Client claims things got stolen ...
8 Replies
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Nhi Nguyen Contractor / Flipper from Hayward, California
posted 4 months agoJohn Thedford Hard Money Lender, Broker Associate, Investor from Naples, Florida
replied 4 months agoThis is why you need licensed and bonded people. I would encourage the owner to make a police report and let all your workers know it was reported.
Cara Lonsdale Realtor and Investor from Scottsdale, AZ
replied 4 months agoYes. Client needs to file a police report. Let the police handle it. They may interview your guys, and it may shake loose who took it if it was one of yours.
Brent M. Investor from Hayward, California
replied 4 months agoI’ve been in this position from an investigative standpoint. With 2-3 suspects and a definite time the crime occurred questioning works great (got 20k in jewelry returned). With the the numbers you have involved over two months... I’d want you to give me names and DOBs. I’d see if anyone was on probation or parole, maybe check criminal history and go from there. Not gonna get too in the weeds with so many possibilities (including a possible false accusation). As far as trust, you trust you guys to do a great job, but how many of them can walk by $5000 if they think they can get away with it?
Aaron McGinnis Contractor/Flipper from Atlanta, Georgia
replied 4 months agoTell the client to file a police report. Period. If the client declines, fire yourself off the job because things are going to go straight to crazy town.
Consider stopping the job until the matter is resolved.
I once had a customer accuse of us theft of the most absurd type. (Said we stole a beat up old sofa from a house we were gutting)... it was a prelude to the worst client experience ever. I fired myself off the job, and he then went through 5 more contractors to finish..m eventually denying payment to most of them and suing all of them.
Cynthia Hartley Investor from Washington, District of Columbia
replied 4 months agoAs a homeowner/investor, this is my 2 cents. I recently finished a full house rehab. None of my personal possessions were in the house, only materials and supplies. However, during the renovation process some items went missing; nothing super expensive, but on a full house rehab every penny counts. Owners need to take responsibility as well. Some lessons learned for future projects...
- I will give access to the lockbox to the PM and only the PM. He/She is accountable and responsible. If they give access to others, the PM is still accountable. I expect the PM to be on the site first thing in the morning to ensure the subs show up, and at the end of the day to ensure tasks were completed properly and on time. Subsequently, the PM should lock and unlock the house.
- I will rent a storage container to be positioned in the backyard and place all items that are not going to be used immediately in the storage container. If an item is purchased by the PM or a sub, the PM or sub is responsible for that item. If I purchase an item, I will have it on a materials list, and I will sign off that I provided that item and the PM will sign off that he received that item. He is now accountable for said materials.
- I will have a security camera in the house to monitor if anyone attempts to break in during the night. It may also help to identify if any items walk away during the work hours.
On future projects you may want to have a preliminary conversation with the PM and/or homeowner to establish expectations regarding personal property. It is always good to CYA.
Aaron McGinnis Contractor/Flipper from Atlanta, Georgia
replied 4 months agoPart and parcel of our standard contract for work is a disclaimer saying that the owner shall leave no material or possessions on site that they would cry over if it gets lost, dusty, or damaged.
We go to pretty extreme lengths to make sure that everyone on site is the honest sort with no criminal background, but... stuff happens.
Also, jobs need to run lean. No materials on site before they need to be used. Off site warehouse for fixtures. Minimize the opportunity for human error.
Nhi Nguyen Contractor / Flipper from Hayward, California
replied 4 months agoThanks for all solid inputs everyone. I talked to half of the crews. Will definitely address everyone, including HO and PM after New Year break. There are some very good suggestions I will implement for sure.
Manolo D. Contractor from Los Angeles, California
replied 4 months ago@Nhi Nguyen As usual, @Aaron McGinnis has great input, putting a clause that all valuable possessions must be removed from jobsite prior to job start. Theft is unavoidable unfortunate, but it can be minimized. The problem is you are a sub and it does not matter if you are there 100% of the time, a 1-time 1-man cleaner could have done it. Lockboxes are simply there for convenience, but since you don’t have exclusive access, i say not to worry about it. The owner should have removed valuables in the first place, and/or there should insurance covering it.
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