Extorted by plumber

Thanks, Resident! The contractor is gone. He did not hire the sub, I hired him on contractor’s recommendation. But I did contact plumber of record and he is unaware of my issues with the plumber and trying to close the permit. Once the permit is closed, I feel like I could breathe easier and just hire a different plumber to fix the outstanding issues. Thanks for explaining re. lien. I wasn’t sure if he can file without a contract or not. As for a good local plumber, couldn’t agree with you more. Seems like plumbing issues come up all the time. Thanks again.

And thanks all for the advice. It’s really is great to get your support.

katdov

in General Discussion 8 years and 8 months ago

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katdov | 8 years and 8 months ago

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I’ve had and am still having a horrible experience with a plumber. He was recommended by the contractor and since they worked together in the past I thought it would be easier to use him. We agreed on a sum. During the course of the renovation there were issues coming up in the basement and he kept adding to his price. Given that he knew I was going to excavate, I was surprised that some of the problems were news to him. But I agreed to the increased cost just to get this done and move forward. The renovation had finally been finished, the builders left, yet the plumbing permit remains open. The plumber of record is not the same plumber who did the job, it’s a company that did it for a fee (I’m guessing). There have been some filing discrepancies with DOB, so the permit is still open. And I am still holding on to $1500 of the job until all is done.

Meanwhile, there are issues coming up – the toilet has a faulty gasket, the radiators aren’t pitched thus super noisy, they are also spewing rusty water, staining walls and floor, the dishwasher was falling out (I’ve since hired someone to reinstall). I’ve asked the plumber to come fix these, but he insists it’s the builders’ fault, as they removed the radiators when installing floors and then did not re-install properly (which begs the question of why did he connect radiators before the floors were done?). So basically he is blaming the builders for these problems and refuses to come fix unless I pay him more. And I am refusing to pay him more as feel this is something he and builders need to figure out and ultimately it’s the plumber’s job to make sure these work.

As an aside, he has been rude, has hung up on me several times, he gets drunk and abusive, he yells, once he came 3.45 hours late (yelling at me that he was stuck in traffic and was losing money because of me), and so on.

So this is my dilemma – I want to go over his head, contact the plumber of record (his info is on the permit), and try to close the permit bypassing the rude plumber. Then i want to hire another plumber to fix the problems this one has been reluctant to fix. And when all is done, subtract my newly incurred plumbing costs from the $1500 I still owe to this plumber.

To note, we do not have signed a contract. I gave him one but he never signed and just started the job when i was out of town. It seemed too late to start demanding it at that point.

My questions are: Is it okay to go over his head to the plumber of record? Is it fair to subtract whatever I spend on fixing outstanding problems from what I still owe under our Verbal contract? Does this rude plumber have any grounds to put a lien on me for not paying the full $1500 (even though there is no document)? And finally, can he make sure the plumber of record does not close the permit until I pay him? Basically, what is the best thing to do in this situation?

Thanks so much all you wise Brownstoners!

bk123 | 8 years and 8 months ago

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Fire them all immediately and hire someone reputable to fix it. Send them a bill for the balance(which they will never pay, but you need it for your records). It will cost a bit more than the $1500 you are holding back. Either take the loss or take the plumber of record to court to collect what you spend over $1500.

nykidden | 8 years and 8 months ago

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you can also go after their license with the better business bureau

slopefarm | 8 years and 8 months ago

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You may want to get some advice on the lien business. I would think they could file a lien even if the claim is bogus. Whether they were entitled to the lien would not get litigated unless they sought to enforce the lien or you sought to have it lifted. Not sure whether there is a penalty or other remedy for a bogus lien. Might cost you more than $1500 in legal fees to get it removed. get some advice from a RE or construction lawyer on this.

lgwlcvqt | 8 years and 8 months ago

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Forget BBB, it’s DCA that can have actual results

newtomehouse | 8 years and 8 months ago

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DCA does not license plumbers from my understanding. Call the plumber whose permit this is under.

resident2 | 8 years and 8 months ago

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Do not fire them all.
Contact the plumber with the open permit and get him to sign it off and close it out. Contact the contractor that you hired and who bought in the sub plumber; outline all the outstanding issues to him in writing. Do not expect much of a response, but you have it on record, mailed certified mail.
The priority is getting the open permit closed. No other plumber will close out another plumbers work without opening up all the walls and inspecting all the work or re-doing it all again! But the open plumbing permit will stay on the record for ever, effecting future sale, refinance etc.
Your sub plumber cannot file a lien without a signed contract and a license, he probably does not have license, hence the permit being pulled by someone else. Your contractor is not going to file a lien for $1,500, especially when you have the record of outstanding work not finished.
Get someone else to reset your radiators etc; in fact find a good local plumber t o have an ongoing relationship with to do the regular maintenance and be on call going forward. Every home owner should have one, someone that knows their building….

reuventenam | 8 years and 8 months ago

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You can call smb plumbing and heating at 917 292 8448 I can possibly get this resolved for you.