Advice for dealing with a "Bad" Contractor
I want to share with you a success story I had, when a roofing contractor would not return my calls after taking my money, but not fixing my roof - this is good advice on how to legally respond to a bad contractor.
In the past year, we have seen the largest amount of rainfall ever recorded in Southern California. Last October, my wife and I noticed a small amount of water damage in the ceiling of our living room - nothing terrible, but my wife is deathly afraid of mold and the potential health risks, so we decided to call around and get a contractor to fix our roof. I called several roofing companies, but was only able to get quotes from three - and the one I ended up going with was not the cheapest, just the one who could do the work the soonest. He quoted me a reasonable amount to fix my roof, with a year warranty on the repairs, and he promised to be out to do the work as soon as it stopped raining. He came out and made the repairs, but when the rains started up again, so did the leaks. He came back out, and patched up the roof again. This happened four times - each time, the leak inside the house was getting worse, not better. The ceiling had an ever-spreading stain, and our carpet was so wet we had to pull it up, in order to dry it out. Finally, on what was to be his fifth visit to us, he stopped taking my calls. I didn't know what to do, so I started checking out what the internet had to say on the subject - I found two possible routes to take, Small Claims Court, or to contact the State Contractor's Licensing Board. I first wrote a letter to the contractor, stating clearly why I was unhappy with his service and that I wanted a full refund of my money and if he did not respond within 30 days, I was going to pursue further action with the State Licensing Board, the Better Business Bureau and in Small Claims Court. The thirty days came and went with no response from him, so I chose to contact the Licensing Board first - they had forms that were online that I could fill out and then mail in - they requested some information, including asking me what the complaint was, and what I wanted done to remedy the problem. Within two weeks, they had processed my complaint and sent me back a letter stating that they were pursuing the issue and that I should contact them if my situation changed, and I was able to work things out with the contractor. There was a knock on my door a few days later and there stood the contractor - hat in hand, asking what he could do to make things right. I insisted on a full refund as I had already hired another contractor in the interim and had my entire house re-roofed. The contractor wasn't happy, but he paid me back within three days. My wife was very happy that I took the time and pursued this through to the end. In the meantime we had contacted our insurance company and they eventually cut us a check for enough money to cover the repairs to the inside of our house, so that the money we got back is now going towards new carpet. If your Licensed Contractor doesn't meet his end of the bargain, I highly reccomend that you contact your State's Contractor Licensing Board - they will help you, whether through mediation or in other ways. It is the Licensing Board's responsibility to only license competent contractors, and they want to help protect consumers from shoddy work and unfulfilled promises made by contractors who will take your money but either won't, or can't, do the work. Of course, if the Licensing board can't help you, you can still pursue other means to try to get your money back - contact the Better Business Bureau, and start the process for Small Claims Court. Court may sound extreme, but it is pretty easy to do - most States have good websites that will allow you to download the forms you need, and even give advice on how to prepare your case. Lastly, if you have some time on your hands, or know someone who does, you can always sit outside their business with a big flourescent green sign saying, "I am unhappy with the service I received at (Business Name) - ask me why!" until they pay you off to go away. Don't ever say the contractor did bad work, or they may sue you in return for defamation, and it will be upon you to "prove" they did bad work. If you say, "This is my opinion" - that's freedom of speech. Good luck - and don't give up.
About the Author
Just an average homeowner who got taken advantage of and decided to do something about it!
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