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amwellein
3 years ago
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amwellein
3 years agochiflipper
3 years agoRelated Discussions
nightmare kitchen reno - please advise your opinions on fairness
Comments (18)Dandylandy, I'm so sorry to hear about this mess. You unfortunately do need to talk to a lawyer now. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to file a lawsuit--sometimes a stern letter or three from a lawyer is all it takes. Also, depending on the value of this (what's the total cost of the cabinets?) you might find yourself in small claims court or in mandatory arbitration, which is a lot easier and cheaper than a full-on lawsuit. Where I live any dispute worth $25,000 or less goes into arbitration, which just means you and the contractor show up (with or without your lawyers, but obviously I'm going to recommend WITH, absolutely) and say your piece to a group of three local lawyers who volunteer as mediators, and that group of three lawyers decides how to resolve it. It's much cheaper and easier than an actual lawsuit. If you're in NY, perhaps the cap is higher than $25k. Anyway, what I'm saying is that you may not be looking at a lawsuit at all; that's not the only way the legal system has for resolving disputes like this. So, put plywood on your counters or some other temporary fix, DO NOT pay the guy another dime, talk to a few local lawyers who specialize in real estate or construction law (ask friends and your architect for recommendations) and pick the lawyer who seems best to you. The first step will probably be for him or her to write a mean letter to the contractor, and then you go from there. Oh, about this: **"Some of the things that really bother me could have been avoided with better communication - e.g. if they couldn't go to the ceiling with the cabinets b/c my ceiling isn't totally level (or something, I am just speculating), and they warned me about it, that would have been a lot better than telling me "Yes" and then not delivering."** I don't even see how that would be possible; if your ceiling's not totally level, then the cabinets would stop somewhere below the ceiling and it would be up to you to decide whether to build up the ceiling a little bit or put some moulding on to hide the gap. In other words I can't think of a legitimate reason that your ceiling would prevent you from having ceiling-height cabinets. I just mention this to cut through any BS you may have heard from the cabinet guy. Anyway, gather together everything you have in writing (including any drawings or mock-ups) and write down everything you remember saying to or hearing from the contractor. Have your architect forward you any emails she sent to or received from the contractor. Also go through your voicemail and see if he left you any voicemails that could be relevant. Then try and write up in one or two pages exactly what you understood he was supposed to build for you, in every detail (dimensions, materials, etc.), and then what he actually did build, and what problems that caused or will cause (e.g. plumbing messed up, plates won't fit, layout changed so cost increased). Also note any scheduling screwups that occurred. Go over it with your architect and your hubby (if any) in case they remember things you don't. Then send this write-up to the lawyer, along with a copy of your contract with the cabinet guy and any other really critical documents like emails where the contractor committed to something that wasn't clear in the original contract or where he said X but it later turned out he did Y. It will take less time (and thus cost you less money) for the lawyer to read this than for the lawyer to "interview" you to figure out what happened. Best of luck....See MoreNightmare remodel turned into a blessing?
Comments (24)I was surprised to discover these weren't Norcroft cabinets. Not that the pretty style would be, but in the mistakes and giving you the bad cabinets. I ordered 11 cabinets and ended up with 32. Heights, widths, materials, depths, you name it, they came in wrong in several different "replacements." I was ordering through DirectBuy, and the wonderful cabinet guy said, "Want 'em? We can't do anything with 'em." Hoarder (and rebuilding DIYer) that I am, I said, "Oh, well. I suppose I could find something to do with them." All the while hearing the marching band cheering and blaring horns in my imagination! Drowning out the game show "you're a winner" bells. Kitchen, MBR, MB, and ultimately, my LR got all their cabinetry. I wasn't even shy about retrofitting and rebuilding some of it, since it was free. Much of the deeper cabs I made into inset cabinets. LOVE THEm -- but hate Norcorft's 2.5" deep base cabinet upper drawers. DUuuuuuumB. Anyway. Since I bought these way before I had any DIY skills, nor knew of TheCabinetJoint.com, H4H, Goodwill, tools, and innovation on my part, I figured these were a great deal in the long run. Sure, they were, but what I know now? I still wouldn't have bought them. So this has nothing to do with your post. Just got me thinking! Great job....See MoreCurb appeal nightmare. How to hide wonky asymmetry?
Comments (27)I really like Dig Doug’s design but would eliminate the chimney. It’s a great feature but too much to try to work out right away. In the from-the-street photo I noticed the two garbage cans. We have the same system, one for garbage, the other for recycling. How about hiding the cans behind an extended narrow wall, maybe 5-6 feet, that runs from roofline to the ground on the front door side of the house (on left in the photo). Paint it white like your trim and put large house numbers on it or use it as a backdrop for a hanging plant or some kind of art piece....See Moreevestroughing nightmare
Comments (28)"As the rain comes off your roof, Rainhandler’s seven angled louvers break up the heavy sheet of water into small drops. These drops are deflected away from your home where they fall harmlessly to the ground in a 2 to 3 foot band. To understand the benefit, picture the solid sheet of water that would pour down around your home from a clogged gutter. Its force would dig a trench at best and destroy gardens and back water up against your home’s foundation at worst. Even unclogged gutters funnel water into a downspout that dumps the water into a small area that quickly becomes saturated. Compare this picture to the scientific dispersal of water in small, harmless drops evenly around your home and you’ll understand the advantage of Rainhandler. Rainhandler is nearly invisible when it’s installed, so the natural lines of your home aren’t broken up by pipes and downspouts. Rainhandler comes in white or brown baked on enamel, and natural aluminum. Because they are so invisible few people paint them to exactly match their fascia, but they are easily spray painted."...See MoreGN Builders L.L.C
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amwelleinOriginal Author