No Money For Me, No Doors For You

[therat 18]

http://www.asiaone.com/Business/My%2BMoney...421-211656.html

No money for me, no doors for you

By Vivien Chan

SHE refused to pay her carpenter because he had not finished his work.

Last Wednesday, he turned up at her three-room flat and her mother let him in, thinking he had come to complete the job.

Among other minor works, he was to build shelves in their storeroom.

The elderly woman, 60, then went into a bedroom to fold some clothes.

When she came out later, she was shocked - he had removed their main door and the doors of their kitchen cabinets. He had also removed all their bedroom doors, except for one - the room where she was in.

The carpenter then allegedly told her: "Your daughter does not want to pay me, so I am taking away your doors."

Madam Cheryl Aw, 40, a marketing manager, said that her mother called her immediately to tell her what happened.

When she finished work that day at 5pm, she rushed to an ATM to transfer the outstanding payment to him.

Said Madam Aw: "I was scared. I thought, it's about a thousand dollars, so I'll just give it to him."

That night, the family made a police report and rushed to a Meet-the-People session near their flat in Ang Mo Kio.

They were advised to call the Housing Development Board (HDB) the next day.

They spent the night without their main door. Fortunately, they had a front gate which they locked.

The next day, the carpenter returned to fix the doors after he was asked to do so by the main contractor, who was contacted by the HDB.

A HDB spokesman said that an officer visited the flat last Thursday.

The spokesman said: "As the engagement of the contractor is a private arrangement between her and the contractor, both parties will have to settle their own differences. However, out of goodwill, we have helped to convey her feedback to her renovation contractor and advised the latter to resolve the matter with her amicably."

Madam Aw, a Malaysian divorcee, lives with her mother, sister and two young sons.

She said that the carpenter, whom she knows only as Michael, had been recommended by her property agent.

They had agreed on a price of $18,000 for some renovation works. She told him she needed the work to be completed before Chinese New Year so that she could move in, she said.

The renovation works started in late January, and went on smoothly until just before Chinese New Year.

Madam Aw said: "I went back to Malacca for Chinese New Year, and they stopped work for a while. "After that, they stopped coming so often. I had to call to chase them."

She also claimed that each time Michael went to the flat to fix things, he would ask for payment.

She started paying him on Jan 27, starting with $5,000. Subsequent payments followed regularly, and by Feb 12, she had paid him $15,788.

On March 1, she made another payment of $1,000. This left her with another $1,182.

Madam Aw then told Michael that she would only pay him the remainder after he finished the work.

Then came last Wednesday's incident.

The New Paper's calls to Michael's mobile phone went unanswered.

The renovation permit was registered by the main contractor, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lim.

He said: "I applied for the licence, and did the tiles for the flat. I did the kitchen and the toilets, then left the rest to him."

Mr Lim said he found out what happened only when a HDB officer called him to inform him of the trouble.

This article was first published in The New Paper.

[bepgof 20]

Haha, one hand cannot clap.

Edited April 26, 2010 by bepgof

[WhySG.com 0]

This is rather unethical, but sometimes contractors also face this problem of people not paying up

guess it would have to depend on each individual

[iambroke 0]

My dad was a renovation contractor before he retired. He faced so many customers who do not pay. But regarding this matter, he said he will collect payment only after the reno is completed. And not collect before it's done.

But on a case by case basis, he sometimes will ask customer to pay up before the work is completed. These customers so not pay in full lump sum, they will pay in stages as the reno work progress. Some customer fail to make payment or are late to pay when it was time to pay up. If the customer is always late and want to drag payment, then my dad will request the customer to pay up before he complete his job. Cos he have done free reno for alot of people in his life. he is scared already

[dean 5]

wah, sleeping without main door...**** scary.

[Pinklady 0]

wah the contractor is too much oredi. how can he tear down the doors? its such a tramatic experience

[chronograph 0]

Maybe contractor has got many people to feed, wife, children, parents etc. Of course the carpenter's action might not be the best way, but **** does happen. We should listen to both side of the story too bad the carpenter did not response to media questions.... maybe more things waiting to be uncovered? I find the contractor smelly.....

[Reno Guru 0]

Maybe contractor has got many people to feed, wife, children, parents etc. Of course the carpenter's action might not be the best way, but **** does happen. We should listen to both side of the story too bad the carpenter did not response to media questions.... maybe more things waiting to be uncovered? I find the contractor smelly.....

aiyah ..... hard to say la.... there is no explanation from michael the carpenter .... the lady can say what she want lo... who knows what happened along the way .. some consumers really CMI one la ... but no main door .... abit fierce ..

[bepgof 20]

aiyah ..... hard to say la.... there is no explanation from michael the carpenter .... the lady can say what she want lo... who knows what happened along the way .. some consumers really CMI one la ... but no main door .... abit fierce ..

Carpenter is smart! Only one hit at throat, she surrender, need not to say much. Must learn!

Edited June 26, 2010 by bepgof