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July 21, 2008
contractor issues
My contractor has basically skipped out on me and left me without windowsills that i paid for, with primer spots on my painted walls and with an expensive fan (that was installed at the time of my renovation) that is in pieces, most of which are missing. He won't return phone calls or emails and even has a set of keys to my apartment! I'm not sure what to do next. Does anyone have any ideas?
Comments
change your locks,
if you have a valid contract with that scaliwag, go continue the work with another person and deduct it from the scaliwag.
You need to photograph everything for verification, keep your receipts from the new guy because you might end up in court. You might have to prove damages.
Make sure the new guy has a 1 million dollar liability policy, in addition to an aggregte of 2 (insurance
Let's hope the scaliwag doesn't put a mechanical lien on your property.
Posted by: madamlee at July 21, 2008 7:08 PM
Thats so sad. Time & time again I tell people to be careful, when I first started buying real estate I got burned like that, sadly it is very hard to do anything about it unless you have a valid contract. If you need a reliable person to finish the job for you try AL of ACR General Contracting, Inc. You can email him @
ACRContracting@optonline.net
He can provide you with a certificate of insurance with you as a named insured. Tell him Casey from MUAN gave you a reference. They can do all work from A-Z and they are well priced & he has a very experienced crew.
Posted by: caseycrespo at July 21, 2008 10:02 PM
Document everything, take photos, get receipts, and get a lawyer if need be. FYI, even fully licensed/insured contractors will do this toward the end of a job. They've made their profit and figure you won't go after them for the punch-list stuff. My neighbors are in that situation right now .
Posted by: Bolder at July 21, 2008 10:34 PM
Please post the name of this rouge contractor so that no one will make the same mistake and hire him. The best revenge is to get the word out and put him out of business for good!
Posted by: premadas at July 21, 2008 11:37 PM
Thank you so much for your help and the reference! I have definitely learned a lesson.
The name of the company is Orbit Home Improvement and the guy's name is Alex Ruiz.
I have a copy of his license, would filing a complaint with consumer affairs do anything besides make me mentally feel better?
Posted by: tab at July 22, 2008 9:59 AM
Before you get a lawyer you need to calculate how much you lost and then consider how much a lawyer would cost. May not be worth it.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at July 22, 2008 10:14 AM
I unfortunitly went throught the same thing. I filed a complaint with Consumer Affairs and have a court date with them next week. They have there own court and have also pressed charges against them.
Posted by: Giovanna at July 22, 2008 2:07 PM
Is this the same company, this is the info that comes up when I did a corporation search for NY State...
No sign of an Alex Ruiz for this company.
Maybe he is a complete scam artist???
Selected Entity Name: ORBIT HOME IMPROVEMENTS, INC.
Selected Entity Status Information Current Entity Name: ORBIT HOME IMPROVEMENTS, INC.
Initial DOS Filing Date: SEPTEMBER 24, 2001
County: QUEENS
Jurisdiction: NEW YORK
Entity Type: DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
Current Entity Status: ACTIVE
Selected Entity Address Information DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity)
ORBIT HOME IMPROVEMENTS, INC.
44-07 NEWTOWN ROAD
ASTORIA, NEW YORK, 11103
Chairman or Chief Executive Officer
FOTIS KIROPOULOS
24-04 154TH ST
WHITESTONE, NEW YORK, 11357
Principal Executive Office
ORBIT HOME IMPROVEMENTS, INC.
24-04 154TH ST
WHITESTONE, NEW YORK, 11357
Registered Agent
NONE
Posted by: caseycrespo at July 22, 2008 6:18 PM
You can also register complaints with the Dept of Consumer Affairs and the Better Business Bureau.
Posted by: premadas at July 23, 2008 12:06 AM
Thank you everyone for your help and input.
Giovanna- Did you hire someone else to finish the work when you filed the complaint? I am living in the apartment and would really like to have this ordeal finished, but at the same time want him to be held accountable.
That is the address and information listed on the copy of the license I have for the company, although I have no idea who Fotis Kiropoulos is. I feel so naive. He was a friend of a friend which is why I went with him, but has basically shut off contact with everyone I know who knows him.
Posted by: tab at July 23, 2008 10:26 AM
Tab,
You may as well finish with someone else. Your damages will be how much more it cost you to finish than if the contract were completed. If you end up out of pocket no more than your original contract price once you finish, you won't really be able to recover. So you should finish, document everything the new contractor does, particularly anything he repairs that the old contractor did wrong, and carefully document what it all costs you. Besides, you will feel better if you keep moving forward.
Countless readers of this site have learned this lesson the hard way -- it always pays to be vigilant about not letting payments get ahead of the work, no matter how much you like and trust the contractor.
Posted by: slopefarm at July 23, 2008 11:08 AM
Tab,
I just signed a contractor and I checked out the Dept of Consumer Affairs website. There is an insurance fund that all contractors must pay into. The money is used to repay consumers if their contractor skips town or does work that needs to be redone. You can get up to $15,000. You ought to look into filing a claim.
Posted by: premadas at August 6, 2008 9:17 AM
Hello Tab,
It's been a while you try to find Alex. Well...I am not surprise to learn today that Alex put me the same situation as you are...he just disappear from me after he took money from me. I am in Bay Ridge I gave him a job because I know him many years from St. Goerge in Brooklyn Heights. He works there and lived there and also I know where he live in Astoria. I though there is no way he can disappear from us. But he is a professional thief so he did... I file complain against him and court day is coming in May. so I am just waiting if anything I can do to STOP his bad behavior....tell me what happen to your case?
Posted by: bhsmile at March 25, 2009 1:42 PM
Hello Tab,
It's been a while you try to find Alex. Well...I am not surprise to learn today that Alex put me the same situation as you are...he just disappear from me after he took money from me. I am in Bay Ridge I gave him a job because I know him many years from St. Goerge in Brooklyn Heights. He works there and lived there and also I know where he live in Astoria. I though there is no way he can disappear from us. But he is a professional thief so he did... I file complain against him and court day is coming in May. so I am just waiting if anything I can do to STOP his bad behavior....tell me what happen to your case?
Posted by: bhsmile at March 25, 2009 1:42 PM
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