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Just got back from housesitting the nieghbor’s. He came to my wife last week and asked us to sit the cats as he was checking himself into the psych-ward for suicidal type things. The wife is on a pretty good basis with our nieghbor, they talk about cat adoption strategies (inner city, numerous strays, we feed/ get adopted, oh bleedin’ heart). She’s out this weekend, so I’m in charge of his inside cats. They all (three) have only one eye from a particular strain of conjunctivitus that runs through our neighborhood’s feral pride. He’s been gone about a week and they pur like little one-eyed low amp blenders when I come through. Anyway– You go through the main house (masonry) and it’s all straight as that board we always hear about. You get to the ADDITION and basicaly just picture your worst reno-nightmare. Floors sloping 3″ in 6′, tiles “a’ poppin'”, a full bath with no working electrical/toilet and a soft spot waiting to send you to the crawl space, a back door that when you shut it move THE ENTIRE WALL MOVES A good 1/4 inch either direction (gratefully the shoe mold stays put). So, take this as an algebric equation– one emotional wreck of a neighbor (absent) basically out of neglect (because he doesn’t know how to address the problems physically or emotionally) lets his house almost fall down around him; he tries to fix’er’up and has “mixed” results (I watched a “contractor” out my kitchen window rob him as I ate my breakfasts and lunches) and the end product is (as far as I can tell) an addition that has to be reworked(or re-“touched” ((from the ground up))) with about a $8,000 price tag (not to mention therapy). SO, fellows, take your best client soft-approach, add a heapin’ quart of empathy, two dashes of community activism (we could use it around here) and please kick me on how to proceed. P.s.- I actually wouldn’t be able to do the work, I’m leaving, I just want to know how to go about starting to “advise” him on it with out sending him back to the rubber room.
ClaytonEmpathetic
Replies
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Dear Guest
Assuming that the contractor is solvent, contact several contractors to bid on the work/repairs, have the homeowner gather ALL the documentations/agreements between him and the "contractor", document all the deficiencies with photographs, using the lowest price for the work/repairs and prepare the package for a Lawyer to review and give an opinion on.
Make sure the Lawyer is not wasting his or her time trying to sort stuff in a box.
Put it all in chronological order, in a binder with tabs, two copies. This will allow you to read it through WITH the lawyer during any question/answer sessions.
Let him or her decide if you have a case and follow THEIR advise.
Gabe
*Sounds like the guy is an emotional wreck already. It seems to me the last thing he needs to hear is that is house is falling down around him. It looks like is world is already falling down around him. I would stay the hell out of it. If something goes wrong with the new remodel, who is he going to blame? It's a tough one. I feel sorry for the guy and would like to help but I think the only way may be sweat equity on your part. Be a helpful neighbor, but don't get dragged down into his emotional problems. Good luck. Ed.
*Here in BC I think the response is to do the repair work first, pay for it and head to small claims court with all documentation. In court the criteria is based on the common law phrase "was the job done in a workmanlike manner." That rules out substitutions for lower grade materials and necessitates addressing the craftsmanship itself. Tough call.
*I have to agree that no advice is good advice. You may lend a hand and have problems pop up later that your neighbor may not take well, therefore sending himi into a postal rage and... well you get the picture I'm painting here. Pete
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Just got back from housesitting the nieghbor's. He came to my wife last week and asked us to sit the cats as he was checking himself into the psych-ward for suicidal type things. The wife is on a pretty good basis with our nieghbor, they talk about cat adoption strategies (inner city, numerous strays, we feed/ get adopted, oh bleedin' heart). She's out this weekend, so I'm in charge of his inside cats. They all (three) have only one eye from a particular strain of conjunctivitus that runs through our neighborhood's feral pride. He's been gone about a week and they pur like little one-eyed low amp blenders when I come through. Anyway-- You go through the main house (masonry) and it's all straight as that board we always hear about. You get to the ADDITION and basicaly just picture your worst reno-nightmare. Floors sloping 3" in 6', tiles "a' poppin'", a full bath with no working electrical/toilet and a soft spot waiting to send you to the crawl space, a back door that when you shut it move THE ENTIRE WALL MOVES A good 1/4 inch either direction (gratefully the shoe mold stays put). So, take this as an algebric equation-- one emotional wreck of a neighbor (absent) basically out of neglect (because he doesn't know how to address the problems physically or emotionally) lets his house almost fall down around him; he tries to fix'er'up and has "mixed" results (I watched a "contractor" out my kitchen window rob him as I ate my breakfasts and lunches) and the end product is (as far as I can tell) an addition that has to be reworked(or re-"touched" ((from the ground up))) with about a $8,000 price tag (not to mention therapy). SO, fellows, take your best client soft-approach, add a heapin' quart of empathy, two dashes of community activism (we could use it around here) and please kick me on how to proceed. P.s.- I actually wouldn't be able to do the work, I'm leaving, I just want to know how to go about starting to "advise" him on it with out sending him back to the rubber room.
ClaytonEmpathetic