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We just thought we would post this message for people in the Puna area to read so they may not make the same mistake we did.
We hired a landscaping/masonry contractor: "Higa Masonry" owner: "David Higa". We hired him to build a rockwall, put in a concrete driveway, and install a chainlink fence on our property in HPP. We wanted someone who was a licensed contractor to do the work.
Well they started off fine....but then they started slowing down to maybe showing up once a week until after 6 weeks they just didn't show at all. Thats right....we got taken. They just disappeared after paying them half down to start and getting less than 1/4 of the work done (part of the rockwall, no chainlink fence and no concrete driveway). We then checked his business license number, and it turn out to be a bogas number. His phone number and cell phone that had worked before didn't work now and his address was also bogas.
We reported him to the Dept of Commerce/ State License Board and they did find him and fined him for operating his business without a license.We asked them how much he was fined... and they wouldn't tell us except to say that it was a substanial amount. But they couldn't do anything for us with regard to the money we lost. They told us we would have to hire a lawyer
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What a warm a fuzzy that the state can get "their" money.
Ever why the fine system doesn't pay those victimized first and then the state?
David
Ninole Resident
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You are correct loffelkopffl, there are bad apples in every basket.
quote:
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They get away with what they can get away with it.
unfortuanetly this includes realators as well, IMHO
Aloha,
John S. Rabi, ABR,CM,CRB,FHS,PB,RB
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
75-5870 Walua Road, Suite 101
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
(808)327-3185
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A further addition to Cathys' post. Make sure that the contractor is bonded & insured & check their policies. There are two different types of insurance policies, one pays on claim made within the policy dates, and the other pays on claims made on work done within the policy dates. Years ago we had a contrator with a policy that required claims to be made within the policy date. His work did not pass inspection and he dragged his feet, promising to correct until way after the policy date past. We found out during the lawsuit, that had to be filed to rectify the the whole mess he left us with, that he was at the beginning stages of a divorce when we contracted him, his wife was his business partner, and as our house rehab went on, basically he didn't really care about his business, as his wife was was liquidating it, and he didn't care for his business partner, as she was divorcing him.....SOOO, check the fine print in the insurance policy (if he had had a warrenty policy that covered his work, we would have saved time & money & legal crap) and also check his business partners, especially if they are "just family", no telling what can happen on their home front while your house is being worked on!
Aloha, Carey
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hi, someone correct me if i am wrong, but in hawaii a licenced contractor can only ask 10% down... so just him asking 50% should have been a warning sign...
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to easily check and see if their license is current go to:
http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl
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Can only ask for 10% down?! There is no such a law. However, if you get a construction loan the bank will not release the next draw until the previous stage of the construction is finished. The final payment is due AFTER the house passed the final inspection.
Aloha,
John S. Rabi, ABR,CM,CRB,FHS,PB,RB
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
75-5870 Walua Road, Suite 101
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
(808)327-3185
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A footnote to my earlier post about "being taken" by a local contractor. Right after the contractor was fined by the state for not having a contractors license, he contacted me and told me what happened and what had happened with the state....and that he had a death in the family and that he wanted to make things right with us. We agreed for him to continue what was outlined in our contract and that he would be down here with his crew to finish the job. He never showed. That was 3 months ago. The only salvageable thing that came about this loss was that I was able to write off a portion of the loss on my taxes.
I guess we were alittle nieve in giving half down to start but we had just retired and moved here from the mainland and just figured that this was a customary practice in hawaii. When we had our house built here, we paid in thirds: 30% framing, 30% rough in utilities, and 40% on final inspection. But since our house cost alot more than the contract price for our lot improvements.....we thought it was within reason.
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one of my clients is an electrical contractor, they charge 40% to start, on smaller jobs 60%. once work is done it is difficult to collect if the customer doesn't pay.(unless it's a bonded job of course)another client who does bulldozing just did a small job without any money down and the guy won't pay, now it's a pain in the a** to file a lien(has to be done in honolulu)for such a small amount. just thought i'd let you know there is a flip side. aloha
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I try to do as much as I can myself, but when that's not practical an option which has worked well is to buy the materials myself and make them available to the contractor on site as needed. The contractor gets labor progress payments only but as often as he or she requests. I pay cash if they prefer. The contractor can take a hike any time they want, and I'm not out anything. Likewise, if their work is not up to my standards, and they don't correct it, I settle at the end of that work day, and the job for them is over. Clearly, this wouldn't work on big jobs, but for my stuff it's been fine. I've even had crew members come back later and ask if I needed help with anything else.
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