Visit from Consumer Affairs

Hey all:

I called in a restoration and construction company (Basonas Construction) to do some minor masonry work. We had cut thru the side of the house to install venting for the new boiler, and to install a sump pump, and the holes were not neatly done, so I wanted them bricked up and sealed appropriately, and also there was a piece of bulging stucco I wanted fixed.

I’ve worked with Basonas before on some major seven figure projects, and I like them. And the owner likes me, so when I need something like this done, I call him.

When I bought the house early on, he did a parapet wall, sealed up one exterior door, and opened up and installed another, and for that I had paid him $7500.

This was a small job, a few manhours, a few bricks, a little stucco and cement, so the owner told me he’d just do me a favor. That doesn’t mean I won’t throw him a couple of exceptional bottles of wine, or some cash, or whatever, but normally he does large projects, not homeowner projects like this.

So here’s the scene. I’m sitting on my stoop. My wife is gardening in the tree pit. Basonas’ very well marked truck is in the driveway, and the worker is visible in the driveway doing work (Semi-detached house, the driveway goes all the way along the side of the house). .

A guy comes strolling down the block, says he’s a homeowner up the block, and asks me do I mind if he goes to the worker and gets a card, since he needs some work done. I replied that he was welcome to do so, but I wouldn’t count on the worker having a card, and that maybe he should just take the info off the truck.

Then I mentioned that Basonas was good, but not that cheap, he usually doesn’t do these kinds of projects, he’s doing me a favor, yada yada. Trying to help out a neighbor.

Then I go inside. A few minutes later my wife yells at me to come down, and there’s the alleged homeowner along with another large Hispanic gentleman, and they pull out badges and say they’re from the NYC Dept of Consumer Affairs. (Later I found out that they came into the back and started harassing the Hispanic worker, when my wife heard what was going on, she ordered them off the property and told the worker to keep working, all in Spanish, then she called me).

The big guy, who is barely civil, is telling me that Basonas appears not to have a homeowner contractor’s license. I explained that he doesn’t normally do small homeowner jobs and that in the past when I worked with him he had everything he needed in the way of insurance and workers comp etc. I was told he needed a license to work on 3 family and under houses. I reiterated that he was doing me a favor for free and that this was a friend of mine. I also was able to get Basonas’ owner on the phone and put him on with the inspectors. The original guy says that all they’re trying to do is protect the consumer, and if I’m not paying for the work, and I’m satisfied with the work, he’s OK with that.

The big guy says they have photos of the truck and that if they catch him around again doing so-called ‘favors’ for homeowners he’ll be up the creek. But in the end the work wasn’t stopped, no summons was issued, and nothing more happened.

I’m wondering if I should complain about the inspector who used false pretenses to gain access to my property. I’m also wondering if someone called them on me, like my good neighbors. I tend to think not, as a call like that would simply go to the DOB, and I have recent permits. Would a neighbor be sophisticated enuf to write down a contractor name, look up to see if they had a license, and call the right dept at 311? I’m thinking they were just driving around. Watch out!