Builder-Remodelor Fraud in Remodeling San Antonio
Expert Witness Offers Advice on NOT Getting Ripped Off!
San Antonio, TX March 2010. Ever hear stories, horror stories from friends, family or maybe see a new story about some poor sucker, maybe a senior citizen that got ripped off by a slimy contractor? How could they be so stupid! Why weren?t their kids looking out for them? How could this happen? Why can?t the police, a judge, someone do something to help these poor people.
Jeff Stief, an expert witness in over a hundred legal cases, offers some advice to homeowners, new and seasoned, about how to avoid many of the pitfalls that haunt even the wealthiest, most educated people because they just didn?t know better.
As owner and founder of Dunn-Wright Remodeling and as an expert witness usually for homeowners, Stief has served witness for many a client that had difficulties with remodeling jobs gone bad, buyers with builders that either neglected their warranty work or ignored their financial duties, causing liens from sub-contractors? they may have never even known of.
?In the remodeling San Antonio field, some of the biggest mistakes I?ve seen are people getting a deal so good it was too hard to believe. And unbelievable is usually what they get?, Stief said.
?I have met people, intelligent people in large homes in gated communities that belong to county clubs and obviously have something good going in their lives lay out $30,000, $50,ooo up front to a contractor they barely even know before he has swung a hammer. Would you do that to a car salesman or doctor requesting that kind of money up front?? Stief asked. ?Of course not. So if you end up with a concrete slab where a room addition is supposed to be and a pile of trash in your yard but your contractor won?t return your call after you gave him $10,000 up front, what do you think you?re going to get? Who are you going to blame??
Stief says most homeowners in this situation will blame themselves. They got three (3) bids for $50,000 to $60,000 and one guy said he could do it for $25,000. ?I thought I was going to get a dollar for a dime? one owner explained. ?It was my own greed?.
With new homes, Stief explains, some owners are in such a hurry to get in their new home, they agree to change orders they don?t understand, settle for less than adequate work because the builder swore he would come back and finish, after closing, and never did. ?Lot?s of times they feel sorry for the builder,? Stief said. ?The builder will convince them that if they pay most of the final bill, not all of it, they can complete the home and everyone will be happy. They ?need the money to finish? and you try to trust them. Would you do that with say, your auto mechanic if he told you the engine was almost put back together, he just needed payment up front to buy parts? I would hope not? Stief said.
The laws in Texas are easy to understand and, frankly make sense. On a mortgage loan for new construction or a ?construction loan?, the law allows the owner/ lender to hold 10% of the total loan for 30 days. That is partially because a sub-contractor or vendor has approx. 30 days from date of invoice to file a lien if not paid by the general contractor. ?Too many times I?ve seen the owner give the builder/remodelor that final draw, which he shouldn?t have, and then weeks later get a legal notice if intent from Joe the Plumber, the landscaper or the appliance store filing a lien because they didn?t get paid. Ouch!
Stief says too many times he has seen owners who thought they had done enough to check out the builder/remodelor, only to get ?shoddy? workmanship. ?One lady told me she hired the contractor to build an addition on her home from a referral from someone at church. So what kind of work did he do for the friend at church? Stief asked. ?He did a great job of painting her home? she said. Ah, and a great painter doesn?t necessarily know codes/compliances for pouring slabs, framing walls and roofs, etc. and shouldn?t be electrically wiring your home. remodeling San Antonio website: http://www.Dunn-wright.net
?I?ve seen people who, after a year of torment and misery pay off the contractor to ?finish the house and get out!?. Then, after they close (bad idea) they have no recourse except an expensive lawsuit, which they may spend thousands of dollars to an attorney, up front, only to learn lessen number two: You can?t get blood from a turnip.
?If you have any money left to hire another contractor to finish the miserable work and still have enough money to hire an attorney, someone will take your case. Not on contingency, but with the money UP FRONT. And if you have a good attorney and a bad builder, you will win in court. Eventually. Now, lesson #2 is: How do you get your money back from a person who has a rental car, lives in a rental house and has no credit?
To learn more about ways to avoid the scam, Stief is offering a free pamphlet and soon will offer seminars on ?If it sounds too good to be true? it probably is.?
To contact Mr. Stief, write to him at Dunn-Wright Remodeling, 1315 Basse RD, and SATX, 78209 or e-mail at: dunn-wright.net for a free brochure. Remodeling San Antonio website: http://www.Dunn-wright.net
