Contractor Left Front Door Ajar with Key after Finishing for The Day

twwyt on 17/04/2019 - 20:05

We have recently engaged a contractor to replace a roof on our home which is currently undergoing renovation.
We do not live there currently but do have a reasonably high value of tools inside the house as I am doing a lot of the work.
Initially we did not want to give them access to the house but after they requested it due to need for amenities and power we left a key for them in an agreed location.

The night following us providing the key, I returned to the property to check the progress to find our front door ajar with the key inside the lock and the contractors having left for the evening.

I have raised the issue with the management and offered the opportunity for them to propose a solution to make this right.
When they weren't forthcoming with any offer I mentioned that I would be posting a review on google which would detail that we are happy with the quality of the work(with the exception of a few hiccups) but that we were not happy with the care afforded to our property as they had failed to secure it. - and an appropriate rating of 3 stars. During this phone call I was accused of blackmail however that is not how I see the situation.

We have currently paid half of the bill as a progress payment ($10k+) but I realise as nothing was stolen we have no recourse legally and once the job is complete I do not have the right to withhold any payment.

I'd like to know what other oz-bargainers would do in this situation as I do feel like we have been wronged and as a tradesman myself, if I had stuffed up I would offer additional work or a discount as recompense.

Poll Options expired

  • 36
    It's reasonable to be upset and this is an appropriate course of action.
  • 35
    It's reasonable to be upset but a negative review is uncalled for if the work is up to standard.
  • 8
    This is an unreasonable approach to the situation and mistakes happen - No harm, no foul.
Home & Garden

Comments

  • 87percent on 17/04/2019 - 20:10
    +7

    How do you propose a solution? They left the door open and nothing was stolen?

    • IVI on 17/04/2019 - 21:20
      +1

      His unexpected arrival may have Precluded
      a mate of the contractor from cleaning the
      place out.

      Next time, tho, give Clear Instructions to

      Lock-up &
      Discretely leave key where they found it
      (or someplace else, to preclude loss…)

      Find out if/how: Key-in-Lock + Door-Ajar
      could affect insurance cover, had there
      been a loss.

      If I wrote you policy, you wouldn't get
      compensated.

      (Montreal FINE folks for leaving a car
      unlocked; presumably, to reduce Police
      work-loads.

      In country SA, folks leave a window
      open to preclude damage, by breaker)

      • timthetoolman on 17/04/2019 - 22:38
        +2

        It's almost like you've just copied and pasted that text and it doesn't fit properly?

      • 87percent on 18/04/2019 - 08:16

        It doesn't matter what MIGHT have happened, it didn't happen. It's not something like an item of clothing is damaged, and the solution is to mend it. A door was left open, what solution can come out of it? If his solution is to tell the contractor "hey, you left the door open, try to be more careful" then fine, but op is talking about leaving negative reviews and blah blah

  • oscargamer on 17/04/2019 - 20:11
    +2

    Why do they need access inside the house to replace the roof?

    If you don't trust then to secure the premises, either refuse them access or let them in and out yourself.

    • IVI on 17/04/2019 - 21:21
      +1

      or, so you can earn while they do the work,
      maybe a stay-at-home neighbor can let them
      in & out, & hold your key for later pickup?

  • Quantumcat on 17/04/2019 - 20:13
    +6

    I wouldn't have done what you did, but simply informed them they could only have supervised access going forward. You will have upset them, and as you are trusting them with your property this could lead to a bad outcome for you. A good life lesson is don't upset people that have the power to hurt you.

    • 87percent on 17/04/2019 - 20:15
      +1

      In other words, don't shit where you eat

      • elgrande on 17/04/2019 - 20:22
        +1

        And also don't eat where you shit.

        • orangetrain on 18/04/2019 - 09:22

          This includes using a phone where you eat or shit.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2019 - 20:14
    -4

    The value of your belongings is irrelevant to the contractor. He is there to do a job. He did it.

    A bit sloppy to leave the place unsecure but he is not a security guard either. He is a roofer.

    If you were present to secure your premises and your valuables, the roofer would have completed their job and you wouldn't have your complaint.

    • IVI on 17/04/2019 - 21:25
      +7

      I don't get it:

      Folks here are so willing to accept
      unProfessional conduct by a tradie.

      There should be a "Code of Conduct"
      for all trades, that insists, that
      a house found secured is left so.

  • elgrande on 17/04/2019 - 20:19
    -1

    It happens, my property manager left the house with the door open all night after an open home. Not worth causing a fuss over if nothing happened.

    • poboy on 17/04/2019 - 20:29
      +5

      If someone isn't aware enough to lockup everytime, that's a worry.

      • IVI on 17/04/2019 - 21:25

        +1

    • ssquid on 18/04/2019 - 00:40

      That's why they call it an open home, duh.

    • elgrande on 18/04/2019 - 10:36
      +1

      Ok, getting negged.. next time will consider a lawsuit.

  • chumlee on 17/04/2019 - 20:50
    +3

    Just hire a portaloo for them to use & run a power cord for them if you don't have external power access

  • Clear on 17/04/2019 - 20:52
    +3

    I have raised the issue with the management and offered the opportunity for them to propose a solution to make this right.

    Let me guess you want compensation? Reduction on your final bill perhaps? Because it seems that's all people want these days. An apology would more than suffice.

    • twwyt on 17/04/2019 - 21:09

      To be honest if the rest of the job had gone smoothly we wouldn't have been so frustrated but it seemed like it was one problem after the next with this company despite having a seemingly good reputation. Either way I can see I may bvb have reacted in haste and not thought it through and it's not worth pushing further.

      • IVI on 17/04/2019 - 21:29
        -2

        Find a legal way to "Name & Shame" the company

        Be careful how you word your Tweet(s),
        but be quick to Warn others, who would
        otherwise unknowingly be putting their
        property at risk.

        Even Aware Buyers (of "Buyer 'Beware")
        need info on which to act

        Give the company some incentive to lift
        their game. Loss of a future client is
        the kind of thing that could give them
        such incentive.

        My 2.2 cents only…

  • xuqi on 17/04/2019 - 20:53
    +1

    You threatened to leave a '3 star' before completion?

    They'll do you a 3 star worthy job……..

    One of the most idiotic posts I've seen to-date..

    • twwyt on 17/04/2019 - 21:06
      +1

      Work was complete when I spoke to management but thanks for your input.

      • xuqi on 17/04/2019 - 21:07
        +2

        "We have currently paid half of the bill as a progress payment ($10k+) but I realise as nothing was stolen we have no recourse legally and once the job is complete I do not have the right to withhold any payment."

        Sounded like this was a work in progress…

        • twwyt on 17/04/2019 - 21:10

          Yes fair enough. Final invoice has not been sent but work is done.

  • Godric on 17/04/2019 - 20:57
    +1

    Post a video to ACA

  • twwyt on 17/04/2019 - 21:05
    +4

    Appreciate everyone's feedback. I've taken it on board and we have decided not to pursue the issue further, it's easy to get carried away when it's your own house and at the same time it's easy to dismiss it as nothing if you have not experienced it - hence my asking what people though.

    • brokenglish on 17/04/2019 - 23:11

      Look at it this way, basically you trusted your home to the contractor and that contractor let you down.
      I don't think you can pursue anything legal for some sort of compensation unless it is written somewhere that the contractor needs the key. You are not required to give your key for them to replace the roof. You're acting in good faith to give the contractor amenities and power because you don't want any further issues.

      Lesson learnt. In the future never trust strangers with anything of high value. You're good. This contractor's bad. Don't deal with them anymore.
      At least you didn't lose anything unlike this poor bloke who didn't even know a contractor was coming and lost his Nintendo Switch :(

  • JimmyF on 18/04/2019 - 00:02
    +2

    I have raised the issue with the management and offered the opportunity for them to propose a solution to make this right.

    Make what right though? Nothing was stolen, nothing was damaged. Nothing to 'make right'.

    I'm sure the boss has spoken to them and it won't happen again.

    Most likely a honest mistake of the workers thinking someone else will lock it up.

  • LPV569 on 18/04/2019 - 07:44
    +7

    It’s wrong to try to extort money for compensation when there’s no loss.

  • Topdog on 18/04/2019 - 07:51

    what type of idiot leaves a house unlocked

  • Gersman on 18/04/2019 - 09:50

    Everyone makes mistakes I think that the threat of exposing them and giving a them a real bad rap (what you have already done) is enough to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else.

    I can certainly understand your frustration and concerns, perhaps a lock fast key safe on the property that you can use not only just for this occasion might ensure that they would put the key back in it and that would remind them to close the door, (although you shouldn't need to do this) just an idea perhaps for the future.

  • Micko179 on 18/04/2019 - 11:15
    -1

    Post it on OZB! Great idea!

    Name checks out…

  • eyeballz2770 on 18/04/2019 - 11:55

    I would appreciate the heads-up in a review as a future customer. If I had someone available on the premises during repairs, I would still hire them for the good work. But I would know not to trust them to secure my property and have something added in the contract about property loss due to their carelessness.

  • Tee Rex Arms on 18/04/2019 - 18:23

    I give you 5 stars for your blackmail and extortion attempt

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