Friday Dec 3 Mario's attorney pleaded not guilty for him, and a court date has been set for mid-April. In early January there'll be a meeting in the court called a first case review to work out certain details.
This coming Wednesday we'll host several involved people, including two from the state attorney general's office to go over details. I expect to learn all the charges and other interesting details. Stay tuned—The next post should have some real substance.
They will get a tour of our incomplete homestead, and since the meeting starts about lunchtime, I'll serve lunch. Fried egg sandwiches, complements of our hens.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
an upate—late November 2010
I am remiss in not having kept more up to date on this, but here's some good news.
Mario's court date is Dec 3, at which he will be informed of the charges against him, of which there are twelve. Six relate directly to our addition. the Attorney General's office said to expect a spring trial.
I had kept in touch with the AG's office every couple weeks, but they were pretty taciturn. I found out when the grand jury was over that they had said to indict him.
I have now copied all my emails so the lawyers can access them, and made a folder on Picasa containing some photos suggesting problems during the project, and its current appearance.
Mario's court date is Dec 3, at which he will be informed of the charges against him, of which there are twelve. Six relate directly to our addition. the Attorney General's office said to expect a spring trial.
I had kept in touch with the AG's office every couple weeks, but they were pretty taciturn. I found out when the grand jury was over that they had said to indict him.
I have now copied all my emails so the lawyers can access them, and made a folder on Picasa containing some photos suggesting problems during the project, and its current appearance.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Late Update
I thought I had updated this blog, but I haven't. Please accept my apologies--I know that thousands of people have been waiting with baited breath for news on this fiasco.
I finally carried out my threat to contact the Attorney General's office. —wait! I just noticed that it's been more than a year since I've posted here. I better do some other catching up, first.
We eventually got the correct windows for the remodeled garage. The floor was finished--I laid out the pex tubing, the guys came and fastened it in place, and the cement contractor poured the floor. We got the insulators to come—I tracked them down myself, and Mario eventually paid them in 2009, after several repeat invoices. Some nice guys did the sheet rock. Val and I laid the entire floor with porcelain tiles, including fixing up the walk-in handicapped-accessible shower and bathroom, and did the painting. The room is finished, and the grandparents have moved in.
After the garage, Superior Building Service or Services (the latter is on Mario's business card) he has done nothing. The tar paper on the exposed walls is falling off, and the place is looking even more run down. Go to http://mushroomstomotorcycles.com, my personal blog, and scroll down a ways to read about an adventure with hornets.
I finally called the Attorney General's office. It took several calls to get any response. At that time I was still corresponding with Mario (I think he had stopped replying; I forget, but I have all his correspondence) and kidded saying that the AG was a slow as he was. Anyway, an investigator eventually came out, having read all my correspondence (annotated) that I had mailed to them, and looked at the photos I had on Picasa, and he interviewed us and looked around carefully.
I called again a couple weeks later (I guess you have to be a squeaky wheel) and learned that there were three complaints against him, one involving a fire, apparently, and one a complaint to the police, so the AG office has decided to file a criminal indictment the first or second week in April. He said they would prevent him filing for bankruptcy to protect his assets. Construction fraud. Aggravated, apparently, by elder abuse because I'm older than 62.
I'll try to remember to post an update the first or second week of April. Feel free to send questions and comments to the comment link. I'll read everything, and reply.
I finally carried out my threat to contact the Attorney General's office. —wait! I just noticed that it's been more than a year since I've posted here. I better do some other catching up, first.
We eventually got the correct windows for the remodeled garage. The floor was finished--I laid out the pex tubing, the guys came and fastened it in place, and the cement contractor poured the floor. We got the insulators to come—I tracked them down myself, and Mario eventually paid them in 2009, after several repeat invoices. Some nice guys did the sheet rock. Val and I laid the entire floor with porcelain tiles, including fixing up the walk-in handicapped-accessible shower and bathroom, and did the painting. The room is finished, and the grandparents have moved in.
After the garage, Superior Building Service or Services (the latter is on Mario's business card) he has done nothing. The tar paper on the exposed walls is falling off, and the place is looking even more run down. Go to http://mushroomstomotorcycles.com, my personal blog, and scroll down a ways to read about an adventure with hornets.
I finally called the Attorney General's office. It took several calls to get any response. At that time I was still corresponding with Mario (I think he had stopped replying; I forget, but I have all his correspondence) and kidded saying that the AG was a slow as he was. Anyway, an investigator eventually came out, having read all my correspondence (annotated) that I had mailed to them, and looked at the photos I had on Picasa, and he interviewed us and looked around carefully.
I called again a couple weeks later (I guess you have to be a squeaky wheel) and learned that there were three complaints against him, one involving a fire, apparently, and one a complaint to the police, so the AG office has decided to file a criminal indictment the first or second week in April. He said they would prevent him filing for bankruptcy to protect his assets. Construction fraud. Aggravated, apparently, by elder abuse because I'm older than 62.
I'll try to remember to post an update the first or second week of April. Feel free to send questions and comments to the comment link. I'll read everything, and reply.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
I finally heard from the GC's assistant Friday evening. I left three messages asking him to call me after I talked with the lumber yard. He said the tubing for the radiant floor wouldn't be delivered Friday (as promised) and that he had just given the information to the people who would be doing the work, and they were deciding the approach to take--there are three sizes of tubing to chose from. They would be here "sometime next week" do do the work. When I pressed him about the schedule, he said he was going as fast as he could with the resources he had. He also insisted that he had placed the order for the windows himself, would contact the lumber yard about it, and promised to get back with me about it. He has not called. Today is Sunday.
I told my wife about the window order, and she decided it is time to contact the attorney general and the better business bureau.
I told my wife about the window order, and she decided it is time to contact the attorney general and the better business bureau.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
windows
Been a while since I've added anything—the contractor's assistant has been handling things and I've started to see some action. We got a nice letter of apology from the GC, too, which I might link to later. It contains an explanation for the financial problem, and has some promises.
Today the assistant told me the windows we had ordered hadn't come in yet. I contacted the lumber yard and discovered that we have a problem. The guy at the lumber yard was evasive when I called (I called back, actually—they didn't call me back as promised), telling me I would be getting a call from the GC or his assistant, and that the issue was between them and me. When I pressed him, asking for the brand name of the windows, he said "there is no order." I left a message with the GC's assistant and now I'm waiting for a response. Anybody want to place bets on that happening?
Today the assistant told me the windows we had ordered hadn't come in yet. I contacted the lumber yard and discovered that we have a problem. The guy at the lumber yard was evasive when I called (I called back, actually—they didn't call me back as promised), telling me I would be getting a call from the GC or his assistant, and that the issue was between them and me. When I pressed him, asking for the brand name of the windows, he said "there is no order." I left a message with the GC's assistant and now I'm waiting for a response. Anybody want to place bets on that happening?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Time for a little background
I started this blog in the middle of things, as it were. Here's how it all started.
Back in February I hired a too-expensive architect from PA, whose philosophy of energy conservation we liked. They recommended a couple PA contractors, but we chose a local one, figuring that proximity would improve efficiency and reduce some cost. Besides, my wife knew the contractor's wife. And the guy talked a good line, promising, among other things, to have people on site every day once the project started. The project got underway in late June.
The plan is to put a 27' square, two-storey addition in the crook of the L-shaped original house, and remodel the garage into living space. We figured on a budget of about $200,000. The addition is to have more living space and an art studio downstairs, and a couple extra rooms upstairs--a bedroom for each girl, a library, a laundry room, and some storage.
When we finally got the final drawings, he told me that the permitting process was finished, then I worked out of him that it had been submitted and he would pick it up the next day. It turned out that the permit people wanted the drawings to be sealed, which he claimed was highly unusual, and due to the county's unfamiliarity with timber framing. The timber framing people had to significantly alter the drawings because they were incomplete, or something like that. He reported to me that the county had said the drawings were among the worst they had seen, and were willing to write me a letter to that effect, and he said he'd deliver me a copy of this letter. I reminded him several times but I've seen no letter.
To date, late November, we have given him $152,000 dollars not counting $800 to the surveyor. As of right now, we have a poured foundation for the addition (see the photo at the top of this blog) and some stud walls in the garage. There's drain, gas line, footings, and water and electric to the sheds under the concrete. I ran the water and electric myself. They forgot to build one of the footings, and two other footings were out of place and had to be enlarged before the cement could be poured. His crew removed the siding and front entrance. The only written document I have states, among other things, that removing the siding was to be my responsibility. It also says I do the demolition of the walls to be removed when the addition is attached. (For the record. We aren't anywhere near that stage yet)
Another part of his line at the beginning was that he would provide me with a signed A105 document, a standard contractor-homeowner contract developed by the AIA. He was not going to charge for this, whereas the architect would, so we went with him providing a copy, which he never has. Everything has been verbal. I finally created a substitute document (I hope it isn't too plagairized) that I'll ask him to sign next time I see him.
Back in February I hired a too-expensive architect from PA, whose philosophy of energy conservation we liked. They recommended a couple PA contractors, but we chose a local one, figuring that proximity would improve efficiency and reduce some cost. Besides, my wife knew the contractor's wife. And the guy talked a good line, promising, among other things, to have people on site every day once the project started. The project got underway in late June.
The plan is to put a 27' square, two-storey addition in the crook of the L-shaped original house, and remodel the garage into living space. We figured on a budget of about $200,000. The addition is to have more living space and an art studio downstairs, and a couple extra rooms upstairs--a bedroom for each girl, a library, a laundry room, and some storage.
When we finally got the final drawings, he told me that the permitting process was finished, then I worked out of him that it had been submitted and he would pick it up the next day. It turned out that the permit people wanted the drawings to be sealed, which he claimed was highly unusual, and due to the county's unfamiliarity with timber framing. The timber framing people had to significantly alter the drawings because they were incomplete, or something like that. He reported to me that the county had said the drawings were among the worst they had seen, and were willing to write me a letter to that effect, and he said he'd deliver me a copy of this letter. I reminded him several times but I've seen no letter.
To date, late November, we have given him $152,000 dollars not counting $800 to the surveyor. As of right now, we have a poured foundation for the addition (see the photo at the top of this blog) and some stud walls in the garage. There's drain, gas line, footings, and water and electric to the sheds under the concrete. I ran the water and electric myself. They forgot to build one of the footings, and two other footings were out of place and had to be enlarged before the cement could be poured. His crew removed the siding and front entrance. The only written document I have states, among other things, that removing the siding was to be my responsibility. It also says I do the demolition of the walls to be removed when the addition is attached. (For the record. We aren't anywhere near that stage yet)
Another part of his line at the beginning was that he would provide me with a signed A105 document, a standard contractor-homeowner contract developed by the AIA. He was not going to charge for this, whereas the architect would, so we went with him providing a copy, which he never has. Everything has been verbal. I finally created a substitute document (I hope it isn't too plagairized) that I'll ask him to sign next time I see him.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Permits
He promised to split the permit so we could finish the garage before we finished the timberframing section. He said he'd change the drawings on a Thursday evening and do the permit the next day. He didn't get the drawings changed until several days later, and was still in process of changing the permits the next Tuesday. He has since told me that the permits have been split.
The first time he submitted the drawings for the permit he said they were done, and I worked out of him that he had submitted them, and they were being examined, and it would be a rubber stamp thing. It turned out they wanted improved and sealed drawings, and it was 6 weeks before the project could continue.
He always insists that nothing is his fault.
The first time he submitted the drawings for the permit he said they were done, and I worked out of him that he had submitted them, and they were being examined, and it would be a rubber stamp thing. It turned out they wanted improved and sealed drawings, and it was 6 weeks before the project could continue.
He always insists that nothing is his fault.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)