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Home improvement contractor: Unfinished work
Hyattsville, MD
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Posted 9 months ago in Contracts / Agreements
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I hired a home improvement contractor to restore the damage done to my house after a fire, in addition to remodeling parts of the kitchen and bathroom that were not as severely damaged. I was out of town while much of the last part of the work was supposed to be completed. When the contractor was done, we were unable to do a final walk through together but we both agreed that I would leave him the final payment at the house and upon my return I could inspect the "completed" work and let him know of any issues. At the same time, he would retain the key to the front door to access the home to complete any issues I found. There were a few issues including a major problem with an electrical socket close to where the fire initially broke out that had to be fixed, which he originally had an electrician come in and ok. We spoke about it over the phone and he said that he would fix them. It has been several months and the seasons have changed. I have noticed an additional problem with the air conditioning, which he also said was fixed, when the winter months came. I have phoned and emailed. I have yet to hear from him. If I have someone else come in and fix these issues can I sue the contractor to reimburse me for the cost I had to pay to another company to fix the lingering issues from his work?
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Answers (1)
George E Meng
This attorney is licensed in Maryland.
Posted 9 months ago.
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You can sue but you will have to prove that the work you had done was necessitated by bad work on the contractor's part.
It would be a good idea to write a letter to the contractor telling him of the problems and your attempts to get him to do the work. I would give him a deadline. I suggest 30 days. Inform him that if he doesn't do the work by then you will hire someone else and expect him to reimburse you. If you sue, you will have to prove to the judge that his work was defective. Make sure you have plenty of good pictures and thta your replacement contractor is willing to testify in court, if necessary. DISCLAIMER: I am not your lawyer. No attorney - client relationship is formed here. This answer must not and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Further, the Avvo Terms and Conditions of Use provide: 8. No Attorney-Client Relationship Information posted or made available on or through the Site, including without limitation any responses to legal questions posted on Avvo Answers, information provided in Avvo Legal Guides, and any other comments, opinions, recommendations, answers, analysis, references, referrals or legally related content or information (collectively "Legal Information") is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship between you and any attorney. Such Legal Information is intended for general informational purposes only and should be used only as a starting point for addressing your legal issues. It is not a substitute for an in-person or telephone consultation with an attorney licensed to practice in your jurisdiction about your specific legal issue, and you should not rely upon such Legal Information. You understand that questions and answers or other postings to the Site are not confidential and are not subject to attorney-client privilege. |
