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Pool Contractor property damage

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getlucky

Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Tx

Neighbors hired pool contractor and he took fence down separating my house from theirs to get a backhoe through, caused damage to A\C compressor, water line, and landscaping. I was able to get him o replace the compressor with a used unit and repair the water line however they fired him due to shotty work and now im stuck having to repair the rest of the damage. I need some advice on how to recover some of the expense to fix remainder of the issues. Thanks
 


xylene

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Tx

Neighbors hired pool contractor and he took fence down separating my house from theirs to get a backhoe through, caused damage to A\C compressor, water line, and landscaping. I was able to get him o replace the compressor with a used unit and repair the water line however they fired him due to shotty work and now im stuck having to repair the rest of the damage. I need some advice on how to recover some of the expense to fix remainder of the issues. Thanks
Sue the neighbor and contractor.
 

quincy

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Tx

Neighbors hired pool contractor and he took fence down separating my house from theirs to get a backhoe through, caused damage to A\C compressor, water line, and landscaping. I was able to get him o replace the compressor with a used unit and repair the water line however they fired him due to shotty work and now im stuck having to repair the rest of the damage. I need some advice on how to recover some of the expense to fix remainder of the issues. Thanks
I recommend you contact your insurance agent and report the damage done to your property by your neighbor's contractor.
 

getlucky

Member
I contacted my homeowners insurance, they said it would cover the damage but i would have to cover my 1800.00 deductible and it just seems unfair id have to pay for any of it.
 

quincy

Senior Member
I contacted my homeowners insurance, they said it would cover the damage but i would have to cover my 1800.00 deductible and it just seems unfair id have to pay for any of it.
You can submit a claim to the contractor's insurance company and/or you can sue the contractor for any damages not covered by your own insurance company (e.g., your deductible).
 

getlucky

Member
Yes, that was my thinking too. Unfortunately they chose this guy because he low balled the job(reason they fired him) he had no insurance, bond, and was using someone elses business name as his own. I even offered to split the costs of replacing the fence with neighbors but they refused, my concern also is my backyard is accessible to anyone now and my kids are home for summer alone while we're at work and it worries me a bit.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Yes, that was my thinking too. Unfortunately they chose this guy because he low balled the job(reason they fired him) he had no insurance, bond, and was using someone elses business name as his own. I even offered to split the costs of replacing the fence with neighbors but they refused, my concern also is my backyard is accessible to anyone now and my kids are home for summer alone while we're at work and it worries me a bit.
You are probably best off, then, having your own insurance cover the repair costs (minus deductible) and then sue both the contractor and your neighbor for your out-of-pocket costs.

You can speak with an attorney in your area to see if there are other legal options available for you to consider. I don't see any offhand.

Good luck.
 

getlucky

Member
Well I bought the house about 6 years ago and the fence was already up, according to them the fence was theirs though so the call on taking the fence down was theirs. I did however agree with the contractor that any damage was to be repaired by him. I guess Ill just bite the bullet and take this as a learning experience, It just doesnt sit well with me that the neighbors themselves have no responsibilty for the damage that the person they hired and then subsequently fired did. I also did a bit of reading last night on filing a claim through small claims and its my understanding that even if i do win the chances of me getting any actual money isnt guaranteed. Thank you all for your responses, if anyone has anything else that may help please post up. Have a great day..
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Well I bought the house about 6 years ago and the fence was already up, according to them the fence was theirs though so the call on taking the fence down was theirs. I did however agree with the contractor that any damage was to be repaired by him. I guess Ill just bite the bullet and take this as a learning experience, It just doesnt sit well with me that the neighbors themselves have no responsibilty for the damage that the person they hired and then subsequently fired did. I also did a bit of reading last night on filing a claim through small claims and its my understanding that even if i do win the chances of me getting any actual money isnt guaranteed. Thank you all for your responses, if anyone has anything else that may help please post up. Have a great day..
You've got a leg up on some folks who try to collect a judgment. You know where these folks live, and they own property.
 

quincy

Senior Member
... It just doesnt sit well with me that the neighbors themselves have no responsibilty for the damage that the person they hired and then subsequently fired did ...
It appears that the only damage that has NOT been taken care of by the contractor so far is the damage to your landscaping.

You said the contractor replaced your damaged A/C compressor and the contractor repaired the damaged water line. The fence belonged to the neighbors and so it was within their rights to take it down. They can choose not to replace it, even if you found their fence of benefit to you. If you want to replace the fence, it appears the cost will be on you.

If your landscaping is not badly damaged, you can probably take care of fixing your property for less than the $1800 deductible. Filing a claim with your insurer would not make financial sense. You could hand over any landscaping-repair bills to the contractor or your neighbors to see if they will pay voluntarily - or you could take the neighbors and the contractor to court - or you could eat the cost. It really depends on what damage was done and how much it will cost to repair.

Good luck.
 

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