Minor rant thread. Post your rants o' the day here!

mad_machine said:

It's raining tonight.. so everyone is running around with their highbeams on because they can't see their own lights on the road.

After driving my Golf for about 70k miles, I really grew to appreciate lights that don't light up the road.  I don't care about seeing the road, I care about seeing things off in the distance.  You can't see things off in the distance if there is a bright spot on the road 10 feet in front of you.  Kills your night vision.

What also kills your vision is some doofus with HIDs lighting up the inside of your car.  It's really hard to drive with your eyes closed, but i'm getting better at it.

There's always that one guy. Relief guy comes in two minutes before his start. Ain't my berkeleyin' job to track you down for the lineup while you're making your breakfast sammich. I'm leavin' at my quit time, not staying past it. Not writing notes either. Good berkeleying luck shiny happy person. 

Limited permit parking here. Don't roll in 5-10 minutes before start and expect a spot. Get here early if ya want a close parking spot otherwise walk from the next lot. Some old berkeley senior guy gave me E36 M3. Show some respect, you're new here. That's not on my permit, shiny happy person. berkeley off.

I was being generous w/ a 50/50 rating on this job for the first twelve weeks. State job, low bid process, E36 M3 for tools and spare parts, doing other trades work because they're short. Not my berkeleying problem.

Pro tip: when even the TP sucks get the berkeley out. 

It's an interim job now, they don't pay me enough for all the bullE36 M3.

mad_machine said:

It's raining tonight.. so everyone is running around with their highbeams on because they can't see their own lights on the road.

Be grateful they're not running around with just their DRLs on.  In grey cars.  Because that's the usual MO around here.

In reply to fasted58 :

If you don't show up 15 minutes early here your getting anything out of anyone going home, nor should you.  

Rant: Slow car in the passing lane. 

Middle lane clear except a guy in that lane speeds up and holds his position next to you  so you are trapped.   

Grrrr.   This happens all the time in Houston. 

Either to me or I watch people do it to others.    WTF?

So I got an email notice from NJM, my car insurance people that my policy is overdue. Funny, I could have sworn I made a payment on friday? I go to my email and check.. nothing. Even a search brings up nothing but last month's payment. I log in, do a payment for $271, and get confirmation. As my email was still in search mode, both today's payment and friday's pops up. Yes, I just paid my insurance company $542. Oh well, that will take care of December's payment

So my unsettling premonitions have been realized.  It's been a few months now and my adopted pit bull has proven himself untrustworthy.  He escaped the fence today and was rounded up and put back by some good neighbors, then he escaped again (I'm at work) and went after my next door neighbors son in law.  No blood thank goodness but torn pants. 

I had really hoped this guy would work out but I cannot and will not have a dog of any sort that shows an inclination to bite.  Dammit.

In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :

That really sucks, sorry.

berkeleying sinus headaches. I'll go a few weeks without one but then I'll get 3-4 a week. One started after lunch today. Nausea, light, sound and smell sensivity. I wanna puke it hurts so bad but I still have to work another 4 hours .

In reply to stanger_missle :

That’s a full blown migraine buddy.  Eyes closed in a dark and quiet room is about the only solution.   Good luck.

follow up rant to earlier:  kids are taking this really hard.  It really sucks.

In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :

Luckily, I found/stole some ibuprofen from the boss. I usually end up puking from these.

I just loaded a 4D commercial battery in a customer's car. This is going to be a long 4 hours 

In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :

Sorry to hear about the pup . That's a terrible position to be in.

In reply to stanger_missle :

I agree with Allroad, you gots a migraine. For me, Excedrin migraine and a large volume of caffiene help to ward them off if I catch them early enough. None of the other painkillers I've tried (otc) have done anything for migraines.

Well, things are likely about to come to a head on the cabin. After the rain yesterday and snow today, I texted and asked the builder what the weather would do to his projected completion date- and he responded that it was likely going to take into January now to finish it.

This is like the 5th or 6th change of completion date for this project (all have been verbal)- the original one when we first signed was Sept. 1. The Dancer is determined that we're going to put an end to his constantly revising the dates by demanding that we get in writing that it will be finished by January 15th (60 more days) and that if it is not that we dock $100 per day over that date from the final payment. 

I've said my piece that I don't expect him to agree to that. On one hand I'm mildly sympathetic that the weather could well completely suck and make it impossible to hit that date- but there have literally been months where they didn't do a verdammt thing on the cabin over the last 6 months. Almost exactly quoting her, "If he can't agree to that we need to get another builder because completion dates are part of being a professional contractor."

She's not exactly wrong... but I think we stand to lose far more in this situation than the builder does if he just decides to say, "No." and either walks away or we fire him. Though there should be materials and likely funds from the first 2 disbursements that have not been used, I expect it would cost us more than they're worth to fight and get them back. And if we do manage to find another builder who will take up a half-completed project, I will be VERY VERY SHOCKED if it doesn't cost us a solid amount more than the initial build was supposed to not to mention it will DEFINITELY not be done before the 1 year limit on our construction contract is past. AND the bank has already said that with the issues they're already had, that they're not too likely to approve an extension on it. 

There's not a 'good' solution at this point... but I'm afraid that the route she's determined that we take will be more costly and take more time (and, potentially, result in the cabin simply not getting finished at all) than staying the course.

In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :

Dock $1000/day if it's not completed. They're just going to Dick you around until you're broke or you sue them out of existence.

When September first came and went for a completion date was when the whole contract and docking should have started. 

You're being to soft and to nice. It's not their money they're tying up, it's not their wife getting upset about things. Your paying them to do a job that they aren't doing. It's time for them to shape up or ship out. 

I’d start with a notice “we’re very disappointed in how little progress there has been for the duration of the project. More delays will result in our consultation with our lawyer”

Having been homebuilding-industry-adjacent for most of my life, I think your builder knows that he's got you over a barrel.  It's going to cost you a lot more to get someone to pinch-hit plus you have a very hard and fast drop-dead date from the bank.  He isn't going to have any reason to agree to any overage penalties at this point unless there's something in the original contract.

I know that not all contractors are like that, but like auto mechanics, they're are enough of them to give the whole bunch a really bad rap.

A neighbor has had an alarm going off for the last 4 hours. Fortunately I have plenty of rum. I neither care nor doubt that the looters have gotten what they came for.

If you live with chronic sinus headaches, this eventually seems like a viable option:

Ashyukun (Robert) said:

Well, things are likely about to come to a head on the cabin. After the rain yesterday and snow today, I texted and asked the builder what the weather would do to his projected completion date- and he responded that it was likely going to take into January now to finish it.

This is like the 5th or 6th change of completion date for this project (all have been verbal)- the original one when we first signed was Sept. 1. The Dancer is determined that we're going to put an end to his constantly revising the dates by demanding that we get in writing that it will be finished by January 15th (60 more days) and that if it is not that we dock $100 per day over that date from the final payment. 

I've said my piece that I don't expect him to agree to that. On one hand I'm mildly sympathetic that the weather could well completely suck and make it impossible to hit that date- but there have literally been months where they didn't do a verdammt thing on the cabin over the last 6 months. Almost exactly quoting her, "If he can't agree to that we need to get another builder because completion dates are part of being a professional contractor."

She's not exactly wrong... but I think we stand to lose far more in this situation than the builder does if he just decides to say, "No." and either walks away or we fire him. Though there should be materials and likely funds from the first 2 disbursements that have not been used, I expect it would cost us more than they're worth to fight and get them back. And if we do manage to find another builder who will take up a half-completed project, I will be VERY VERY SHOCKED if it doesn't cost us a solid amount more than the initial build was supposed to not to mention it will DEFINITELY not be done before the 1 year limit on our construction contract is past. AND the bank has already said that with the issues they're already had, that they're not too likely to approve an extension on it. 

There's not a 'good' solution at this point... but I'm afraid that the route she's determined that we take will be more costly and take more time (and, potentially, result in the cabin simply not getting finished at all) than staying the course.

A couple of thoughts:

Weather is a factor now, and if he didnt realize that hes an idiot. While stuff can happen, and as i remember there were some holdups, winter is not a good time to work on houses.

Fining him $100 a day will probably mean he wont finish the job ever, at a certain point he will do the math and just walk away.

Firing him will mean your job isnt done by january. The chances that you will be able to find someone new to do the job right away is pretty slim, and if he isnt busy.....theres a reason hes not. How much time is left before the 1 year cutoff?

Best of luck regardless

Appleseed said:

If you live with chronic sinus headaches, this eventually seems like a viable option:

In reply to Mike :

That won't fix a completely deviated septum. I wish it would. 

EastCoastMojo said:

In reply to stanger_missle :

Excedrin migraine and a large volume of caffiene help to ward them off if I catch them early enough. None of the other painkillers I've tried (otc) have done anything for migraines.

Excedrin Migraine is my boss's go-to as well.

Duke said:

EastCoastMojo said:

In reply to stanger_missle :

Excedrin migraine and a large volume of caffiene help to ward them off if I catch them early enough. None of the other painkillers I've tried (otc) have done anything for migraines.

Excedrin Migraine is my boss's go-to as well.

I eat that E36 M3 like Skittles. Only thing that makes me functional most days. 

Antihero said:

Ashyukun (Robert) said:

There's not a 'good' solution at this point... but I'm afraid that the route she's determined that we take will be more costly and take more time (and, potentially, result in the cabin simply not getting finished at all) than staying the course.

A couple of thoughts:

Weather is a factor now, and if he didnt realize that hes an idiot. While stuff can happen, and as i remember there were some holdups, winter is not a good time to work on houses.

Fining him $100 a day will probably mean he wont finish the job ever, at a certain point he will do the math and just walk away.

Firing him will mean your job isnt done by january. The chances that you will be able to find someone new to do the job right away is pretty slim, and if he isnt busy.....theres a reason hes not. How much time is left before the 1 year cutoff?

Best of luck regardless

All this.  You'll never get him to agree to liquidated damages / penalty if it wasn't in the original contract.  There's absolutely no reason for him to, and you have no legal leg to stand on in trying to inflict them now.  He absolutely will do the math and figure out exactly when to walk away from the job permanently.  If you piss him off, that date will be sooner rather than later.  With the bidding climate what it is right now, he most likely ahs a backlog of other jobs he can move directly on to.  Either that or he's bust and none of his subs will work his jobs.

I agree with mtn, write him a certified letter saying that you are now 3 months past the agreed-upon finish date, and you need to see prompt action or you will be forced to consult your attorney.  Explain in detail the terms of your loan and that it requires completion absolutely no later than X date.

Also, don't forget that your bank inspector caused a good-weather delay of the project.  However many weeks that was, the contractor is going to point directly at that.

Good luck, man.