In Sept of 05 my wife and I decided it was time to paint the inside of our house, it's time and our son is graduating in May 06. I have a patient/friend that has a painting business and he owes me lots of $$$$$$ (workers comp case). Anyway I know I'll never get paid monetarily so I suggested he do it. I provide materials and he supplies labor. She was hesitant but agreed since that's the only way we'd get any type of compensation for services rendered. Talk to patient/friend and suggest he paint the inside of our house. He was hesitant until I said that I'll pay for materials and he provide the labor at his regular rate against his bill. Well he's was all over that arrangement. I then tell him there is only one stipulation, it has to be done by the week BEFORE my son graduates in May, "no problem he says, for as much as you've done for me and my family that's the least I can do".

Fast forward, after several reminders he finally calls. "I'm ready to start, I'll be there Monday"(5-8-06). No show calls that night says he's run into problems on another job and it's taking longer. Anyway I call him 5-11-06 and tell him "we NEED to get his job done and bring me the trim paint" as I'm painting the trim to help speed the process along. When he brings the paint over 0n 5-11-06 he's complaining how this other job has gotten him behind and he's coming over on Mother's Day to paint at our house. I told him "no, your not coming over here on Mother's Day to paint", his reponse "well you can't blame me then if your house isn't done by graduation" (5-19-06). I look at him like you've got to be kidding. This man has known since October of 05 that he was to paint our house and now because he mismanages his time, wants the $$$$ paying job and I don't want him painting in my house on Mother's Day it's my fault he's not going to be done. I gave the man 6 months time to work us in inbetween cash jobs. To top it off the trim paint he got, Behr takes two coats to cover properly. It's Behr Snow white being painted over antique white. Now it's taking me twice as long to paint the trim then I anticipated. To try and get things finished he tells me that he's going to ask his son to help him, I figure whatever that's his concern. Then today in polite conversation as he's talking about coming to my sons graduation party, he says "I hope you don't mind I hired Adam (his son) to help me so I can get this done." So now I know he's going to submit a bill to me to pay for his son since he'd have to pay him on any other job. I'm trying to keep my cool here and not just blow up at him. The way I see it hiring his son is his problem/expense not miine. If I say anything I lose a "friend/patient" (no loss there as he doesn't pay me). I really think the world of his wife and that's the only reason I haven't blown up.

I think I'm going to tell him to figure up what I "owe him" for the work done, tell him to get the mateials I've already paid for 600.00 and I'll finish the job on my own. The problem with this is it will take me a while with everything else I've got going on. Family tryingto finish camaro restoration yard work this time of year, etc....

Should I do this? Let him finish and pay his son or what? The total square footage he says he's painting is 1601 sq ft @ .50 and 572 sq ft @ .65 (foyer with two story celing and walls reason for the additional .15/sq ft.) To me seems high but I figure so what as I'm not having to lay the cash out since he owes me 4X what he's charging me. I'm just so PO'd right now. Seems like when I try and help people I end up getting burned bad.

Suggestions and advice would be welcome. TIA Pete

One lesson I learned years ago,...NEVER mix friendship with business. Especially that bartering system. That rarely works out.
You're a chiropractor right?? Give him a slight "adjustment".
Crack, snap,.....take dat' with ya!
Cut your losses, sever the business relationship, get the job done yourself and move on.

Been their done that, and never do it again!

If this fellow doesn't pay you anyways you might as well get some work out of him to recoop losses in some way... that's assuming he will be able to actually finish in time.

Jim-Chiropractor, yes

1bad- that's what I'm begining to think

joey- there is no way he'll have the job completed on time. He'll be lucky to have 1/3 of it done.

Pete

Hey, I have an idea tell him for good pain management (for what ever is hurting him) Its a good idea to pull some weeds around the house and mow your grass (For The next 10 Years) LOL

Dont know about all the other stuff but you should NOT pay / foot ANY bill for a subcontractor which is what his son equates to. That payment doesnt come from the hiring party it comes from the contactor to the sub-contractor. Whenever someone pulls in extra staff because they cannot get a job done it comes out of their pocket and their pocket only. You had an agreement, he accepted it - END of story. Whatever his son is paid comes from him.

Seems like when I try and help people I end up getting burned bad.
Thats what happens. Been in your shoes and only one thing saved me. My newfound belief that ALL is fare in love and business. People in the mob liked eachother and were friends but when it came to business or lack thereof they'd whack you. Nothing personal - just business. Dont cheat me or go around me or you'll suffer the financial and business equivalent of a mob hit. You've made your concesions and he's getting one hell of a deal. You had an agreement. Either stand your ground right now with this guy, learn to seperate business and friendship - not that hard to do it just has to be said - and truly understand that nice guys REALLY do finish last when it comes to business (out on a limb, doing everyone favors at your own expense, screwing yourself out of hard earned and deserved wages just to avoid someone feeling "uncomfortable" etc)

I hire and use alot of painters in my profession, and have come to the conclusion, that in order to be a housepainter, you gotta be flaky as hell. Maybe it's the fumes, maybe it's just the mentality of the job, or whatever I don't know. Just seems that I'm alway's looking for a good painter, I even pay well to boot.

I hire and use alot of painters in my profession, and have come to the conclusion, that in order to be a housepainter, you gotta be flaky as hell. Maybe it's the fumes, maybe it's just the mentality of the job, or whatever I don't know. Just seems that I'm alway's looking for a good painter, I even pay well to boot.


Or maybe its the "smoke a joint and drink 3 beers" lunch breaks.

I worked construction for quite a few years in my teens and from roofers to HVAC, framers and on painters seem to be the most difficult to deal with. I know a few and yes, they're pretty much always loaded and drinking at lunch. Maybe its cause if they screw up buildings dont collapse and injury on the job is pretty much limited to shooting yourself in the eyes cause you had the paintgun facing the wrong way or getting smacked around by another contractor. Whatever it is / was the groups of them I ran across liked liquid lunches and werent always the most thorough and ethical guys on the sites.

Or maybe its the "smoke a joint and drink 3 beers" lunch breaks.

I worked construction for quite a few years in my teens and from roofers to HVAC, framers and on painters seem to be the most difficult to deal with. I know a few and yes, they're pretty much always loaded and drinking at lunch. Maybe its cause if they screw up buildings dont collapse and injury on the job is pretty much limited to shooting yourself in the eyes cause you had the paintgun facing the wrong way or getting smacked around by another contractor. Whatever it is / was the groups of them I ran across liked liquid lunches and werent always the most thorough and ethical guys on the sites.

i know a lot of people in the industry, and you know what? that's pretty much how it is. i don't mean to bash, but my painter buddies that work, are all rich, the rest of them do nothing but bitch. i've had them in the middle of painting my dinning room, and go on vacation, just up and leave for 4 or 5 days. i don't know how these guys survive.....

you just can't be nice to some people. Obviously a leach, sue the SOB for what he owes you and hire a real pro to do the painting. I've been there and done this so many times.

don't pay the son, like others have said, HE decided to bring his boy to finish the job he owes you money for doing (well, not yet done.... or even started)

I'll say that Behr paint will never be used again in my house or on my house...... i've had problems with it as well as others I have known..... i'll use sherwin williams if I cannot get Graham http://www.grahampaint.com/core.htm

and i have also learned my lesson about hiring friends...... i had a few things done by friends, never again...... the worst? a guy I have known for 30 years was doing my concrete..... the flatwork turned out OK, but the porch..... the risers were off (6.75", 7.25" and 8.25") the porch wasn't square, the forms blew out and the top sloped towards the house pushing the water to the house instead of away from it...... it was so bad the building inspector failed the job. when i started telling raul about this, he said he had a few of his friends and his boss look at the job and they said i was being picky and an a$$hole for wanting the porch & stairs removed and rebuilt at no cost to me....... long story short, after many weeks of "yeah, ok, i'll be there" he never showed up & i ended up tearing the porch out (why the hell did he need 10" of concrete on the top???? i'm not parking a back hoe on it for gods sake) building the forms and laying the concrete my own damn self.

Some of you guys' observations about shoddy painters hold true, seen plenty of hit and run work myself. But there are a few good crews out there. I worked on one for a year, with my neighbor, who's the foreman. We were on the job at 7a.m. every day, no excuses. We got behind due to the boss' underestimation of the job, but it's his loss, and he learned from his mistakes. Only once did I ever see/participate in a bad job. That was due wholly to the arrogant real estate guy who had to go out of his way to call the power co. to turn on the electricity, so we could use grinders and the spray pump. He showed up with a bad attitude, and ****ed off the boss. He said "I'm not payin' for grinding and spraying, only scraping and rolling." So that's what he got. We were out of there quick. ;)

As far as the hit and run companies, one that I've had the displeasure of working with professionally in the past rolled in to the shop I work at now last month, to paint all of the buildings. They started with ours, it's at the far end of the compound. I told the guys I work with before they even started that it'd be interesting. It was. They screwed up our building so bad, they spent 3 days sanding it back down to get the runs out. :clonk: :D Didn't see those guys after they got done sanding. Different crew came in after that. From my experience with them, they'll do a crappy job, and smile all the way to the bank unless someone calls them on it. Hit and run. :sad:

HI , The first thing you need to do is get him out of your House,2nd don;t even think of having his son with no experiance to help him.The cost of painting to me seems a little high per sf,but I sould not say because I no nothing about the House. I even hope that at this point you even get your supply money back or equal back in Paint. I am a Painting contractor fo 22 years with 6 full time Painters, we work year round and only get our work from references only,my customers pay me after the job is done I never take deposits and I never had trouble getting paid. I would like to help you to get on the right track, you can pm with your pnone number or I will give you mine Herb duggan

This is why I do that stuff myself, along with everything else. You can spend six months hassling with someone who will halfass it and take your money, or you can do it yourself in a week.

This is why I do that stuff myself, along with everything else. You can spend six months hassling with someone who will halfass it and take your money, or you can do it yourself in a week.

Usually I do these things by myself. Unfortunately it would take me more than a week, with my work schedule and family obligations. I was trying to help the guy out and get the job done in a short time frame. Now my trying to help him out has come back and bit me in the butt. Pete

LIke they say, no good deed goes unpunished:)

My neighbor is a dentist and does A LOT of bartering. Seems to have worked out well for him BUT he's got a very established practice (25+ years) and he's got alot of money. So, if he gets the short end of the stick sometimes, he doesn't get upset. Generally, the ones that are into him for big money show up on a moments notice and do whatever he needs. If they didn't, I'm sure he'd just tell them to take a hike. Which is what I'd suggest here. If you do it politely, he might get the message and get it done. Good luck.