Electrician Ghosted with outstanding permit

Two years after starting a major renovation project, we are finally signed off on all the permits except for the electric. The electrician has long been difficult to get in to finish, to be fair he had a lot of personal problems during these years, but he always showed up eventually. Finally the inspection was scheduled for about a month ago. He still had some things he was trying to finish and seemed stressed about it. A few days before the inspection, he wasn’t finished, but also it turned out my tenant was home with COVID. The electrician decided not to finish, reschedule the inspection, and made a plan to come back. The day of the scheduled inspection the electrician showed up, explained that someone in the house had covid, and the inspector left. Thats the last I saw the electrician and he is not responding to me. He is also not responding to the contractor I worked with for most of the project, who he has a personal relationship with. I don’t think he’s going to finish and I don’t think I owe him enough money to incentivize him to show up. At this point I just want it done. So okay, here’s my question: How does this work with the DOB? if the permit is under his company, but I hire someone else to finish, what happens?

selmadurand

in Dept. of Buildings (DOB) 1 year and 7 months ago

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andriywww1990 | 1 year and 7 months ago

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The lesson is, hold back enough money to be sure they return.

GreenThinker | 1 year and 7 months ago

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I had a similar situation. 9 years later, the electrical permit still isn’t signed off. Granted, it’s not like i needed it for a new certificate of occupancy.

andriywww1990 | 1 year and 7 months ago

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Rereading this thing makes it seem that he is still working someplace doing what he is licensed to do. If that is the case, the right thing to do. Is press him like jeremy suggests. None of us should get to skate free and walk. If his problems are such that he is not working, that is different.

andriywww1990 | 1 year and 7 months ago

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Jeremy, there is a difference between wanting to return and being able to return. The op seems to have an understanding of this person’s personal issues and has risen above doing something that might make someone’s life messier than it already is or has realized that that person’s life is such that the courts, bbb or an army are not going to bring them back. I may be wrong, but that is how i read this and i admit i would not take such a high road myself.

I used to check BBB complaints as i checked references years ago but since the internet came along, i dropped it. I have also thought about joining the bbb, but again, thought what’s the point.

Guest User | 1 year and 7 months ago

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Doorsby, have you ever known a contractor to receive a complaint via BBB? It can be a step above a negative yelp review. I got a roofer back out once after submitting such a complaint due to him not honoring his warranty my client inherited

andriywww1990 | 1 year and 7 months ago

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This has been written about in the past on this board. I have not been through it first hand but a month or so back someone asked the same question about a boiler installation in which the contractor disappeared. Basically, the answer from a contractor went like this “another contractor can be bought in to close the permits but that means they will be responsible for the job and it might be better to redo it”-.

A number of years back a customer tossed a contractor off a job and brought me in to complete it. There was all sorts of electrical work that had been done by some guy just like me. I do not touch electric. I told the homeowner to bring in a licensed electrician to check every circuit, wire, connection on that job. Basically, if you find an electrician to close this, that is what he will do if he is smart.

In so far as what jeremy says, if this person has problems in their life be it caring for an elderly family member, marital problems, an addiction, what is the BBB going to do? The bbb is great to check with before you proceed but in the age of th e internet, that is no longer necessary. Simply put, i never heard a contractor worry about the bbb. Either we want to get paid and perform or we don’t want to get paid. If a contractor has money on the table and is not returning, something may really be wrong. But i think op knows this and is now trying to wrap this up w/o him and is looking for advice on how to move forward.

Try this guy: tom munetz electric. Tom is a great guy and maybe he would be willing to take on something like this where someone might really have not been able to finish a job because of less than ideal circumstances. Tom will understand your language.

Guest User | 1 year and 7 months ago

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Switching horses midstream is not usually advisable if avoidable. How about trying the BBB?