Escaping Contractor?
About a week ago, I tentatively went into agreement with a contractor – I signed the proposal he gave me. I am now about to close on the apartment, and have found out through neighbors that if I use the super for the job, I won’t have to go through the lengthy board process, and…
About a week ago, I tentatively went into agreement with a contractor – I signed the proposal he gave me. I am now about to close on the apartment, and have found out through neighbors that if I use the super for the job, I won’t have to go through the lengthy board process, and can save myself a few thousand dollars. No money has exchanged hands, nor has any work started – could I get out? Anyone have any experience? Is it more trouble than it’s worth?
Is your super a licensed Home Improvement Contractor? Is he insured? What if he screws something up, or worse, what if he gets injured? Are you paying him cash, or are you paying your Management and they are paying him? I think this is an accident waiting to happen. Keep your contract with your contractor.
This kind of stuff—especially Pete’s post about the super doing work after hours and on weekends, when regular contractors would be prohibited—is why I will never live in a coop again. It seems to me that rules should be rules, and that if work is prohibited at certain times, it should be prohibited even if the building super’s doing it. That being said, however, I’d talk to the contractor and see if he’ll let you out of the contract, or has some kind of cancellation policy. BUT, I’d also contact someone on the Board and yell and scream about why this policy wasn’t disclosed to you ahead of time. And then, at the next annual meeting, I’d be running for a seat on the Board.
If you’re asking whether you signed a legal contract, I’d check with your lawyer. If you’re asking whether you should use your super to save a few bucks and avoid board approval, my experience is that you should do so, UNLESS what you want done is very specialized or involves expensive materials. I had our super do some rewiring and plastering; did a pretty good job, but not great, but OTOH he worked weekends and evenings, something outside contractors aren’t allowed to do. We hired an outside contractor to gut renovate our bathroom b/c it involved tricky tilework and relocating some plumbing lines. Plus I didn’t want to get po’d at our super if he effed something up, as another poster mentioned.
I’d be nervous if the Super didn’t do a great job, because then what? You offend him and then you’re stuck living there having to call him whenever you need something fixed? Be careful about that. Also have you gone to people’s apartments and seen yourself the work this Super has done? Do that first if you are thinking about hiring him.
At the very least, you have a good excuse that won’t offend the Super if you decide not to hire him. Just say you couldn’t get out of the contract with the other contractor.
Man you are cheap. I would never use the Super. He’s not a contractor, he’s a repair person.
OP here, I tried that, it’s a small building, and unfortunately, he’s not too keen on the idea.
why not trying offering the super some money so you don’t need the board approval? Maybe the super can act as some sort of ‘Supervisor’ to the work ….