My Acceptable Home @ Yew Tee

[guy77 0]

sorry to hear your plight. the renovation period is so long. if i were you, i would have gone mad liao.

now ur reno has been completed. at least one burden off.

take the necessary actions that you deemed right to do.

[jaskel 2]

I just had something to ask to clear my doubts. I want to ask everybody in this forum for opinion and advice.

1) Is it wrong to casual talk with the contractor's worker? (they will kapo and ask me how much I buy the house.)

It is always good to rapport with the workers...they do so many jobs B4, sometime they will pass u some tips on maintenance, pros and cons etc..

2) Did your contractor workers leave down telephone number on the wall. If yes, how will you response?

In the 1st place, why will workers leave down the telephone no. something must be amiss..call n check it out.

3) Did your contractor workers ever ask from you money during the casual talk?

No. Shouldn't be happening this way at all.

4) Does your contractor asked from you the last payment immediately after handing over the house to you?

No. They will walk with u while u inspect the house, after all issues had been rectified then owner will paid the last payment.

5) Does your contractor ask you to install toilet bowl first? I saw a lot of member install last?

My contractor advise and told me that the toilet bowls will install last as she don't want the workers to use it...said this things very personal usage.

6) Does your contractor tell you, he cannot get workers on site because of other works?

This mean that he is only the middle man but no the boss.

7) How long does your house take to paint? (My house 2 weeks, blamed me on my selection paint instead of his manpower)

1 days, touch up again when I move in. Touch up again when my furniture came and the delivery man left some black marks.

8) Did your contractor keep dragging and telling you his workers cannot make it and suddenly paused your renovation for 2-3 days. (Properly he run out of cash and never paid his workers and gives all sort of excuses to cover himself)

Maybe u r right cos can't engage workers to work for him. The only time when my contractor paused the work is when I had an argument with the management as they want to issue stop work order and lawyer letter to me due to changing of air-con piping issues.

Last minute add-on

9) Have your Contractor tell you his worker run away to Malaysia and never return his deposit and delayed the Carpentary Works? How you response?

My response will be this. "Don't make your problems become my problems, only we can make our problems become your problems".

10) Have your Contractor ever tell you, nevermind it is alright to get work permit licence (HDB Licence) from his friends? No, I didn't bother about this.

11) Have your Contractor ever told you his workers is not available for certain installation so have to delayed? But why can't he start other works instead?

I was like everyday on site to see the progress and even sunday, my contractor also ask workers to come and touch up here, there, clean here, there. So it was like the workers working non-stop less Good Friday.

For those reply, please edit-ed your post. for my last 3 Qns.

[pinkpetter 0]

1) Is it wrong to casual talk with the contractor's worker? (they will kapo and ask me how much I buy the house.)

We talked a little but rarely about other stuff. I mainly chitchat with my contractor and his brother. But I also joined in when they buy 4D with my flat number.

2) Does your contractor workers leave down telephone number on the wall. If yes, how will you response?

Leave down whose phone number?

3) Does your contractor workers ever ask from you money during the casual talk?

Nope. never.

4) Does your contractor asked from you the last payment immediately after handing over the house to you?

MmMm He came about 2-3 weeks after we moved in. Just before CNY.

5) Does your contractor ask you to install toilet bowl first? I saw a lot of member install last?

Ours was installed about 2 weeks into the reno... right in the middle. And I didn't see a lot of members installing last.

6) Does your contractor tell you, he cannot get workers on site because of other works?

That's possible though. Lots of contractors have limited workers for many worksites.

7) How long does your house take to paint? (My house 2 weeks, blamed me on my selection paint instead of his manpower)

This one... 3 days. 4 coats of paint.

8) Does your contractor keep dragging and telling you his workers cannot make it and suddenly paused your renovation for 2-3 days. (Properly he run out of cash and never paid his workers and gives all sort of excuses to cover himself)

That last part is your guess? Cos you said Probably he run out...

Unless you know that for truth I don't think you should mention that.

MMMm I had 1-2 days without any workers in my house although my reno had to be rushed. But my contractor pulled them in once the other house was ready.

And he still made it in time.. so that was the most impt thing to us.

9) Have your Contractor tell you his worker run away to Malaysia and never return his deposit and delayed the Carpentary Works? How would you response?

He has never... and if anyone ever tells me that I'll tell him that it's not my problem to solve but his.

10) Have your Contractor ever tell you, nevermind it is alright to get work permit licence (HDB Licence) issue from his friends?

.... No comments .....

11) Have your Contractor ever tell you his workers is not available for certain installation so have to delayed? But why can't he start other works instead?

Although it's possible that some things have to done in a certain order but it's also true that he can start on other works which do not depend on the delayed one.

Edited May 13, 2009 by pinkpetter

[kewin 0]

You also mention that your contractor's worker left mobile/telephone number for you to contact. Did you keep their number, just-in-case if you need them to clarify they belong to which company. This might not be necessary unless you really have to resort to civil law suit.

By the way, I am very curious, the last payment that you are holding onto it is how much?

Hi Johnny.. the amount was $1200. He keep sms-ed me to press me for payment during the last few days of hand over. Before that, he had already asked me for $600 but I refused.

Can you advice what can I do? I am alraedy wrote to HDB, next action is to his company to find out whether this person exist? His company does not have HDB licence and the Contract Agreement was not signed on the Company Letterhead with no Company Acra Business Licence. I hope you can advice what is my next step.

I had keep his worker's number from the Tile Worker, Electricians, Kitchen Carpenters (the run away one and the current one who did half-way). What is cource of action?

Did all of your get it.. His Company and himself does not have HDB Licence. It is an offense...

Edited May 13, 2009 by kewin

[pinkpetter 0]

Kewin... mmMmM technically it's an offense for homeowners to engage someone who does not have a license.. so maybe you shouldn't say so loudly...

[pinkiedreamy 0]

Hi Johnny.. the amount was $1200. He keep sms-ed me to press me for payment during the last few days of hand over. Before that, he had already asked me for $600 but I refused.

Can you advice what can I do? I am alraedy wrote to HDB, next action is to his company to find out whether this person exist? His company does not have HDB licence and the Contract Agreement was not signed on the Company Letterhead with no Company Acra Business Licence. I hope you can advice what is my next step.

I had keep his worker's number from the Tile Worker, Electricians, Kitchen Carpenters (the run away one and the current one who did half-way). What is cource of action?

Did all of your get it.. His Company and himself does not have HDB Licence. It is an offense...

Really can sense the anger and the stress that you went through.

Especially when you're alone handling the whole renovation.

But let's put it this way, you knew way before the reno that he and company has no licence. Yet you chose him.

You chose to take the risk knowing that what he is doing is wrong.

Now when things really turn out wrong, you kept emphasizing that what he did was an offence for not having HDB licence.

But we as consumer, we're suppose to check. It is an offence to engage someone who is not licenced too.

When everything has no proof, no contract, it is difficult to get the law on your side.

Even ID or contractor who has licence, and did not do their job well, we also can't do much with them.

Either we accept what went wrong, or get them to rectify, or worse engage another contractor to redo/rectify the job done.

If things are really not done up well in your house, perhaps you wanna look for rectification?

Mayb can give Ah Soon a call and see if he can advise and help out from a contractor point of view.

Anyway those who knew who the contractor is, can PM me? thanks

[kewin 0]

I am not really anger as what your might had seen. I am anger because my Mr. Contractor had started sprouting his nonsense and excuses to all forum members (by private message). Stop acting 'Childish', private message some forum members to explain to them, about your goodness, blaming me for my delayed. Look my profile and see who added me as Friends. That is the one, by adding me as Friends he can know what I posted and quickly come to look at it. Why you so scared and added me as friends to get notify my post.

Am I too Mr. Nice Guy to pass him almost 90% percent payment $20,000 +++ on Jan 2009. Because I do not have a choice as I pay him almost all and had to let him continued my renovation. Well, if you read carefully in my blog, how many chances did I give him? Of course, my Mr. Contractor will defend himself and save I am choosy of colors and indecisive.

Hey, other contractors mention to me this is not a problem as ultimately I am the one staying in the house. They can quickly suit my arrangement and firstly settle for another job to be done first. Go read on my hunting on my ID on top, these ID can compromised and do other work done first. During that time, he can actually start other works and stubbornly refused as he thinks his work progress is correct.

Again he will say my fault. He even so ya-ya and say if my things are ready how can I gets workers down immediately. Yes, my contractor can say that but why can't he just started on other works, simply had to follow his plans. (Remember, Contractors always had cash flow problem and they will tried to keep buy time.) One of the main things that Contractors always does is they never admit their mistakes. Remember Customer is always correct attitude.

Most of his workers will k-po about how much I buy my house and tell me their work experiences. Several times, I went to buy drinks a few times for his tile workers, electricians and even packet rice for the Carpenters. I never ill-treated them. I told him that why your workers talk to me you never pay wages and they are waiting for you to come but you never turn-up. He immediately not happy and say his workers trying to undercut him. If that case, why every workers had to leave their telephone/mobile numbers, is it something is very fishy. So did my Mr. Contractor pay them wages? During my casual talk with the workers, they had to ask me for money. They got no mood, I refused to give and ask them to go find my Mr. Contractor for $$$.

If he got pay them, the workers definitely will not left their mobile number on the wall "Owner, please call 9xxxxxxx". They will not even mention to me any payment not make to them and our conversion will definitely go-on as I normally chat about how to maintenance this and that by using what or what.

I had already got this matter up to HDB, a HDB Officer called my contractor for a date of completion on 28th April. Then he finally waked up his ideas and quickly finished up my work. Or else my kitchen cabinet will be delayed until next year or never completed. The HDB Officer even advised him to apply HDB Licence and he can turn around the table and act blur and asked 'how to apply.' All guideline can be found in the HDB website.

Kitchen Cabinet and Solid Surface supposed to be installed on 18th April but he never appeared and I tried to contact him. He sms-ed me say he just found his phone on the car. Hello, you think 3-years old kid will believed. Later he came out with a very wonderful good excuse, his workers run to Malaysia with his deposit. His mobile phone lost, just found in the car. He supposed to bring the Solid Surface Top to let me see but never turned up. I waited from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and tried contacting him like a mad sotong.

Well, can I post again this question on Kitchen Cabinet?

When does your Renovation IDs/Contractor let you see the Kitchen Cabinet Drawings? (Can be before Reno started, can be after tiles, guess what, mine one is after he painted my house for 2 weeks. I still had to pester him by sms-ed him in China when you are sending.)

Edited May 14, 2009 by kewin

[johnnyong 0]

I went LSH to choose my tiles 2 or 3 times and my Reno ID followed us. Remember We are the one staying in the house not the Reno IDs/Contractor.

Edited May 13, 2009 by johnnyong

[johnnyong 0]

Hi Johnny.. the amount was $1200. He keep sms-ed me to press me for payment during the last few days of hand over. Before that, he had already asked me for $600 but I refused.

Can you advice what can I do? I am alraedy wrote to HDB, next action is to his company to find out whether this person exist? His company does not have HDB licence and the Contract Agreement was not signed on the Company Letterhead with no Company Acra Business Licence. I hope you can advice what is my next step.

Well, as I mention. Your renovation is over. I had seen more worst situation on renovation as my clients even looked for me to file law suit against his contractor for not starting any work.

I am eager to see your renovated home pictures. I had read more worst case. Much worst case... No matter what, eat well and sleep well. Dun think too much.

You mention about your contract agreement between him does not have indicated any ACRA Business Licence number on the contract. It will depend on case by case basis, and the seriousness on your situtation. Can you possible email me your contract agreement with your contractor and let me see. By right if Contract Agreement signed with No ACRA business licence number printed on it, the contractor company shall have no claim whatsoever against .

Not only that, if HDB licence is not inside the agreement, the more you should have consult a lawyer to endorse your contract agreement. This can help to settle any dispute which later on can happened.

Edited May 13, 2009 by johnnyong

[kewin 0]

Left Blank.. will be updated pictures

[kewin 0]

This is left intentional blank

I am sorting out the pictures.. I will post it soon.

[Cloyn 0]

I just started to read a few tblogs recently, your situation is similar to Lawry's, if not worse off since your contractor is not even registered, or illegal.

I tried to message him to check if his issue is resolved, but his mailbox is full.

I can't post in his thread either since it's locked, anyone know why lock ahhh??

You can message him to ask him what are the steps he taken to get his matter resolved with his renovation company. (assuming it is since he doesn't post anymore).

Feel so unjust and sorry for you guys, aren't there any influential renovating association to take care of such issues? CASE is no count, my hearsays of them were mostly bad, they don't do much to resolve matters and they expect customers to give and take instead. Most of them have to take the legal route or give up hope.

Ridiculous!

[kewin 0]

They are few packets of cement that is still left behind. Just because no ... is given

Even if I give, I think no workers is going to clear it up and no touch-up to be done. Very irresponsible...

He see me 'Ho Jia', in the beginning...

The workmanship of the kitchen cabinet is acceptable only.

Will post some pictures soon

[blackcar 0]

They are few packets of cement that is still left behind. Just because no ... is given

Even if I give, I think no workers is going to clear it up and no touch-up to be done. Very irresponsible...

He see me 'Ho Jia', in the beginning...

The workmanship of the kitchen cabinet is acceptable only.

Will post some pictures soon

Hi PM this contractor infro can?

cheers

[kewin 0]

I am in dilemma, his workers keep calling me now and say he seem to change mobile number and refused to answer his call. I showed them the Contract Agreement and they say the Company does not even belong to him. He is again borrowing his friend's company to sign my agreement.

I put up Police Notice to let them see and not to harassed me. I know he will be online to this forum to see this. If you see this, kindly ask your workers not to call me. They call me to ask whether I completed the house and they never received the payment and if you change number, please notify them?

Edited May 21, 2009 by kewin