Monday, April 27th, 2009 at
6:22 pm
That’s The One asked:
Here is the whole story, You will not believe it………………………….
My others house needed lots of repairs. The home was built 1900, its a two family home. Each floor has two bedrooms with closets and a third room without a closet possibly a sitting room or den, dinning room, T.V. room, and a small pantry and one bath. A attic and of course a cellar. The attic area was semi complete by my father with two additional rooms and a small hallway leading to a full bathroom, whichwas already complete and small kitchen area. There is a landing and a nice stairway leading to the attic from the second floor. It is weird but separate from the second floor apt.
In May of ‘08 a family member cause the police to come to the house in which city inspectors were sent and seen the first floor did not have running water, do to the pipes bursting. The electrical wires were original there for out dated and very old. In short the city basically condemned the house.
Here’s where it gets good. It took 8 30yd dumpsters and 4 weeks to empty the house, one dumpster with nothing but appliances. I found 32 tv sets all different sizes. The rest was all GARBAGE bags and junk in the entire house. I had not lived there in 5 years.
Her neighbor was the son of a contractor, He said he would be willing to do the repairs. I told them to give us a est. and we would consider them after speaking to other contractors. We had no money saved and none available. I informed them I would try to get a loan to fund the prodject. By June, he had talked my mother into cashing in her 401K. My mother also asked me to cash in one of the two 401k’s I had. Sadly she gave them $40,000 est up front before any papers were signed. They proceeded to gut the kitchen and bathrooms to both floors. They were informed we wanted all the plumbing, and electrical wires replaced, “not a problem” they said. In July papers were drawn up and I told my mother not to sign until I read the agreement. While working the night shift the contractor had my trusting mother sign without reading the paperwork. Were screwed you say??? Keep reading.
Around this time my girlfriend at the time was willing to move in to the home on completetion as long as the attic area was combined with the second. I thought it was a great idea, and it was. She’s now gone I have alot to look forward to.
Anyway, the contractor agreeded to do the work and in August rewrote the paperwork and again momma signed at his request without me seeing the agreement. Adding $12,000 to the cost for a total of $122,000. Included was a stipulation to make a $650 monthly payment for the work being done.
Everyday I would go to now my future home before work to see the progress, and almost everyday I would be dissapointed.
Around August the funding was not enough and I was unable to get a loan on my own. My mother was able to get a bank to give her a reversed morgage. The house was appraised in late August for $157,000 est. because some walls were now gutted and no work was done they considered it a high risk. The contractor was given a amount I am not sure of but I would beleive to be between 20-25 K. The bank informed him he would get installments for each floor he completed. He ran out of money again in October, Still on the first floor here people. So my mother asked her brother and he lended her $10,000. They finally finished the FIRST floor apt. in early December. The city Ok’d the work and she and I moved in. The bank released a check to the contractor for $58,000 in early January to continue the second and third floor.
Heres a overview of what they should have done. pipe and wires you know, they were to supplie moms house with everything. What was placed was a fridge, used of course and the first of which was refused cause of a odor. A stove (used), kitchen cabinets (used), two forced hot water heaters for the first and second floors heating (oh yeah, used of course). The first floor was painted all one color, cream with white on the wood working. All the old trim on the doors and windows for the kitchen and bathroom were thrown away. They were told to save and use them. The first floor pantry was removed (one wall knocked down) to expand the kitchen. All the lighting was purchased by my mother including four fans. Two in kitchen, one bedroom and one in the diningroom. Bathroom cabinet still has no doors and the bathroom vent is not vented outside but into the rafters between the first and second floor. So we just wont see the mold and wood rot grow right!!! The plaster that was put on a few walls repairing holes was not sanded and just painted over. The trim around the electrical sockets is the same not smooth but very rough. All good so far right???
Now for my part of the house. I was not being supplied anything, there work only included sheetrock plaster and paint. I had to supplie all appliances, cabinets and lighting and bathroom fixtures. Also I