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Handyman troubles

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siouxzque

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Oregon

In my hometown, I have used handymen for various things in the past with great success. Well I moved to Oregon and thought I could find a good handyman here but I was wrong. I have had a hard time finding a licensed contractor because they are all so busy, so I hired a handyman to set some cabinets, build countertops, apply laminate tops with backsplashes. The whole job was supposed to cost $800 for his labor, I already had all the materials. I decided on the second day of the job, that he might not know what he was doing as he only set five of the 10 cabinets I had so I told him that I no longer needed his services. On top of that he managed to ding one of my cabinets leaving a mark that I had to repair. I told him to send me a bill. He billed me for $500, since this is a ridiculous amount for the work he did, I have basically ignored it. Well now he has taken to leaving me many messages on my cell phone saying I owe him $500.

Now, I have a licensed contractor doing the job and he said $500 for that amount of work is preposterous. He told me he wanted a job where you get $100 per every cabinet set, lol, sounds like a good gig to me too.

I feel that the handyman is trying to rip me off, because I didn't have him finish the job. I feel just like reporting him to the Oregon CCB (Construction Contractor Board) so they can go after him. The bill he sent me is for "Services Rendered" and that is all.

He kind of creeps me out. His phone number comes across on caller ID as "private" and I am supposed to send my check to a P.O. Box. We never signed any sort of contract and he seems kind of shady. I have about five voicemails from him, demanding that I call him/pay him, but I really don't think $500 was a fair bill. I think maybe a couple hundred bucks would be fair, but $500?

Yes, I know, I shouldn't have hired an unlicensed person, but I was desperate, so don't scold me for that.
 
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gawm

Senior Member
Was there any kind of written agreement about what was to be done, when it would be completed by, and how much should be paid? That's were you messed up if there wasn't. You claim he was to put in 10 cabinets for $800 but only put in 5. I'd say you owe him $400 minus the cost to repair the cabinet that he damaged. That sounds like a good compromise, see if he will accept it.
 

siouxzque

Junior Member
There were 10 cabinets but**************

he only set 5 of them. There was no written agreement at all. He was supposed to set 10 cabinets, AND build the deck on top for the laminate, AND apply the laminate AND apply a 18 inch backsplash for $800 labor. He only set half the cabinets. He didn't do the deck on them, apply the laminate nor do the backsplash on any of the cabinets he set and now he wants to charge me $500 for an $800 job that is about maybe 25% done.

My brother, who used to do construction, said this guy sounds like a scammer and to just turn him over to the Construction Contractors Board of Oregon and they'll just fine him for working without a license. I would give him $200 for the partial job just to be rid of him, but he has taken to calling and hanging up ten times a day, so I don't feel like giving him anything, since he seems to think I owe him $500.
 

pojo2

Senior Member
He was supposed to set 10 cabinets, AND build the deck on top for the laminate, AND apply the laminate AND apply a 18 inch backsplash for $800 labor.

I sure do wish I could get all that work done in my hood for 800.00!
 

sperts

Junior Member
siouxzque said:
What is the name of your state? Oregon

In my hometown, I have used handymen for various things in the past with great success. Well I moved to Oregon and thought I could find a good handyman here but I was wrong. I have had a hard time finding a licensed contractor because they are all so busy, so I hired a handyman to set some cabinets, build countertops, apply laminate tops with backsplashes. The whole job was supposed to cost $800 for his labor, I already had all the materials. I decided on the second day of the job, that he might not know what he was doing as he only set five of the 10 cabinets I had so I told him that I no longer needed his services. On top of that he managed to ding one of my cabinets leaving a mark that I had to repair. I told him to send me a bill. He billed me for $500, since this is a ridiculous amount for the work he did, I have basically ignored it. Well now he has taken to leaving me many messages on my cell phone saying I owe him $500.

Now, I have a licensed contractor doing the job and he said $500 for that amount of work is preposterous. He told me he wanted a job where you get $100 per every cabinet set, lol, sounds like a good gig to me too.

I feel that the handyman is trying to rip me off, because I didn't have him finish the job. I feel just like reporting him to the Oregon CCB (Construction Contractor Board) so they can go after him. The bill he sent me is for "Services Rendered" and that is all.

He kind of creeps me out. His phone number comes across on caller ID as "private" and I am supposed to send my check to a P.O. Box. We never signed any sort of contract and he seems kind of shady. I have about five voicemails from him, demanding that I call him/pay him, but I really don't think $500 was a fair bill. I think maybe a couple hundred bucks would be fair, but $500?

Yes, I know, I shouldn't have hired an unlicensed person, but I was desperate, so don't scold me for that.
$500 for two days work is cheap by carpentry standards.
 

siouxzque

Junior Member
Yes

If it was two days worth of work, it would be a deal, but two days to set five cabinets is absurd. Today, my licensed contractor set the other five cabinets and had to make some adjustments to the already set cabinets because they were incorrect. Then cut out and applied double layer of plywood for the decks, did all the edge work and we are ready to apply laminate tomorrow. He told me that $500 for the work that guy did was "way out of line" which confirms my suspicions that the handyman is a scammer.

The contractor did all this work today in five hours and will be finished tomorrow. He is also only $200 over the so-called handyman's bid. I have learned my lesson, only stay with licensed guys, lol. :)
 

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