opinions? .. roofers cheap labor caused damage to vehicle

[DannyMotorcycle]

I will ad this to my first post, If this contactor does not have his Md Home Improvement License you need to call the State Police and have them removed from your property and don't pay them any more money. If they try to return the State Police will arrest the owner and any employees that continue to try to work.
If they are not licensed with the State they are considered Gypsy Contractors buy the State.

And if by chance they do have their Md Home Improvement Lic you need to file a complaint with the Home Improvement Commission on their website.

thank you. this information will be win win for me, either way will bring me some satisfaction.

 

[frequentflier]

Soo... Got a door to door roof sales pitch... no thanks..

Eventually our roof started leaking and had damage from either hail or branches and the 100mph ? winds...

So my wife.. idiot that she is... calls our insurance decides to go with this guy.. despite me telling her to get 3 estimates and being patient..

All i know is the guy's name is Jessie and he has a long beard and drives an astro van (company name not on any of the vehicles they showed up with. bad sign.)... and apparently hires immigrant labor to do ALL the work..

Wife says he's a legitimate company with positive (yelp?) reviews or something.. I should have known better than to let her handle it after she wasted $1800 on a well pump install
with her fathers money.. trying to get the water cleared up (posted about that too)..

So anyway.. i was storing a friends motorcycle. It was parked in front of the car port... the day before that, that's the spot they used for their trailer to take away the old roof debris..
5 pm the next day they had not shown up... so i specifically parked the bike pointing straight into the car port so that people driving by could only see the rear end of the bike and not
advertise it being there, since it is custom and expensive. I live on a busy road with no sidewalks and no foot traffic. Also i parked the bike there near my air compressor to put air in the rear tire. So anyway I had to leave out, I left at 5 pm and parked the bike in a specific manner. At 6 pm my wife gets home and noticed the bike is parked awkwardly in the driveway. The roofers were there working.. but they had the trailer parked across the street today and not in the driveway/carport parking spot. Again; So I leave at 5 pm, She gets there at 6 pm and the bike is moved, and the workers are there.

I get home later, see it's moved, and inspect it, and I see there are damages. I don't get much company, most of my friends do not know where I live. No one would have any reason to move that bike, except them, to put their trailer there again for the roofing work... or move it away so it wouldn't get damaged from the roofing work.. So they had motive and opportunity to move it.. and presence.. (with no claims of anyone else coming by).
It was moved. they said they didn't touch it.. and of course it's also damaged. With the steering being locked and someone pushing it, they might find out the hard way it's easier to fall over with the steering locked trying to push it.

So my wife contacts jessie the roofing company owner... She emails him the details. She reports back to me that he says his guys say they didnt' touch it, and we are calling him and his guys liars. My wife wants his insurance company information and let the insurance companies hash it out.. This guy tells my wife that it would be fraudulent... I guess the bike moved itself and damaged itself?

I'm glad he already has gotten into it with our insurance adjuster, the adjuster will be on our side i'm sure (maybe he'll take it out of their check)... but him saying we're calling them liars and saying the claim is fraudulent? that is NOT the way he should have handled it. They're supposed to be coming back tomorrow.. i'm about ready to tell them 2 things.. 1>show me your ID, no ID, no coming on my property. 2>Just stay TF off my property and you'll get the check AFTER this motorcycle matter is resolved, i'll see you in court with a counter suit. Let's see how well your customer service skills are now. No one gets paid until the truth comes out and the bike owner gets compensated for his damages. I had a bad feeling about that guy. Makes me mad.

Anyone know if i can call the Charles county police to come out when they are here, to get identification on these workers? Take finger prints off this motorcycle they claimed they didn't touch? yet i see prints on it as if it was being picked up with help... I wouldn't be surprised if they are illegal aliens.. and that pisses me off too. You're getting paid full retail by the insurance company, you shouldn't be using illegal labor.

Any advice?

There have been a few posts about YELP...and as a business owner myself, let me tell you about YELP. If I pay them, they will post positive reviews about my business. Otherwise, they will post negative crap over and over again and not post the positive. They are extortionists and I would not rely on them being a good source of recommendation AT ALL!

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

There have been a few posts about YELP...and as a business owner myself, let me tell you about YELP. If I pay them, they will post positive reviews about my business. Otherwise, they will post negative crap over and over again and not post the positive. They are extortionists and I would not rely on them being a good source of recommendation AT ALL!

Where there is smoke, there is fire?

 

[GWguy]

If I may ...



Where there is smoke, there is fire?

I've heard this same thing from many different sources. Pay to Play or get bad reviews.

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

I've heard this same thing from many different sources. Pay to Play or get bad reviews.

Yeah. I've read many stories about them, and the lawsuits against them for this very issue. I was just poking her a bit.

 

[frequentflier]

If I may ...



Yeah. I've read many stories about them, and the lawsuits against them for this very issue. I was just poking her a bit.

Why? I offer facts I know to be true from personal experience. I try not to be a jerk on the forums. You, on the other hand...

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

Why? I offer facts I know to be true from personal experience. I try not to be a jerk on the forums. You, on the other hand...

O...M...G! Can't there be any fun had? Too much seriousness goings on around here on the forums. Lighten up a bit. Though often I can be a "jerk", most often times I post relevant, thoughtful, and insightful dialog. Geez, go squeeze a doggie squeaky ball or something. Better yet, go use the scratching post.

 

[littlelady]

If I may ...

O...M...G! Can't there be any fun had? Too much seriousness goings on around here on the forums. Lighten up a bit. Though often I can be a "jerk", most often times I post relevant, thoughtful, and insightful dialog. Geez, go squeeze a doggie squeaky ball or something. Better yet, go use the scratching post.

Sorry, ff, I had to laugh at the scratching post comment; it got me good! Sharpening the claws, and all. I am guilty of that, too. And, it occurs often on this forum. Members know who they are.

And, you are right, LR, about the seriousness on the forum vs lightening up. I think it is a sign of the times, and we are all worried about the state of the World, and our country. I have humor, but keep misplacing it. Then, I find it, and lose it again. I always say...I know it is here, somewhere!

 

[Hannibal]

First, I am also a bit disheartened by the wifey comments here. I can certainly appreciate the frustration the issue has presented and her likely being an easy target, but a team is a team and you're publically throwing a teammate under the bus. Bad form IMO. I am sure the comments were stemming from that frustration and nothing more and time would've eliminated that choice under better circumstances.

Anyhow, I personally don't see this as being anything more than "he said/she said." To your credit, they are the only logical culprit. To the business owner, you could be just some other scamming customer who wants to falsely cry "damage" hoping for a discount. Point being, he has no way of knowing you're being legit and you have no way of knowing if he's being legit. If he didn't witness said event, he has to defer to his people first right?

Not sure what the cops or anyone else will do. If he's unlicensed, not sure what does to help the situation. I would assume your insurance company wouldn't pay to him directly if he wasn't but if the money was cut directly to you - the risk of a competent contractor would be on you anyhow and they'd wipe their hands of it.

My opinion, ask to meet the guy at the site. Walk him through the scenario in person and see if he can offer up a reasonable solution to the problem. IE - review the damage and see if it's reasonably consistent with the work being done (scratches/dings consistent with falling shingles, etc). If you're really convinced it was his people, tell the man in person you are going to call the cops while he is there for them to do a report/investigation. If he's doing dirty, he may opt to work with you. If he doesn't budge then - he's not going to which probably means he's convinced he's clean.

 

[nutz]

Again; So I leave at 5 pm, She gets there at 6 pm and the bike is moved, and the workers are there.

I get home later, see it's moved, and inspect it, and I see there are damages. Any advice?

I vote with Jessie, your fault. If it was so valuable to you, you should not have left it out. No way you can verify what happened. Chalk it up to lessons learned and move on.

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

I vote with Jessie, your fault. If it was so valuable to you, you should not have left it out. No way you can verify what happened. Chalk it up to lessons learned and move on.

His fault? On his own property? Storing a friends bike? If there is one universal truth in the galaxy, it is this; Never, ever. Never ever, to the square root in infinity, touch someone else's motorcycle. More so especially, a custom bike. Unless you have the explicit permission of the owner. Never do it. If the bike was in the way of work being done, either they should have made a phone call to a homeowner, or waited for someone to return home. There is no way he is at fault.

 

[BernieP]

You can do what ever you are capable of doing. What effect it will have is dubious.
Cost to shut up and fix damage? $500
Cost of pissing off your wife? Priceless

 

[black dog]

If I may ...



His fault? On his own property? Storing a friends bike? If there is one universal truth in the galaxy, it is this; Never, ever. Never ever, to the square root in infinity, touch someone else's motorcycle. More so especially, a custom bike. Unless you have the explicit permission of the owner. Never do it. If the bike was in the way of work being done, either they should have made a phone call to a homeowner, or waited for someone to return home. There is no way he is at fault.

Exactly,, but not just motorcycles, Anything in the way...
I worked in the service industry for 10 + years and never once while inside of someones home ,garage, yardbarn or shop would I or anyone working under me move anything of any value without the owner present or a phone call to get permission.. not good business.

 

[DannyMotorcycle]

They were supposed to come the next day.. never showed up.. until after 5pm rolls around.. I thought they weren't coming at that point. For one thing..

They weren't present when i left. I was more worried about strangers.

And blaming the victim? really? I guess you'll tell women they shouldn't dress to be attractive if they got raped or something.

To confirm what i already knew... the neighbor tells me they came the following day after the drop at 8 a.m..

And the scratches that i witnessed magically disappeared.. and you can see where they were buffed off as the pollen was still everywhere else that they didnt' buff.

The bike owner had a bad weekend, someone broke into his truck and stole his work laptop.. and he was thinking about painting his bike anyway so he took it in stride..

i'm still a little bothered that i suspect they are illegal aliens. If the crew was a little more diverse... then my suspicions wouldn't be aroused.. but since they generally speak half-a**** english..

I wonder who these guys are and what their criminal histories are. How do i know they've been screened.. What i do know is that they are liars.. Grr..


As far as the idiot wife comment.. Don't worry about it. If you've got a masters degree and still can't answer 7th grade questions correctly, like which number is larger .34 or .332, or how is water distilled, you might be an idiot too.. and if you use belligerence to settle disagreements.. yes.. I'm quite comfortable referring to her as an idiot.

 

[nutz]

If I may ...



His fault? On his own property? Storing a friends bike? If there is one universal truth in the galaxy, it is this; Never, ever. Never ever, to the square root in infinity, touch someone else's motorcycle. More so especially, a custom bike. Unless you have the explicit permission of the owner. Never do it. If the bike was in the way of work being done, either they should have made a phone call to a homeowner, or waited for someone to return home. There is no way he is at fault.

Yep, his fault. What proof exists showing anything else. A confession, no. Video, no. You can be mad all you want, the facts have not changed.

The real point was, if you take on the responsibility of someone else's property, you should treat it with more care than your own.

 

[nutz]

And blaming the victim? really?
To confirm what i already knew... the neighbor tells me they came the following day after the drop at 8 a.m..

You aren't the victim, your buddy is. He trusted you to take care of his stuff and you failed.

And the scratches that i witnessed magically disappeared.. and you can see where they were buffed off as the pollen was still everywhere else that they didnt' buff.

The bike owner had a bad weekend, someone broke into his truck and stole his work laptop.. and he was thinking about painting his bike anyway so he took it in stride..

i'm still a little bothered that i suspect they are illegal aliens. If the crew was a little more diverse... then my suspicions wouldn't be aroused.. but since they generally speak half-a**** english..

I wonder who these guys are and what their criminal histories are. How do i know they've been screened.. What i do know is that they are liars.. Grr..

The workers are untrusted, yet you left the motorcycle where they had access to it again? And you think your wife is an idiot?

 

[DannyMotorcycle]

Yep, his fault. What proof exists showing anything else. A confession, no. Video, no. You can be mad all you want, the facts have not changed.

The real point was, if you take on the responsibility of someone else's property, you should treat it with more care than your own.

i do. shouldni have asked to borrow your vault? where it was parked was a reasonable place to expect it to be fine. just as fineas any other place available.

 

[DannyMotorcycle]

You aren't the victim, your buddy is. He trusted you to take care of his stuff and you failed.





The workers are untrusted, yet you left the motorcycle where they had access to it again? And you think your wife is an idiot?

not as big an idiot as you but yes. where can i learn your psychic powers?

 

[nobody really]

They were supposed to come the next day.. never showed up.. until after 5pm rolls around.. I thought they weren't coming at that point. For one thing..

They weren't present when i left. I was more worried about strangers.

And blaming the victim? really? I guess you'll tell women they shouldn't dress to be attractive if they got raped or something.

To confirm what i already knew... the neighbor tells me they came the following day after the drop at 8 a.m..

And the scratches that i witnessed magically disappeared.. and you can see where they were buffed off as the pollen was still everywhere else that they didnt' buff.

The bike owner had a bad weekend, someone broke into his truck and stole his work laptop.. and he was thinking about painting his bike anyway so he took it in stride..

i'm still a little bothered that i suspect they are illegal aliens. If the crew was a little more diverse... then my suspicions wouldn't be aroused.. but since they generally speak half-a**** english..

I wonder who these guys are and what their criminal histories are. How do i know they've been screened.. What i do know is that they are liars.. Grr..


As far as the idiot wife comment.. Don't worry about it. If you've got a masters degree and still can't answer 7th grade questions correctly, like which number is larger .34 or .332, or how is water distilled, you might be an idiot too.. and if you use belligerence to settle disagreements.. yes.. I'm quite comfortable referring to her as an idiot.

wow, I thought you would've checked that out.

 

[DannyMotorcycle]

wow, I thought you would've checked that out.

My wife was rather adamant about hiring someone reputable vs hiring my life long roofer friends... and the way she was talking, she was only going with someone official, etc...

So i thought she'd be thorough, she sounded as if she was... and then here come these guys smh.