This situation has come up multiple times. We’ve received several emails from customer who hire a demolition contractor for a job, like a swimming pool demolition, and they do maybe half the job. They tell the customer that they’ll be back tomorrow, or next weekend to finish the compaction and grading. Except they never show up to finish the job.
What do you do when a demolition contractor flake on you?
1. Call Your Demolition Contractor
Before escalating your complaint call your demolition contractor. Accidents do happen and life can interrupt at the worst possible time. It is entirely possible that a demolition contractor had problems with a piece of equipment, an injured worker, or even a personal emergency.
Give your demolition contractor an opportunity to fulfill his end of the contract. How long should you give a demolition contractor? If he or she seems responsive to your calls and has a legitimate excuse, a week or two. If a demolition contractor simply refuses to return your calls then you will want to escalate quickly.
2. Call the Better Business Bureau
Getting the Better Business Bureau involved in your situation is critical. Firstly, Better Business Bureau intervention often works to resolve a situation. Secondly, your laying a foundation for a possible court case.
By attempting to resolve your dispute through the Better Business Bureau and attempting to get your demolition contractor to finish the work he started.
3. Withhold Payment
Hopefully you have a fairly specific contract with your demolition contractor that includes a payment schedule. If you owe the demolition contractor anything, don’t pay it until he is willing and able to complete the work he finished.
4. File a Complaint with Your State’s Contractor Licensing Board
Every state has a licensing board or organization that licenses contractors, including demolition contractors. Find the proper licensing board that covers your state and file a complaint against your demolition contractor for failure to finish a job.
5. Court
If nothing else works your only other option is to sue your demolition contractor and bring them into court. You can either sue your demolition contractor in small claims court, or sue him in civil court. Which should you use? That largely depends upon how much money you are trying to get in damages. You should consult with the legal aid department at your courthouse to determine which type of legal action is correct for you.
Hopefully none of this will be necessary. If you’ve done your homework and picked a experienced, professional, and licensed demolition contractor you can avoid this particular pratfall. If you want to know more about demolition contractors go here.
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