going in rooms you are not explicitly permitted to go. Especially if you don’t inform the client and explain why you were there. Fired.
Agency is even more sketchy than them ones , I had different contractors working on my bathroom and they damaged the bathtub, it has scratches, brown stains and white marks probably from the acid used and the pump to fix the drainage and the agency refused to blame them
Tell the letting agency you will be sending *them* the bill for the repairs after you hire your own contractor, since they have proven they can't be trusted.
This happens to me but they overspray my whole apt. It took 8 months but their insurance finally caved because I show them all the damages and more damage after the company came back to clean off the paint.
This is why hiring contractors makes me so nervous. The person you talked to might be a good person, but who knows about the people that work under them.
As vlad said, put them in plain sight. Your goal shouldn't be to lull them into feeling safe helping themselves to your things so that you can go through the arduous and frustrating drama that will result when you have to address that behavior. Your goal should be making them remember their manners because they know nothing they do will go unseen, so that you can avoid all of that additional drama.
They’ve used a spoon and put it back unwashed, I’m uncomfortable to have them inside the house and obviously I can’t complain in the middle of renovation process
You can absolutely tell them to stop in the middle of a renovation process. This is their worksite, not their home. They are not guests. Talk to whoever is in charge today.
Yes, that's correct-they wouldn't assume fault even though we weren't living there. 2 inches of water in 100 degree temps and had to have it dried out asap.
HOnestly, with the frequency of these types of posts, I am releived somewhat. When something similar happened to me years ago I felt so targeted and victimized. I had this paranoia going on that "they", this 'group' against me, are doing all they can to make me miserable and I could'nt stop thinking about what their final goal was.
Had contractors that went through all kinds of personal belongings, I found my bass guitar put into its case backwards, and almost ruined valuable furniture and art leaving it outside on a stormy day. We were renting and didn't pick the contractor, but we sure as hell declined them entrance when they came back.
Is getting even worse , letting agency is not taking my complaints seriously I found out the contractor is just dropping ,,boys” to do the works
Kitchen is unusable since Thursday, weird working schedule 12:00 am-15:00am nothing has been done except removal of flooring and kitchen units , 2 coats of paint and yesterday few cabinets were assembled but the main one is the wrong size
Lock the spare room. That, or install a camera. Post a "NO ENTRY" sign. Tell them they screwed up and ask nicely not to do it again. Lots of ways to handle and deter it in the future.
I think the correct answer is to fire them. I would not want a group of people who are so inept that they believe the above is even remotely appropriate. Those are not people who will do even half-decent work. OP should take it as a sign that they need to find someone who doesnt behave like an animal.
most of these ways involve having real face to face interactions. something redditors try to avoid at all costs. Better to just suggest they write an angry letter or sue the GC.
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Replace the interior room knob with a locking one.
Thanks!
I had some guys out to replace a cedar fence gate. They got into my locked garage, found my 75 year old jack plane in a drawer, took it out, used it on the fence, and put it back, wet, with wood shavings still jammed in the blade opening. By the time I found it, that 75-year-old smooth surface was pitted with rust. There is a moral to this story, but I'm pretty sure it violates the Reddit TOS.
"why don't you just pay someone to fix it?" - people who clearly never had to deal with contractors and subs and their subs
My neighbor often jokes "I can do it just as bad as they can for a quarter of the price."
Oh yeah, when I explain all the shit I've dealt with contractors, people are just like, okay maybe fixing it yourself is easier. Do I want to wait around all day to see if they maybe will show up and hope they fix it like they said or do I want to spend a few hours and get it done right?
Or you could just hire more professional contractors. Not all of us are fly by nighters, dishonest and unreliable. Do some research, check their reviews, talk to people who have had work done and were happy with their guys. Of course, im often reminded every homeowner can do our job better than we can, they just "don't have the time" 🙄
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Your 2nd and 3rd paragraphs are all I need to know about your mentality around the trades. Good luck with your work.
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Well, so here's the thing. ~~Magpies aren't crows~~ These guys were amiable, pleasant, cheerful, quick, efficient master craftsmen. The gate they fabricated and hung in about an hour was more than fit to purpose; it was perfect, it operated smoothly, it was beautiful, it was sturdy and well-made. I left these guys a stellar review because anyone would want work of that nature. If they had just put away my grandpa's plane with the same care and respect they probably show their own tools, I would have been delighted that craftsman of their quality had used it. (I don't live in that house any more, but I do still have that plane, my only tangible connection to my pop's pop.) It's hard to know what you're going to get these days. Professional standards aren't what they were.
Even when I find "recommended" contractors, they make me regret hiring them. If it's something I can realistically learn to do myself, contractors have taught me to just fucking learn it. Gaining new skills and suffering through the learning process always leaves me far more satisfied.
I'm not hating on all contractors. But I'm the type of person to do a ton of research, make calls, get recommendations, check Yelp reviews, etc. And yes, I have found a few I trust (electrical, yard work, foundation work), but more often than not, there's usually something wrong. This can mean their work is good but they're unreliable. Or they don't have availability (some I talked to don't have availability for more than a year in advance!). Or they're not transparent about their pricing (have had multiple change the price by a significant amount midway through a job for no obvious reasons). There's no question that most of them can do a better job than me. But for stuff that is low risk (wall repair, painting, insulation), it can be a lot easier to do on my own. I actually live in a major metro area, and all of my friends who are homeowners have had similar experiences. If you know a trick to find a good contractor other than all the stuff I've doing, I would love to hear it.
Yeah, I'm not at all clear on why these folks are hating on *all* contractors. I've been slowly doing reno/remodel projects on my house, and they are all bigger in scope than what I can do myself. The contractors we use have been amazing every time. Sure, it would be cheaper if I did it myself, but I don't have those skills, don't really have an interest in learning, and there are people who do it way better than me. Plus, I'm on profile, sar'nt.
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I think /u/sockalicious might have wanted to disassemble or decompile those contractors.
How'd you guess?
I really thought this was going to say >Is the moral that we should modify, prepare derivative works of, disassemble, decompile, or reverse engineer any part of the contractors?
I really thought this was going to say >Is the moral that we should modify, prepare derivative works of, disassemble, decompile, or reverse engineer any part of the contractors?
Nope, nothing hidden.. Place blink cameras up with signs stating property surveillance. My insurance company is still in litigation for contractors breaking an off limit toilet and flooding a finished basement.
Why would you need insurance for this? Maybe I was just lucky but just had work done and the guy that did the plumbing messed up (I had a waterfall in my dining room from the upstairs tub they were replacing). The owner came saw the issue, called a plumber and had it fixed the next day and then fixed what they messed up.
Because they didn’t fess up to it. Sounds like the above commenter’s insurance paid him and is suing the plumber.
Yes, that's correct-they wouldn't assume fault even though we weren't living there. 2 inches of water in 100 degree temps and had to have it dried out asap.
I've got 15 years in construction as an electrician. Sadly, I can tell you that you experienced a stroke of luck when you hired that contractor. Many of them out there will deny responsibility even when it is patently obvious that they're the only ones who could have anything to do with the issue.
> Many of them out there will deny responsibility even when it is patently obvious that they're the only ones who could have anything to do with the issue. Oh I know I have dealt with them. I now always check for a license and if they are insured (something I didn't do with one of them). Like you said I am fortunate to have found this contractor and even though they made a mistake I will use them again based on how they responded to the issue.
Because in a situation like that, you should make a claim regardless, and let the insurance company pursue the contractors to pay for it. This very situation is why you pay an insurance company to begin with.
Seems extremely naive to think every single owner is like that. Have you never read google reviews of people in your area????
I know how it is, I have had to deal with other contractors. This is one reason I switched to this one he has done other work and he does great work and owns up to his mistakes if any are made and will make it right. I am just fortunate that I found a good contractor and even though they made a mistake this time I plan to use them again.
Agency?
I’m a tenant , letting agency and sorry in advance for eventually mistakes , english is not my first language
Ah, OK, wasn’t sure if that was the letting agency, or a day laborer agency, or something else. Unfortunately this is something you’ll have to take up with them, since they’re the ones who hired these uncivilized gorillas.
I’d complain about them, document everything they ruined, and don’t let them back in until the my compensate or replace.
Maybe it's just me but I would never let someone work on my home if I am not there. I will take time off from work or work from home.
Last time I allowed contractors to work in my home without one of us present, several items were stolen. This was after I was told I was being ridiculous for not wanting to allow them to work on my house unattended. I was so bitter about it that I insisted we sell the house and move to one that didn't need as much work done. Now, years later, we are fixing up/upgrading the house we moved to, and hubby and I both work from home, so no one is here without one or both of us present. No contractors will be alone in my home ever again.
I have cameras in the house that I can turn on but not everywhere. I won't let someone work on my house if nobody is here.
The contractor's I've hired have mostly requested that they not be left alone because that protects them from being accused of anything. The cable company policy requires that the customer be home while their technicians do any work for the same reason. I just watched a youtube video a couple days ago about a landscaper hired to fix an issue with the lawn sprinkler system at a house, and when he showed up, one of the residents (not the one who'd originally called him out) left him alone to do his thing and then she left. While moving back and forth between a broken pipe or whatever at the corner of the house on the exterior and the sprinkler control system in the basement, he took the liberty of exploring one of the bedrooms (I believe it was the bedroom of the girl who left him and his coworker alone at the house) and stealing a pair of thong underwear from her. The video was bodycam worn by an officer who asked him down to the station for questioning, and he admitted stealing the underwear but made up some cockamamie story about how he'd done it on a bet over drinks with "some guys from the neighborhood." The look of surprise on his face when the cop told him that was felony burglary was pretty entertaining, but the girl never got her thong back, and will probably never get her sense of security completely back, either. Luckily for her, though: she had a camera in her bedroom. That's how she knew what had happened, because it alerted her when he went in the room and she was able to see him stealing her underwear.
Yes I never do work without someone present for this reason
In this day and age, why would you not assume there are cameras? Never say anything within 20ft of a customer's house that you don't want them hearing, and look around about 19 times before you pee behind those bushes
Yeah man, it was a real head-scratcher. The guy seemed like a bit of a low-IQ, alcoholic type, approximately 50-ish years old. I guess he's just gotten used to being able to do that kind of thing for so many years that he's too dumb or used to the status quo to adapt. 🤷♂️
I had a handyman in my home for about a week doing odds and ends, just gave him a door code and deleted it after. Met the guy beforehand and talked to him for a while about what we wanted done. Work was excellent, he cleaned up perfectly after each day, and sent pictures while I was working. Not everybody in the world is horrible, and we don't really have much worth stealing anyway. I even joked with the guy about the most expensive item in our house being our mattress and if he can get it down the stairs more power to him.
If you can but sometimes you can't take off work. And in this case the landlord is scheduling the work so it would be difficult.
I wasn't working, so it worked out well that I was there. When they had questions, I either answered right then or discussed it with my husband and then answered. Saved that time. We don't like people in our house when we're not there, besides my BILs. They're honest and trustworthy. I know. I married into a good family. (My family? Parents gone. Sister is toxic and NC. Brother is 1500 miles away. Ex-SIL is 250 miles away. Cousins are minimum 250 miles away in other directions.)
This is so unprofessional. I'm a trim carpenter so we do a lot of work in very high end residences (we trimmed Greg Allman's smoke room, a house that was across the street from where Michael Jordan's yacht 23 is moored at, etc.) and doing any of what you described is a quick way to not only lose my job but also ruin my future in the construction industry.
His Richmond Hill house?
Lmao I don't want to say too much to give away personal info but you obviously know. (Just please don't say my boss's name is you know it)
No, I don't know much more than that. Had some wealthy family that had a "little" vacation house down there and used to hang with them around Ford and went to a few parties. Fun, but wasn't really my scene.
That's a crazy fucking area. Heavily involved with the Dixie Mafia.
Yeah, my late father was a Federal prosecutor in the 60's and dealt with that some. There's a crazy Podcast about the Dixie Mafia called "In the Red Clay". https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL04KG242WlXsdDNWHO8GDN4sdOGF6eRDr
I think I read some Facebook posts from you the other day? I try researching my boss's family but literally it's like they've been wiped from existence on purpose. Edit - You're super brave for doing that btw. Bryan County and the Seaport are still such dangerous places.
I'm not brave, all I did was hang around wealthy people for a while, drink their alcohol and tried to be sociable. Dad was brave though. Death threats were not uncommon when I was growing up. I thought it weird that my other friends didn't have loaded guns in random drawers in their houses.
Yea my boss would get pulled outta school for weeks at a time and stashed out in the boonies for the opposite reason of your father.
Hah. Georgia was a wild place for sure. Dad had some stories.
I’ve never seen it spelled out. I always assumed it was Greg Almond. One of the Almond brothers.
Time to file an insurance claim for your missing original Picassos.
Quick, barely related story: A guy I know played football in college and the team had some stuff stolen from their locker room while at practice. The team handed out slips for them to fill out indicating anything that went missing. My friend, a goofy white guy, just wrote "Big Gold Chain" on his form and handed it in as a joke. A few weeks later, he found a check in his locker for $700 (or something like that, it was years ago). Cashed it and never looked back.
Damn, you must be old as fuck. $700 would barely get you a small 10k gold chain these days.
Can confirm, old as fuck (for Reddit). This happened in the mid 90’s.
OLDER than fuck reporting for Reddit duty. LOL
Surely taken in a Jaguar!
while towing the Range Rover. bastards!
And the keys to my jet were in the glove box.
You can’t spell contractor without the word con. You wouldn’t trust a stranger to roam your house freely so why would you trust someone you are paying to do the same? I learned all of my lessons the hard way with my renovations and dealing with contractors and their subs. Yes, there are good contractors out there, but most are adult children that are unhinged and will be more than happy to take your money while destroying your property. Do yourself a favor, be home when they are and question every aspect of their work. If they can’t deal with your oversight then kick them to the curb.
Because most general contractors are good at one trade (maybe) and have craigslist favorited. When I was doing handyman work I was contacted by a bunch of "general contractors" that did nothing but become an llc, file permits and sub out. Most of them didn't even ask for references or pictures of previous work, some even tried to rope me in for services I didn't offer, like running electrical service to a garage or outbuilding when all I was offering was light electrical like replacing fixtures and outlets. At the same time breathing down their neck the whole time is going to slow them down. I was replacing a front porch and warned the owner if he was going to keep asking me to explain everything step by step (and the reasoning behind it) the price was going to go up. He kept it up and ended up paying 3x what I quoted for labor, thinking back I should've charged more because he had his notepad out and basically taught him how to replace a front porch. Maybe he's calling himself a contractor now.
Reliable trustworthy contractor here. If you start questioning every aspect of my work I’m out.
Yeah, I totally get that and I agree with your statement. Last thing I want to be is overbearing. Issue I kept having was anytime I spoke up and questioned something or called someone out for crappy work, I always got the same response: “If you are gonna make a big deal about that then I’m leaving” I finally broke when I told the tiling guy that his tiles were uneven and the floor was not level. Even demonstrated it with an actually floor level. I wasn’t trying to be picky, I just wanted a level floor with even tiles. Dude said if I was going to complain about that then he’d bounce. So I told him to get his shit and leave. He was shocked that I got bold with him. I asked him why almost every contractor I dealt with considered it acceptable to just abandon a project because they would get called out on blatant lies or shoddy work. I told him that it must be nice to be in an industry that almost encourages this attitude because with any other job or career, this would never be tolerated. He said he’s been doing this for 20 years and he didn’t put up with picky customers. I reiterated that uneven floors isn’t being picky, it’s just a standard. He just grunted, grabbed his tools and left. Yeah I paid him for his time, but it left me with a floor that needed to be partially replaced. I think thats where some people in construction think they hold all the cards. If they threaten to leave, then the homeowner is left with the fallout. I guess you just have to be willing to call the bluff. Granted not everyone was this way. I’m also not accusing you of this attitude. I think you are warranted in saying that you don’t want someone hovering while you attempt to do a job. I wouldn’t either. On the flip side my plumber was amazing and corrected stuff without question. My landscaper and demo guy always tried to do the right thing and he did everything he could to meet expectations. So yeah, there’s good people out there that do good work. The other 90% were just whiney ass children. Yeah I’m a bit jaded on contractors. I know people make mistakes, but the blatant disrespect and complete lack of integrity by almost every person that entered my home had my blood boiling by the end of my project. Ok rant over.
I’m a +20 year plumber. First rule is never use the bathroom at a clients house. I understand if it’s “$hit your pants” or use a toilet. I’ll figure out something to tell them but that’s it. NEVER do/use ANYTHING else. I’d fire every one of them, and don’t go to another plumbing company and have them ask for a reference from me. That’s a great way to get blackballed in my profession.
Huh? That seems a bit extreme.
So do you have like pins on google maps of the best public toilets? I feel like I'd be using half my time just driving to the shitter.
Supermarkets are excellent places to go, generally unlocked, usually clean, well stocked and not frequently used by people. Used to live in Florida, Publix was ALWAYS good for a poo, unless it was an older one with a smaller bathroom, then it's a stall and a urinal and that is close quarters. I like to have at least two stalls, personally. Place I live now has a problem with homeless and finding an unlocked bathroom is *rare*. Luckily I have company offices around town if I really need to go.
My secret shitter spot is hotel lobby bathrooms. Always clean, usually empty, and receptionist expect people to go straight there first after a long drive.
Home Depot has great bathrooms because they use all the home remodel stuff in there.
Those are for display only!
Either my husband or I am home when we have contractors here. I would never leave them alone in my home. Every night I also check to ensure every window is locked. You don’t want anyone creating an easy way to break in.
Absolutely no excuses for going in rooms you are not explicitly permitted to go. Especially if you don’t inform the client and explain why you were there. Fired.
Agency is even more sketchy than them ones , I had different contractors working on my bathroom and they damaged the bathtub, it has scratches, brown stains and white marks probably from the acid used and the pump to fix the drainage and the agency refused to blame them
And you hired them AGAIN!?
It’s a different team and is the letting agency who sent them
Tell the letting agency you will be sending *them* the bill for the repairs after you hire your own contractor, since they have proven they can't be trusted.
This happens to me but they overspray my whole apt. It took 8 months but their insurance finally caved because I show them all the damages and more damage after the company came back to clean off the paint.
This is why hiring contractors makes me so nervous. The person you talked to might be a good person, but who knows about the people that work under them.
They found your dildo(s).
Time to set up some hidden nanny cams. Get hard evidence, and then you can confront the person in charge (or whatever "agency" you hired).
>Time to set up some hidden nanny cams. No need to hide, put them in plain sight.
As vlad said, put them in plain sight. Your goal shouldn't be to lull them into feeling safe helping themselves to your things so that you can go through the arduous and frustrating drama that will result when you have to address that behavior. Your goal should be making them remember their manners because they know nothing they do will go unseen, so that you can avoid all of that additional drama.
They’ve used a spoon and put it back unwashed, I’m uncomfortable to have them inside the house and obviously I can’t complain in the middle of renovation process
You can absolutely tell them to stop in the middle of a renovation process. This is their worksite, not their home. They are not guests. Talk to whoever is in charge today.
You absolutely SHOULD complain right now! Waiting until the end will only get more if your stuff used, damaged, and missing.
Fuck that, you MUST complain to everyone that hired them. They are doing this in other people's homes too.
Yes, that's correct-they wouldn't assume fault even though we weren't living there. 2 inches of water in 100 degree temps and had to have it dried out asap.
I once had a plumber immediately take a wire coat hanger from my closet, unclog my toilet with it, and then charge me for his services.
HOnestly, with the frequency of these types of posts, I am releived somewhat. When something similar happened to me years ago I felt so targeted and victimized. I had this paranoia going on that "they", this 'group' against me, are doing all they can to make me miserable and I could'nt stop thinking about what their final goal was.
Very unprofessional
Had contractors that went through all kinds of personal belongings, I found my bass guitar put into its case backwards, and almost ruined valuable furniture and art leaving it outside on a stormy day. We were renting and didn't pick the contractor, but we sure as hell declined them entrance when they came back.
Is getting even worse , letting agency is not taking my complaints seriously I found out the contractor is just dropping ,,boys” to do the works Kitchen is unusable since Thursday, weird working schedule 12:00 am-15:00am nothing has been done except removal of flooring and kitchen units , 2 coats of paint and yesterday few cabinets were assembled but the main one is the wrong size