The digging has begun - Go Marvin Go

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Tank

Nothing is up and running. I cannot get the contractor to come back to do any of the work. The tank has been sitting in my living room now for 2 months. The corals in my main tank are either growing out of the water, or all over the glass, it looks like $#%$.

The thing that's really annoying is that all I need in the short term is a bit of trim put up in a few places and I could at least put the tank into position and start plumbing it.

That is a shame....but hopefully you held some cash back to provide some incentive for the contrator to inish the job, no?

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

That's a shame...but hopefully you held some $$$ back to provide some incentive for the contractor to finish the work, no?

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Sorry for the double post....duh

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Greg, if you need to make some room, I can hold some colonies for you in my 300 or in my frag tank....just let me know as I am very close by and don't mind helping you out of this mess.

 

[Greg Hiller]

Yup, I still owe the contractor plenty, but it seems to not be much of an incentive.

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Wow

Yup, I still owe the contractor plenty, but it seems to not be much of an incentive.

WOW! Well at least he hasn't been paid for unfinished work!

 

[Yaktop]

Gone... Marvin....Gone.

sorry greg, I like the idea of finishing it yourself. take plenty of pics before and hold up any money due. Two can play. You have alot of talented people in the group willing to work for beer and frags.........jump on it. who wants to want inside once the nice weather starts.

 

[NateHanson]

Good point Ed on the pictures. Take lots and lots, just in case. Might also be worth sending a "last chance" letter by certified mail to inform him that the contract will be considered abandoned in X days if work is not continued (assuming there wasn't already such a clause in the contract).

Best of luck with it. I'd be happy to chip in for a work-day, assuming I can shed my familial bonds for a weekend this spring.

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Small Claims court is an option. You need to send Marvin a certified " 30 day Demand for Relief" letter. The format can be seen on Mass gov small claims court site (I have an example I can email to you if you are interested). It is really easy to do and basically says if the contractor does not finish the work promised, then he will be taken to smallclaims Then you wait 30 days. If there is no response, you go to small claims and first, try to work it out using an arbitrator. Most of the time arbitration resolves things betterthan actually going to court. However, if arbitration does not work, then you have to go to court where you can claim up to $2500 in damages. But you can get 2x or even 3x damage if the magistrate or judge decides in your favor.

If nothing else, at least you have legal and binding paperwork, should anything else happen. You also might want to mention in the letter that you are contacting the Better Bussiness Bureau....believe me, contractors hate this because your complaint against them is public and could hurt their future bussiness.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I would do as Chuck said, you can't wait forever

 

[delta]

That's aggrevating Greg. Sounds like you need to organize a little work party. Getting some trim up shouldn't be too hard with this group of folks.

Just about everyone here will work for beer and/or frags!

i would be more than happy to work for frags

 

[wrassefan]

if you choose arbitrator, you waive your right to go to court. Arbitrator ruling is final..pretty difficult to appeal decision once you accept process.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I guess he took the title of this thread literally:

"Go Marvin Go"

Hope everything works out for you Greg

 

[Yaktop]

IMO - document, pics, document, finish, and let him chase you. saying this without knowing what kind of contract you signed or didnt sign. court for what, you hold the cash.

 

[Aquaman_68]

Small Claims court is an option. You need to send Marvin a certified " 30 day Demand for Relief" letter. The format can be seen on Mass gov small claims court site (I have an example I can email to you if you are interested). It is really easy to do and basically says if the contractor does not finish the work promised, then he will be taken to smallclaims Then you wait 30 days. If there is no response, you go to small claims and first, try to work it out using an arbitrator. Most of the time arbitration resolves things betterthan actually going to court. However, if arbitration does not work, then you have to go to court where you can claim up to $2500 in damages. But you can get 2x or even 3x damage if the magistrate or judge decides in your favor.

If nothing else, at least you have legal and binding paperwork, should anything else happen. You also might want to mention in the letter that you are contacting the Better Bussiness Bureau....believe me, contractors hate this because your complaint against them is public and could hurt their future bussiness.

I beleive small claims court has a cap of 3000.00 or maybe even as low as 2000.00

 

[marco67]

Hey Greg sorry to hear about your trouble, I'm sure it must be frusterating.
just looking at your last post date it's over 3 months. I'd call that abandoned!
...
...
Why am I not suprised to read any of this?

 

[stang8s]

I dont know the whole story here so cant comment on this specific case but it sounds almost like standard contractor operations to me. My contractor on my barn was great and cranked right along to get the barn up. But once it was up 90-95% , weathertight,and he had most of the money he started his next job. I then had to wait often as long as a month without a thing being done on my job.. waiting for a rainy day when he couldnt work on other jobs outside and could come do finish inside work on my building. He still owes me a cupala on the top which he said he will do in the spring. I have not paid him to do it yet and it isnt a critical thing that keeps me from using the building but I cant get the building permit signed off till it is up. Im sure in spring it will be low on his list of priorities. Lets see, frame a whole new job or build that guys cupela... I have no complaints about the guy but it is/was frustrating at times when I was anxious to move in.

 

[MickyB]

Sorry Greg didn't mean to open up a can of worms. Was just expecting to hear your big Tank was up and running. Then get some info from you on the Geo-Thermal loop and how you configured it to cool off the tank water. Getting ready soon to dig up my yard and lay down some pipe, but wanted to know how yours worked out first. So lets put that Tank in place and get water flowing thru the sump and ground so i can see how it works.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

This is why I do most of my own work

Of course I'm just as bad. I started my dormer in July & I'm still working on it. Of course w/the cold weather this winter (no heat up there) I have just started on it again. When it is only 22 - too cold to work up there

But I have the wife to chase me to get the work done.....and I have nowhere to hide!!!

 

[denvig]

Greg if you need any help to finish the interior I would be more than happy to lend a hand. Just let me know.