Hiring the Neighbor (by DJ [VA]) May 12, 2019 7:12 PM
Hiring the Neighbor (by Ken [NY]) May 12, 2019 8:22 PM
Hiring the Neighbor (by DON [PA]) May 12, 2019 8:53 PM
Hiring the Neighbor (by AllyM [NJ]) May 12, 2019 8:54 PM
Hiring the Neighbor (by DJ [VA]) May 12, 2019 9:30 PM
Hiring the Neighbor (by Robert J [CA]) May 12, 2019 10:28 PM
Hiring the Neighbor (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) May 13, 2019 1:17 AM
Hiring the Neighbor (by DJ [VA]) Posted on: May 12, 2019 7:12 PM Message:
Neighbor to my daughter's fixer-upper (that we are still working on) is very friendly. As are other neighbors, too - looks like a good neighborhood for her : ). On one side is a father/son team who are professional carpenters/handymen/apparently know how to do just about everything. They've been working for another local investor for like 30 years (dad has-since son was young), doing flips/repairs/maintenance. He says she is getting ready to retire, and they do other jobs, too.
Anyway, I know if you take a friend or family member as a tenant, one day you may need to choose which one they will continue to be = bad idea. But how about a neighbor as a contractor? Potential friend, but also a good resource for professional work to be done. I believe I will hire them for a couple "smallish" things we could use help with during this rehab. Once it's done & daughter moves in, it's done-potentially a clear ending line for the hired relationship.
BUT... would you continue to hire the neighbor (assuming good work & all, of course), or better to just have a good neighbor without the potential for a dispute over work?
--68.10.xxx.x |
Hiring the Neighbor (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: May 12, 2019 8:22 PM Message:
I have hired my neighbor for small jobs but he complained because he was used to working on much nicer jobs but during the downturn in the economy I was the only one giving him any work so he took it but he complained too much so no work for him anymore but he is an ok neighbor so I leave it at that.This will be your daughters neighbor so I would give him work until the relationship soured,although he has proven he could work for 1 customer for many years so maybe it will work out well --72.231.xxx.xxx |
Hiring the Neighbor (by DON [PA]) Posted on: May 12, 2019 8:53 PM Message:
It's your daughter's neighbor, not yours. Too hard to find good help today to disqualify someone so quickly. If it doesn't work out stop using him;you won't have to see him every day. Don't "fire" him, just stop calling him.If he asks your daughter, have her give him some excuse: "Oh, dad has not had any turnovers lately"or "Dad is a little short of cash so he is putting work off/doing more himself." --73.141.xxx.xx |
Hiring the Neighbor (by AllyM [NJ]) Posted on: May 12, 2019 8:54 PM Message:
I would not do that. If it goes bad you now have a bad neighbor next to your daughter.
Mom's neighbor was a carpenter. He has moved out of the next door house and rents it out. It really belongs to his wife from her first marriage and they have moved into a houseleft to her by her parents. OK, when they lived next door, Mom insisted that I ask him to do some carpentry work as they needed money. So I asked him to shore up some stairs in one of the B duplexes that went to the basement as I was making a laundry room there for three duplexes in a row that she owned. Well, he tore out the grandfathered stairs and put in some other stairs that were a death trap. I had the inspector come out and red tag them hoping I would not have to pay him. But he kept calling and using a mean voice and was very scary so she paid him. Meanwhile the inspector said that I had to get a Master Stair Builder and an Engineer to fit stairs back into the smaller than code space. The previous steps were allowed to be there not up to code but new ones had to be designed and built. So it cost Mom $3,500 to pay the engineer for the design and the Master Stair builder. Meanwhile I had fallen on ice and broke my right ankle, both bones, and needed two hours surgery to fix it and to stay off my feet for three months. Finally I got the cast off, got a plastic cast and went back to work on the buildings. The stairs are magnificent and very safe for all those folks in the three buildings. I sold two of them after mom passed and the stairs went with them. That is my "Don't hire your neighbor" story. I still do not speak to him. He is a pig and has that rental in bad shape next to my home. --173.61.xxx.xx |
Hiring the Neighbor (by DJ [VA]) Posted on: May 12, 2019 9:30 PM Message:
Sorry for your bad experience, Ally. This guy seems to have real skills, which I will verify when he does some work on her house. So, I'm leaning toward hiring him more - if I can get him.
He was telling me about a job he is currently doing in a very wealthy area. He may just prefer the more lucrative jobs, anyway.
Don: This neighbor's name is Don, too.
It's kinda funny how we assume gender --68.10.xxx.x |
Hiring the Neighbor (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: May 12, 2019 10:28 PM Message:
When I made the mistake of using a neighbor to work on a rental I didn't bother to get an bid or contract. They treated the job like it was a hobby taking too long to complete.
Then after I woke up and decided to treat the neighbor like a professional, I provided a letter providing the scope of the work I wanted them to perform, time table and price. I allowed them to adjust the terms to fit their needs.
--47.156.xx.xx |
Hiring the Neighbor (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Posted on: May 13, 2019 1:17 AM Message:
DJ,
Good paperwork and good management keeps good attitudes. The problems come when directions are vague and prices are ESTIMATES or HOURLY.
Second biggest problem is paying up front, then they disappear or are too busy.
I would hire a neighbor because I use good forms and do the following:
ONLY hire ANY contractor with a written Independent Contractor Agreement giving the owner final authority on quality of work and cleanup
AND
a written, specific scope of work
AND
a quoted firm price
AND
a firm deadline with a penalty. I let THEM set the deadline, and *I* add a few days so no one can say I set unrealistic deadlines. (they are usually optimistic and estimate too short a time then need those extra days)
EVERYTHING signed by the contractor BEFORE touching the project.
I like to start with a smaller, self contained job like painting 4 rooms, or install this vanity.
BRAD
--73.102.xxx.xxx |
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