Home Improvement Dispute Lawyer for Manhattan NYC
Three Situations to Avoid When Renovating Your Home
Do you have a home improvement project that you are eager to complete? Are you looking to renovate your kitchen or living room? Does the plumbing in your bathroom need to be replaced? Before you spend any of your hard-earned money on costly home improvements, the law offices of The Dressler Law recommend you read this article. This article will educate homeowners on avoiding costly mistakes that others have made while renovating their homes. If you need additional help avoiding these costly mistakes after reading this article, please contact the law offices of Dressler Law at (212) 239-1061 for further assistance.
Finding the best contractor for the job isn’t always as easy as it appears. The industry is filled with unqualified, and sometimes fraudulent, contractors. These contractors often claim they have the necessary credentials to complete the work requested by a homeowner, but often, are not licensed, bonded, or insured. Make no mistake, a licensed contractor is different from a contractor who is licensed, bonded, and insured and vice versa. Using a contractor that does not have the proper credentials or experience can cost you. A homeowner can potentially find themselves in several difficult and legal situations if they do not hire a contractor with the proper credentials or experience.
The first situation a homeowner could find themselves in is hiring a disappearing contractor. In this situation, a “false contractor” promises to deliver the work requested by the homeowner, who pays for the contractor’s services. Halfway through the project, the homeowner is upset that the contractor hasn’t shown up for weeks. The homeowner keeps calling the contractor only to be sent directly to voicemail. The homeowner does not have the resources to find the contractor or finish the project. When we are speaking about a person’s home, oftentimes the work needs to be completed for the house to be habitable. If a homeowner can afford it, they would then be forced to find and hire another contractor to finish the work. Meanwhile, the original contractor keeps the money the homeowner has already paid for the project.
The second difficult situation a homeowner may find themselves in is hiring an unqualified contractor, who claims to have the proper experience. In this situation, a contractor appears to perform the work the homeowner has hired him or her to complete. However, the homeowner notices something odd one week as they come home from work. The homeowner notices the contractor spackles, sands, and paints, the same spot every time the contractor works on the project for an entire week. The project continues with the contractor lingering on one task at a time. The homeowner begins to wonder what is taking the contractor so long. The contractor stated the project should only take several weeks but is now taking several months. The homeowner is uncomfortable in his or her own home due to the construction. The contractor finally finishes the project and presents the homeowner with a bill that is thousands of dollars over the initial estimate. The homeowner looks at the bill and realizes the contractor charged the homeowner for fixing his or her own mistakes.
The third difficult situation a homeowner may find themselves in is hiring a contractor, who does not have the proper permits or knowledge of the proper codes for home renovations in the homeowner’s area. If work is performed without the contractor obtaining approval for a work permit or does not perform work that is up-to-code, the Environmental Control Board can charge the homeowner with a violation. If this happens, the homeowner will have to pay to correct the violation and to possibly appear in court. Furthermore, the homeowner may face fines for the faulty work performed by the contractor. If the violations are left outstanding, the homeowner can have their Certificate of Occupancy revoked until the work is complete. This could potentially prevent the homeowner from legally living in, refinancing, or selling their house in the future.
The best solution to any of these situations is to avoid them in the first place. If you are looking for a contractor for the first time, you can prevent these difficult situations by contacting the law offices of Dressler Law at (212) 239-1061 for assistance in finding a qualified contractor. Our services include rigorous license and insurance checks for contractors in your municipality to avoid these difficult situations from becoming an issue in the first place. In addition, we help homeowners navigate through the complex permit processes of each municipality in New York to ensure the contractor is obtaining the proper permits. Our services provide the homeowner with a worry-free renovation process. If you are already in one of these difficult situations, please contact the law offices of Dressler Law at (212) 239-1061 for dispute assistance today.
Contact us today for a free consultation; you pay nothing unless we recover money. Call us today at (212) 239-1061