stoneycrusty
Member
What is the name of your state? Ohio
We put up a modular home last year. Contacted a local plumber to give estimate to rough-in plumbing in basement. Gave verbal estimate of "around $700.00". We agreed, work was done. At that time discussed with plumber getting estimate to complete plumbing in home when home was set. Never received bill for initial rough-in work. Contacted plumber when house was set to come give estimate to connect water to home and complete drain and water lines inside home. Took plumber thru entire home to point everything out and also discussed at that time putting in new well pump for better water pressure. Received written estimate for $1740.00. Work was completed. Expected bill to be around $2400.00. Two weeks later received bill for $5700.00. When asked why the discrepancy, plumber stated that the estimate was only to get water to the house that I should have known that estimate was not for the whole job. He asserted that he told me that the rest of the work was based on "time and material." I told him that I disagreed with that statement. We asked to come meet with him to discuss this bill and a possible compromise as this may have been miscommunication on both our parts. He refused and told us the bill was not going to change. We contacted lawyer and subsequently we went to court over this. At first his argument was that we broke the contract. After the pre-trial though they changed this to "quantum merit." His whole argument was that he told me that all work inside the home would be billed by actual time and material costs. The court ordered that his "time and material" claim failed because he never informed me of the charges for "time." The court did however decide that since he had already done the work that we should pay for the cost of all material and the disputed labor hours at minimum wage plus filing costs and interest from date of filing. Amounted to judgment of $4200.00. Now this judgment reflects negatively on my credit report as well as has created financial hardship because of unexpected expense as well as $1800 in attorney fees. I guess what really upsets me is that I asked to try and negotiate this without legal action and he refused. The court essentially denied his claims but I incur all the negative consequences. Do I have any course of action as far as having a derogatory entry on my credit report as well as the fact that because he didn't give me a correct estimate that I now have had to put the amount that the court awarded over the estimate on a credit card because I was on a budget as far as my construction loan?
We put up a modular home last year. Contacted a local plumber to give estimate to rough-in plumbing in basement. Gave verbal estimate of "around $700.00". We agreed, work was done. At that time discussed with plumber getting estimate to complete plumbing in home when home was set. Never received bill for initial rough-in work. Contacted plumber when house was set to come give estimate to connect water to home and complete drain and water lines inside home. Took plumber thru entire home to point everything out and also discussed at that time putting in new well pump for better water pressure. Received written estimate for $1740.00. Work was completed. Expected bill to be around $2400.00. Two weeks later received bill for $5700.00. When asked why the discrepancy, plumber stated that the estimate was only to get water to the house that I should have known that estimate was not for the whole job. He asserted that he told me that the rest of the work was based on "time and material." I told him that I disagreed with that statement. We asked to come meet with him to discuss this bill and a possible compromise as this may have been miscommunication on both our parts. He refused and told us the bill was not going to change. We contacted lawyer and subsequently we went to court over this. At first his argument was that we broke the contract. After the pre-trial though they changed this to "quantum merit." His whole argument was that he told me that all work inside the home would be billed by actual time and material costs. The court ordered that his "time and material" claim failed because he never informed me of the charges for "time." The court did however decide that since he had already done the work that we should pay for the cost of all material and the disputed labor hours at minimum wage plus filing costs and interest from date of filing. Amounted to judgment of $4200.00. Now this judgment reflects negatively on my credit report as well as has created financial hardship because of unexpected expense as well as $1800 in attorney fees. I guess what really upsets me is that I asked to try and negotiate this without legal action and he refused. The court essentially denied his claims but I incur all the negative consequences. Do I have any course of action as far as having a derogatory entry on my credit report as well as the fact that because he didn't give me a correct estimate that I now have had to put the amount that the court awarded over the estimate on a credit card because I was on a budget as far as my construction loan?