Paying subcontractors

What is my legal responsibility here? I hired a GC to do some reno work on my home and mid-reno fired him for shoddy work.  The GC contracted with the electrician and plumber, who completed all their work in a timely fashion.  Am I on the hook to pay the subcontractors?  Payment was made by the GC to the subs up until the point that I fired them.  Then I made one payment directly to the subs.  Thoughts?

NorthSleeper

in Construction 13 years and 9 months ago

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levicapland | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Just heard a cute joke the other night:

When do you fire a contractor?……

As soon as you give him a deposit 🙂

Levi 
SoHoAppliances.com

Goatcrapp | 13 years and 9 months ago

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So wait – In your first post, you are the home owner.. and now you’re the sub?  The quickest way to start getting ignored on this forum is to misrepresent yourself.

There is no inherent “pro home-owner” attitude here, so you didn’t have to trick anyone into helping you.

Also – keep in mind – the advice given works both ways.  You can’t simply slap a mechanic’s lien on anyone’s property – there’s a process.  You also cannot threaten a mechanic’s lien, unless you would otherwise be able to proceed with one – that’s treated as extortion.

So as another poster said – what does it say in your contract? I’m assuming a contract between you and the GC. Does the contract make any provisions for the GC’s removal, and any other payment terms?   Were your services as a sub already paid for to the GC, and its the now fired GC withholding said payment?

Many many factors here – but i will say one thing..   your credibility is already a notch lower given your intentional misrepresentation here.

jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 9 months ago

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If you did not get lein releases from each contractor for every payment made you are on the hook.  Your architect would have hopefully advised you of this.  If you did not have one, then the contractor is certainly not going to advise you.

NorthSleeper | 13 years and 9 months ago

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thanks.  I’m writing on behalf of one of the subs.  I guess I’ll need to mention the mechanic’s lien to motivate the homeowner to pay.

stevecym | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Either way, if they do not get paid they can put a mechanic’s lien on your property, so yes, I would assume that you are on the hook for this whether or not you paid the money to the GC and regardless of whether he paid it to them. 

Steve

Townie | 13 years and 9 months ago

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What does your contract say?