WORST. CONTRACTOR. EVER.
We have all heard horror stories about contractors and I've been a property owner long enough to know there's always going to be more take and less give when hiring a contractor. I've been renting a single-family home for nearly 10 years and my usual contractor moved out of the area so I went to the likes of Craigslist to find someone new to take care of improvements that needed to be done prior to some new tenants moving in. So the tale begins...
I hired Mark (Massoud, whatever his name is...I kept getting emails from different names) to install some laminate flooring in a 400 sf bedroom and for some minor bathroom repairs to fill gaps in between cabinet drawers, frame the mirror, install new drain plug, and paint. 'Mark' came to house on a Saturday (Day 1) and said he could have it done in a few days, '5 days at the most.' I had two weeks until the tenant moved in so it worked for me considering I still had to have the place fully cleaned. Well, the first week passes (Day 7) and the floor gets to about 80% done, but the bathroom hasn't been touched yet. I kept reminding him of the looming date that my tenants needed to move in and he always replied with the typical contractor, 'Oh don't worry, it'll be done by then.'
On Day 13 (a Friday) I show up in the late morning and see the workers moving right along with the floor, bathroom cabinet drawers are in the shower drying, and I ask them when they'll be done. They tell me that 'today is the last day.' The move-in date for the tenants has now passed and we try for the next weekend. I figure that I can get the cleaning crew in early next week and the tenants can move in on Thursday or Friday (Days 19 & 20). Low and behold, I show up on Sunday and the place looks pretty much EXACTLY as it did when I was there on Friday! I text 'Mark' on Monday and he blows it off with some typical contractor excuse. I start to stress about the move-in date so I send an email saying that he is WELL beyond his estimated 5 days of work, nothing had been done in the house in previous 5 days and if not done by Tuesday then I would start deducting $75 a day (cost of rent) from the balance . I get a FRANTIC email reply asking me please not deduct anything and usual contractor, 'I'm doing this at nearly cost for you. I'm not making any money on this job.' He claims he was waiting for 'reducer' from the warehouse. It's the piece where the flooring ends at the doorway entries...FIVE DAYS! He assures me it will be done by Tuesday. I agree to not deduct and wait. My cleaning crew shows up but they can't touch the master bedroom and bathroom because that's where the crew is working.
He tells me on Wednesday that it's done. I don't live nearby and I work during the week so I assumed the best. I withheld paying the balance just in case. My tenants show up on Friday and tell me that 1) underneath the sink is leaking, 2) the gaps in between the drawers were not filled, and 3) the paint looks like it was just primered. I text 'Mark,' and his response to me?...'We didn't touch the sink.' ZERO responsibility or acceptance of the other items. When I was there the previous weekend I personally witnessed the pipes removed under the sink to replace the drain plug. He showed up the following day to handle the remaining items and I received reassurance from my tenants. Now the comedy begins.
White Oak Remodeling had a Yelp voucher ($150 for $200) so I used it as part of my payment. I also deducted 2 days of work ($150) for the nearly $600 he cost me in lost rent and I explained it all very clearly. Again, I get a FRANTIC response back that the Yelp voucher couldn't be used for this job, that it was for 'new' jobs only (what does that mean?), and that I was in the wrong for not paying the $150. I stood my ground and didn't pay the $150 and then a slew of text messages and emails ensued that bordered on harassment. It was every 20 or 30 minutes for nearly a week. I finally get an email from him saying that if I pay the $150 then he would do a free job for me afterwards to 'make-up' for all of the problems. Honestly, I just wanted him off my back so I paid the $150 never planning on using him again.
Well, my tenants recently asked to have the runners on the same cabinet drawers fixed. This seemed like a simple enough job and I didn't want it to seem like I was taking advantage of 'Mark' so I contacted him to see if he wanted to honor his deal. His initial response was, 'We didn't touch the cabinet runners.' Always on the defense. He agreed to do the work and I gave him the contact info for my tenant so it could be arranged. A week later my tenant contacts me again to let me know she hasn't heard from him. I text him and he tells me that they have been in Irvine and could finish next week. A week later...still hadn't contacted my tenant. I hire a handyman and done in one day. I haven't heard from 'Mark' since.
WORST. CONTRACTOR. EVER! read more