(builder) am i liable.

By on July 31st, 2010

i refurbished a kitchen 2 years ago.

knocked out a chimney fitted some steal work plaster board and skim wall’s etc.

i got a little behind on the time scale as i was messed about the the electrician which then got in the way of the kitchen fitter who could now not fit it for a month.

so to save the agro and the fact the job was behind i said i would fit the kitchen for free.

two yrs later i get a phone call saying cabinet has fallen off.

i fitted it using 100mm screws and it was solid when i left the job.

the owner of the house wants me to pay for the contence of the cabinet (drinking glasses) then pay to have it refitted and all the others refitted for his piece of mind.

if it had been a week after i had finished the job or even 6 months they yh maybe i didnt fit it right.
but two years.

i tried to explain that maybe a brick has cracked/popped and the plug shot loose but he isnt have none of it.

where do i stand.

Could you please review my story. 10 points :).

By on July 30th, 2010

It was quiet. Not the type of quite that you get once everyone’s gone to bed, no, it was the type of quiet that you feel in your bones; eerie and unnatural. Her eyes got accustomed to the darkness soon after she was rudely awakened by an ear-splitting crash from somewhere within the large house. She didn’t want to move for fear of the person under her bed jumping out with an axe and murdering her but common sense and curiosity got the better of her. Now, she didn’t really believe there was some strange person under her bed wanting to kill her, of course not, she just felt insecure about being in the dark. She quickly reasoned with herself that the longer she waited, the longer she would be in darkness and so quickly swung her legs over the side of her bed and made a dash for the door where there was a light switch. ‘Click’ and the bedroom was lit up revealing with it that she was, in fact, alone. Relief rushed through her body until she remembered why it was she was up in the first place.
She could have stood at her door all night as her mind raced with all the possible scenarios; it could be a burglar, after all, she was the only occupant so it couldn’t be a friend. Perhaps a bird had somehow flown in and was trapped or maybe she had just imagined the noise. There was no other way to find out except to go down the stairs and inspect for herself; and so she did. Upon reaching the last step, that first thing she noticed was that the front door was open. She stopped as a shiver ran down her spine and goose bumps rose upon her skin, maybe she wasn’t alone after all. There was an umbrella by the foot of the stairs so she quickly grabbed it as some sort of protection; as if it would stop any intruder from hurting her if they so wished. As she continued her investigations she vaguely thought she must look like one of those stupid women you see in horror films, the ones that you scream at to not go through the door but they do anyway because that’s where the crazy, axe wielding person from under the bed is hiding behind the door.
After watching all of those movies, she had always told herself she wouldn’t be that stupid. Yet here she was, walking to her probable doom. Picking up what was left of her courage she slowly entered the kitchen, clutching her ‘weapon’ and hoping to God that she wouldn’t be met by anyone. It was one of those times that, even if you don’t believe in a higher power, you suddenly find yourself praying to one that nothing bad happens. As she wondered further into the dark depths of her kitchen, it suddenly felt very unfamiliar, as if it didn’t belong to her yet still she ploughed onwards. There was no sign of an intruder thus far but the hair on the back of her neck stood up as she approached the pantry at the very back of the room. She held her breath as she reached out a shaking hand to take hold of the door handle. There was a moment of absolute terror once the door slowly swung open. Nothing. She heaved a sigh of relief but it was short lived once she turned around; her scream pierced the cold night air like a knife.

whats a “cheap” price on a house.

By on July 29th, 2010

how cheap does a house get. whats “expensive” in house talk.
what would you guess a house with: a nice sized master bed, big/medium sized bath modern appliances bought within 5-6 years. a kitchen with a large counter space or a island with appliances bought within 5-6 years/modern. and a house with wood floors through most of it. would it be cheaper to build a house or to buy a nice house that needs a spritz of remodeling here or there. as far as remodeling how much would you think this would be (if needed):knocking out a wall or adding french doors or fixing a few cracks maybe redoing a kitchen and bath,if remodeling isn’t needed,adding some puhzaz if.
is it cheaper to buy a fixer-upper and redo it.

Can I glue the side plates to my new cabinets that the Co. forgot to put on.

By on July 28th, 2010

I bought solid wood knotty arder kitchen cabinets. The Co. forgot to add the side pieces (plates). They sent them to me. One contractor I trust said to nail them. Another whom I don’t trust much said the same.
I took wood working in HS 50 decades ago and I don’t see why I cannot glue them. Thanks

HELP.Landlord/Tenant problems. Is this legal.

By on July 27th, 2010

We moved out of the condo this is in regards to after a agreed upon 15 month lease. The Landlord is trying to keep our entire security deposit and we don’t understand why. We want to take her to s.c. court, do we have a justifiable case. PLEASE HELP.
First, of all the LL(landlord) violated our lease/tenant rights on several occasions.
Our security deposit is $1,000.00 She says she has ’spent so far $700.00 for cleaning/repairs and that’s not counting the ‘chip’ in the granite kitchen counter top.’
She never gave us a move-in inspection sheet to fill out or walked through the unit noting existing damages. Are we liable for all damages that were preexisting, she could say everything was ‘new damage’. We are unaware of the ‘chip’ in the counter top. She entered the unit 2 weeks BEFORE our lease ended and began filling holes(nails/screw) in the walls- we asked if we could hang pictures/curtains before we moved in,she said yes– there were no holes larger than a dry wall anchor. We had moved some items to our new place but the lease was not over and we were not finished w/ the unit, we did not give her permission to enter, we were not finished making repairs, we were in the process of moving out, and she never asked if they could begin repairs or enter once. We just arrived to see their tools, ladders, etc in the unit and couldn’t believe they had enterted w/ out asking or even mentioning they wanted to. I have pictures of the place when we moved out, actually bfore our lease was up, with the white putty marks on the walls were curtains etc were hung that they started filling before our lease was over, and w/ out asking to enter, I also have a picture of the kitchen with a bunch of their tools, supplies on the countertop- all before our lease was over and w/ out asking to enter- we do not know how the chip happened, nor have we seen it.
Additional LL negligence’s:
Due to some issues she was having w/ the rental condo HOA we did NOT have access to the clubhouse (gym,etc) during 4 months of our lease, we still paid our rent, which included the $180.00 per month HOA fee that should have made our keycard to the clubhouse work, which we were told was part of the ammenities we would have access to when we signed the lease; it didn’t work during those 4 months bc she wasn’t paying the right people. She never offered to give us any type of refund for not having access to what we paid for. Is that ok.
We paid our rent 3 months at a time bc my husband is paid quarterly- once we paid late (but even though the check was 10 days late, it also included the next 3 months rent paid in advance) She tried to charge us $200.00 late fee for the 10 days late- when our lease said any late rent would incur a $20.00 late fee.
The Unit was not clean when we moved in and she was apologizing for not having it in better condition, we were nice about it bc I stay at home and had time to clean it.
She added the water cost to the rent AFTER the lease was signed for a fixed amount, and there was a place for her to state the utilities we were responsible for. which she left blank.
The lease says the security deposit will be refunded to the tenant w/in 10 business days- it has been almost 30days. (The state of Utah allows 30days I think.) But we all signed the lease and we thought she had 10 business days bc thats what her lease said.
The ‘chip’ could have been caused by their tools on the countertop while they were making repairs w/ out asking to enter before our lease was up-(I have a picture of their stuf all over the countertop) we have no idea how it happened and she never provided a move in/move out inspection or documentation of existing damages.
What are your thoughts on this situation.
@Dash: we were not finished with the move out process, we intended to fill the holes etc, but they came in before we had a chance and before our lease was up.
@expert realtor Didn’t read our lease. Our lease was about 10 lines long. We did and have read and reread our ‘lease’ it is a joke. I agree we should have documented prexisting damages w/ photos or documentation-lesson learned. I do have photos of how we left the place and it was clean. She is trying to charge us for repairs that we had not addressed bc we were ot finished w/ the place we were paid through july 1 she came in around june 20 and just started doing stuff. We were 1/2 in old place and 1/2 in new place.Our lease says and I quote ‘tenant is responsible for the following utilities:_________ BLANK nothing She is inexperienced and did not follow ‘the rules’ We are not asking for anythig for paying early, just stating that the one time we were late she tried to charge us MORE than what the lease said-thats illegal. I was just using the 95% that did not apply as examples of what she has been like to deal w/ that is why i made sure to take pictures upon vacating
I did not say we USED dry wall anchors, I know they can be very damaging. I said no hole in the place was larger than that and there were holes from her pictures, shelves etc when we moved in. Not saying that matters just stating the act that the holes in question-1 she gave us permission to make and 2. we didn’t have the opportunity to repair bc she came in w/ out telling us

BPTP Park Serene :: Project Overview.

By on July 26th, 2010

BPTP Park Serene Gurgaon
BPTP Park Serene - Online Booking of BPTP Park Serene Gurgaon. log on www.bptpparkserene.com to see more BPTP Park Serene Property & Projects in Gurgaon. Park Serene located in sector 37 D in Gurgaon. Park Serene offer 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments. The 150 mt. wide expressway will pass within half a km. distance from the Park Serene.

Project Name BPTP Park Serene

Name of Builder BPTP Group

Project Type Residential Apartments

Price As below

LocationSector 37D, Gurgaon

For Booking Contact Us : SRPL Group
Lav Kohli : (+91- 9560196011)
P. Mukherjee :(+91- 9560196013)
Vidhi Srivastava :(+91- 9560196014)
Jaspal Singh : (+91 - 9560196016)
E-mail ID : info@bptpparkserene.com
Website : http://www.bptpparkserene.com

BPTP Park Serenwe :: Specification
Wall Finish
Internal
Living / Dining / Bed Rooms Painted in pleasing shades of Acrylic Emulsion Paint
Servant’s Room Painted in Oil Bound Distemper
Lift Lobbies Selected Marble / Granite cladding & Acrylic Emulsion Paint
External
Textured Paint Finish
Wardrobes
In All Bedrooms
Floorings : Half Modular
Flooring Ceramic Tiles
Bedrooms Laminated Wooden Flooring
Servants Room Ceramic Tiles
Balcony Anti Skid Ceramic Tiles
Lift Lobbies Selected Granite / Marble
Terrace Anti Skid Ceramic Tiles
Kitchen : Half Modular
Flooring Ceramic Tiles
Dado Ceramic Tiles Above Working Platform, Rest Acrylic Emulsion Paint
Platform Granite Counter With Double Bowl Stainless Steel Sink With Drain Board And Geysers
Toilets
Dado Selected Ceramic Tiles
Floorings Ceramic Tiles / Granite / Marble
Fittings Granite / Marble Counter, White Sanitary Fixtures, Single Lever CP Fittings & Geysers
Windows
Powder Coated / Anodized Aluminum Glazing
Doors
Seasoned Hardwood Frames With European Style Moulded Shutters
Electrical
Conduit Copper Electrical Wiring For All Light & Power Points
Air Conditioning
Provision Of Copper Conduits and Drainage Pipes For Split Air Conditioning Air-conditioners in all bed rooms
*Architects and The Developer reserve the right to alter the specifications and facilities for design improvement.
Price List & Payment Plan
Details and Price
Basic Sale Price (With Std. Specification) Rs. 2450/- per sq.ft
OTHER CHARGES
External Development Charges (EDC)/Infrastructure Development Charges (IDC) Rs. 362/- per sq.ft
Interest Free Maintenance Security (IFMS) Rs. 50/- per sq.ft
Fire Fighting Charges & Power Back up
Charges & Electrical Connection Charges Rs. 50/- per sq.ft
Club Membership Rs. 1,00,000/-
Reserved Car Parking Rs. 2,50,000/- preferential Location Charges
Corner Rs. 100/- per sq.ft
Corner + Club Facing or Park Facing Rs. 150/- per sq.ft
Park Facing Rs. 100/- per sq.ft
Gr. Floor Rs. 150/- per sq.ft
First Floor Rs. 100/- per sq.ft
2nd – 3rd Floor Rs. 75/- per sq.ft
Construction Linked Payment Plan
On casting of Gr. Floor Slab 10 % of BSP.
On or Before 45 days Complete 20% of BSP
At the start of Excavation 10% of BSP + 50% of PLC + 50% of (EDC+IDC)
On casting of Gr. Floor Slab 10% of BSP + 50% of PLC + 50% of (EDC+IDC)
On casting of 3rd Floor Slab 10% of BSP + CPC
On casting of 6th Floor Slab 10% of BSP + Club Membership Charges
On casting of 9th Floor Slab 10% of BSP
On casting of Top Floor Slab 10% of BSP
On start of Masonry Work 7.5% of BSP
On start of Cladding 7.5% of BSP + FFC
At the time of offer for Possession 105% of BSP + IFMS + Registration Charges + Stamp Duty

BPTP launched another grand state of the art Group Housing Project “ Park Serene”. The project is located at Sector 37-D, Gurgaon in the serene, calm and nascent environs alongside the Dwarka - Gurgaon super expressway. Spread in an area of 24 acres, with 80% open area, the only limitation to the concept of “blessed living” is one’s own imagination. The remarkably outstanding developments which are planned in the area make the Group Housing one of the most promising destinations for the end users in the years to come. The brand BPTP lends more credence and value to it and reassures the unmatched quality construction as delivered in the past by the company .The condominiums are a confluence of luxury, class and convenience and has excellent futuristic projections in terms of returns expected on investments for numerous reasons. Some of the most redeeming features of this new venture are as under-mentioned –

• 150 mt. wide expressway will pass within half a km. range of the project.
• There is a vast exposure of reserved green area right opposite the project.
• Mega SEZ earmarked in the master plan is in close proximity of the project.
• International schools are coming up in the vicinity.
• A 100 bedded hospital at 500 mts from the project and its construction is already underway.
• The flyover from the Hero Honda Chowk is expected to be completed in two years from now.
• A few sparklers which make the project unusually attractive for Group Housing. It boasts of an 8

Who eats their meals on their laps in front of tv.

By on July 25th, 2010

Why.
Where i live and have lived for years,we always ate in the kitchen,not all together though,and at the table.We only have a smallish kitchen ,yet we always made good use of the space and always had a table in there.I have a toddler and when i was weaning him i always sat at the table as i fed him and eat my meal.About 4 months later some men from the council come round telling us that they are modernising our kitchen and bathroom.They said how lovely the rooms will be when finished.My parents were talked into agreeing to it,and thought it would be great to have a nice modern kitchen.A few months later they started work gutting the place.It took weeks for them to finish,and was such an upheaval,despite this i managed to cope looking after my child.It was finally finished,and it turns out that there is no room whatsoever for a kitchen table or chairs.We have had to get used to eating on our laps in front of the tv.My child eats in his high chair in the kitchen and i sit on a folding chair next to him usually.When i eat,i often stand up,leaning on the table top,as its a stable base.This is just not ideal at all.I often spend hours on my feet cooking as it is.How can the council think this is ok for anyone to have to eat in the living room.
I hate the fact they never asked us if we agree with the layout.Having a table was important to us,so we could eat properly.Surely its not the norm nowadays to eat on your lap.

Please help- going insane with whining toddler.

By on July 24th, 2010

I consider myself to be a very caring and involved parent with my only child- Ella (21 mo). Since 4 months old she’s gone to daycare 2x a week. When she was about 1, I also hired a lady to come into my home and watch her while I did my contract work on PC in my home office. Luckily I get to spend alot of time with her.

The issue is probably a normal one, but I want to make sure I’m handling it in the best way possible. I have used time-out with Ella for many months now. It’s infrequent, but if she does not mind after a warning and she is clearly pushing to find her boundaries, I put her in timeout for 2-3 minutes. The timer goes off and I get her and tell her. I love you, you’re a good girl, but you did so and so and when mommy said not to do it. That is why I put you in time out.” She’s hit and bit myself and her dad a few times and she goes to time out for that too. I no longer give a warning for that bc she knows it’s wrong.

Today we had a fabulous morning, but after her nap she’s been whining and crying. She got all upset when I attempted to put a sleeveless shirt on her so we could go to the park. She knew we were going adn wanted to go swing. All these other mom’s have been telling me it’s a phase and it’s important not to let her get away with whining all the time. So, when she began to get all mad about the shirt, I didn’t force it on her. I told her something like, “Ok we can’t go until you put the shirt on.” I’ll shorten the drama, but she kept getting upset off and on. I would leave and tell her to stay in her room (I had door cracked and walked back and forth doing errands so I could see she was safe) until she was done being upset. I keep telling her to use her words. She is addicted to the D____ pacifier and a blanket. The blanket is ok, but the paci is making her speech less intelligible. She is a smart child with a huge vocabulary compared to others in her age group. We are trying to discourage her from using paci before we pick the date and just start enforcing no paci except when you are in the crib.

Today she has whined so much, I made sure she didn’t feel bad. Of course maybe she does and can’t voice it. I asked her if she hurt and she said “no.” I ended up deciding we would just stay home if she wanted to be shirtless. She had said “go” when I asked her which she wanted to do- stay home or go out to have fun. But then she still would not put shirt on or any other shirt for that matter.

I don’t want to put her in timeout for whining. Seems we all have a right to have bad days and be in bad moods, but I don’t want to encourage it by rewarding it. Today she began to whine as she saw me remove her ckn nuggets from microwave. I told her to stop whining. She would not get nuggets if she was going to whine. CI explained crying is for when you hurt yourself. I gave her nuggets after they cooled down and she seemed calmer bc I don’t want to deny her food.

She’s in crib now bc I felt maybe she needed extra nap. She was talking happily as I wrote this, but now is crying again.

What should I do. I have to admit the whining is driving us nuts. I must confess we have been remodeling kitchen for months so she has been gated in and hates it. I’ve begun to let her walk in with me to kictchen when no tools are out. I try to take her to diff rooms. I also do arts and crafts with her often.

What am I doing wrong. Any help is much appreciated. I just don’t know if I should ignore whining and continue with our routine –or if I need to stop with what we are doing and not continue on unless she stops whining. Like getting ready to go to park which she understands. Getting ready to blow bubbles or take a bath which she loves.

Thanks,
Michele

I cant do everything myself.

By on July 23rd, 2010

Need some help in the house department here. My husband is driving me crazy, I love him to bits I really do and I know he loves me too, so why doesnt he help me more around the house. The problem I have is that if I dont ask him to do ie. dishes, washing, making bed etc, it just wont get done and lately when I have asked he either, forgets, had a million things to do b4 he got the chance (hence it didnt get done) or refuses giving excusses that he is working, or going for a run etc.

It is helpfull to know at this point that he works from home, and earns good money enabling me to work part time (because we have a child), but i feel that because of this he uses every excuse in the book to get out of housework.

I walk in from work to dishes, used gym clothes, no dinner on the go and a house so messy that I feel like turning round and just walking away from it all.

I have tried the ‘turn to piece rule’ thing eg, I cook you wash dishes and I bath your daughter and you can put her to bed, but I end up doing it all, most nights. If he does cook he leaves the kitchen in a godawfull mess and suddenly applies the I cook you clean rule after using all the utensils, pots and pans.

He has never run the hoover around without being asked to and doesnt know where anything goes, this pisses me off bearing in mind a 4 yr old has a million things.

DIY if i dont do it myself it doesnt get done, his excuse, he earns good money to pay people to do the things I want, so I arrange for family to help and then he goes mad saying I make him look stupid by asking my family for help like putting shelves up etc.

Same applies to the garden only he actually gets a cob on with me when I say I am gonna do the garden because he thinks i make him look stupid cos a woman is seen to be doing all the garden stuff whilst he is in the house and because he cant be botherd to help says ‘cant YOU do that tomorrow’.

May I point out, his mother is a freak, she has OCD (she is not a freak because of this, she just has issues) and has been like this for years, nothing in her house is out of place. Her husband mucks in and is very DIY orientated redecorating every 6 months right thru, he does dishes and everything. My husband has said in the past that if he starts helping me then I would be like his mum and havin him decorating all the time.

All I want is to live in a tidy house, tidy so when people come round I am not tiding the livingroom as they walk in or cringing when they use the loo upstairs. I feel like I dont stop from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed. I have told him how I feel time and time again and nothing ever changes. Help.
xx

Electrical problems with light switch.

By on July 22nd, 2010

OK I have a hallway light that has two switches next to each other on one wall. One switch for inside light, the other for outside light. However in the kitchen on an adjacent wall is another switch that only controls the hallway light. Well I changed all of the switches to modern ones that you just tap instead of flip up and down. well now when I turn on the hallway light from the kitchen, all of the lights short out and I blow a circuit breaker. I don’t want a fire so I have taped the kitchen switch so we don’t use it. The other switch in the hallway works fine to turn the light on and off.

Should I have used some other type of switch or is something not grounded, etc. Please help. Thanks in advance.