| 15. |
Do not help
contractors. If you help a
contractor and the contractor gets injured, the contractor may be
able to make a tort claim against you. Click here for more information on liability
issues. |
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| 16. |
Keep valuables out of
sight and locked up when you have workers at your home. Multiple homeowners reported thefts when
unknown contractors, employees, or technicians were working in their
homes. Unfortunately, none of the homeowners reported successful
prosecution of the suspected culprits or recovery of the stolen
items. You can minimize your risks by securing your valuables. |
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| 17. |
Monitor workers in
your home. Never leave unknown
workers alone in your home, and never hide a key for an unknown
worker. Although most homeowners are very careful early in a
project, many let down their guard as the project progresses.
Protect your home and your valuables. |
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| 18. |
Avoid cash payments.
A few contractors and service
providers demand cash payments or offer substantial discounts for
cash payments to avoid bounced checks, garnished wages, and Uncle
Sam (although we have no direct proof of any company engaged in tax
avoidance). Additionally, some companies may in turn pay their
employees in cash, allowing employees to escape taxes and
government regulations, such as green card requirements.
Additionally, checks and other non-cash payment forms leave a paper
trail, while hard cash has a way of disappearing. If you ever
need to prove you actually paid a bill, a cancelled check is very
useful. |
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| 19. |
Write the check to
the company you hired, not directly to an employee. Unfortunately, some unethical employees and/or unethical
subcontractors steal from homeowners by convincing them to write
checks directly to them or to a different company from the one the
homeowner hired. After the money is stolen, the company that
performed the work is still owed its fees and can rightfully put a
lien against the homeowner’s house. |
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| 20. |
Request lien releases
on major projects. A lien is a
claim made against a homeowner’s property by an individual or
company that has supplied labor or materials and has not been paid.
If the general contractor fails to pay a subcontractor, the
subcontractor can legally place a lien against the homeowner’s
property. On major projects, or on any project where you fear
a contractor might not pay the subcontractors, make the receipt of
lien releases from the contractor and all subcontractors a condition
of payment. |
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21. |
Never make the final payment before you are completely happy with the work and cleanup. Money is power. Contractors are much less interested in making you happy after they have been paid in full. Some less reputable individuals will present many seemingly plausible reasons why you should pay them now instead of waiting until the end of the project. Do not be pressured into paying early.
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