Topic: We're having our stairs redone

[bestofour]

So Monday when I got home the stair man was already gone.  We can't tell that he did anything except maybe patch a little spot on the wall.  Yesterday Johnny was home until almost 10 and he hadn't shown up and when I got home around 3:30 he was packing up to leave.  I couldn't tell he had done anything and when I asked he said he had been picking up supplies and had patched a few spots.  I told him that he had told me less than a week for completion and into the middle of the 2nd week and no where near completion.  I reminded him that he told me last Friday that he'd be finished by Monday or Tuesday for sure.  He told me he'd be through by Friday for sure.  I just talked to Johnny, it's 8:45 and he's not there.  We should have signed a contract.  I'm not giving this guy another cent.

[bestofour]

Johnny and I got home close to the same time today and the stairman and his helper were here.  They got a little work done today and then asked Johnny for money.  We've given him 3/4 of it already and Johnny told him no.  He told him straight up that he'd get the rest when he's finished.  He started making a list for Johnny about what he's done and what he still needs to buy and Johnny  nicely told him he didn't care, that the job should have been at least close to complete by now and he's proven that if he gets money he doesn't come back for a few days.  He didn't seem mad and said he'd be back tomorrow so we'll see.

[Dianna]

Johnny  nicely told him he didn't care, that the job should have been at least close to complete by now and he's proven that if he gets money he doesn't come back for a few days. 

Good for Johnny!

[bayou girl]

way to go johnny!

[sunsoaker]

He will either be back and finish up promptly to get the rest of his money, or he would never have finished to start with. Good for Johnny.

[bestofour]

He was here when I got home and had done a tiny bit of work.  He called Johnny today and told him he'd been to 6 different stores looking for material - started at 6:30 and didn't get to to our house until 1:30.  He left at 3:30.  He's either stupid as he** or a big fat liar.  He told Johnny yesterday what he needed and Johnny called Lowe's on Albemarle Road and it's all there.  We told him where to get it during the discussion last night.  Guess he forgot that.

[bestofour]

Bill, the stairman came around 11:30 yesterday and left at 3.  He didn't show up today.  I am so sick of him.  I'm thinking he thinks he has a bunch of work to do here because we discussed a bunch of stuff but if I can get these stairs completed I never want to see him again.

[Tina]

What needs to be done to complete the job. Sheri?

[Dianna]

I bet you are ready to pull his hair out, aren't you, Sheri? I am so sorry you are having to deal with his poor work ethics...

[bestofour]

A lot needs to be done.  Tomorrow is week 3.  I've learned a lesson.  I'll never give anybody money upfront.  I'll sign a contract so they can take me to court if I don't pay but if they want money upfront they're not working here.  Word of mouth goes a long way for a working reputation and Johnny works with a lot of people.  This guy will never get a recommendation from either of us and we'll tell everyone whether they ask or not what a horrible worker he is.

[bestofour]

So, this morning I called  Lenny the man that stairman works for sometimes and asked him to come give us an estimate on finishing and repairing the work stairman didn't complete or did wrong.  He said he would do it and HE suggested to me that we take stairman to court.  I didn't bring it up, he did.  So, I'm going to take pictures and I suppose we'll take him to court.  I'm sure he doesn't have money to pay us back if that's what a judge decides but maybe it will make Johnny feel better.

[barleychown]

I'm so sorry it's turned out this way.  This should have been a relatively simple project for him.

[bestofour]

Right.   It should have taken 7 days maybe 10.  I can't understand why he just didn't do it and get it over with.  I keep saying he's either a drug addict, alcoholic or is having an affair.  I can't figure out why a person would come and work an hour and leave.  It doesn't make sense unless he had something else to do.

[landofoz]

I can't figure out why a person would come and work an hour and leave.

Ummmm, that is exactly what I do all the time.  See, there is this website that I'm always checking in on...  

[bayou girl]

I can't figure out why a person would come and work an hour and leave.

Ummmm, that is exactly what I do all the time.  See, there is this website that I'm always checking in on...   

and that darn work gets in the way too...

[Penny]

I cant wait to see what the railing will look like Sheri, Brad has made a few sets of iron railings for people up here and they look incredible.

[bestofour]

I can't figure out why a person would come and work an hour and leave.

Ummmm, that is exactly what I do all the time.  See, there is this website that I'm always checking in on...   

and that darn work gets in the way too...

work gets in the way of a lot of stuff.

I went to the movie today with the grans so I'm getting an estimate tomorrow.

[Jessica]

How are your stairs coming along?

[bestofour]

I've had 2 capenters come and give me estimates and I'm getting ready to call another one right now.

[bestofour]

We've got a lawyer and we're taking him to court.

[Triss]

Good for you!  How are the estimates, reasonable?

[bayou girl]

good on all counts sheri.  can't wait to see them when you get them finished right.

[bestofour]

it costs more to start in the middle of someone elses mess so there's going to be back tracking so we'll end up paying to the have the same thing done twice on some parts.   I know we won't get anything from this guy but I want to cause him a little trouble.

[bestofour]

Well, I haven't posted because this situation is unbelievable.  I've called 5 carpenters and had 4 carpenters come and gives us estimates.  The first one, Chris, wants $5,000.00 to finish it.  We think this is a litte nuts.  The 2nd one, also named Chris, was half drunk when he came, stayed about 5 hours, kept telling me he couldn't give me a price that he worked by the hour and when I said will it take 3 hours or 30 hours he couldn't say.  That was a Thursday and he was supposed to come back the next Monday and put together a shelf for me to show me just how good he is.  He didn't show up and a few days later he called my husband and said he was going to have surgery on his hand and couldn't come back.  I'm glad.  I don't want to work with an alcoholic.  The 3rd man, Mr. Helms, is an older, very country, gentlemen who came right at the time he said he would, had examples of things in his truck to show me but during our conversation kept telling me "I'm a finish carpenter.  I don't do things like that."  He was very nice and I told him to just give me a price on what he does do.  This was last Thursday and he wanted to do it Friday which was fine with me.  So when he left he was going to call back that night with a quote.  By 9:30 he hadn't called so Johnny called him, he was in the bed, said he forgot to call and that he'd had a bigger job come in and didn't want to do ours.  So Tuesday a friend gave me the name of a carpenter who had built her a porch and I called him only to be told that he's covered up with work and can't take on anything else right now.  So, I called the man who built a kitchen cabinet for us.  He does only cabinet work but I asked if  he knew a carpenter and he did.  So last night Mr. Rape came out, an older man again, and he's supposed to call us back with a quote.  I thought work was slow and money was tight.  Evidentially not for the carpenters in our area.

[Dianna]

My goodness, Sheri. Looks like you will never get those stairs done...

Are you able to use them in their present condition? Please tell me that you aren't using a ladder to crawl in a window every time you need to go up or down stairs...