Well, it's a fact, that things AREN'T moving. Since The Fight, things haven't even taken a baby-step, as far as Joe the Contractor is concerned. The electricity is 2 steps away from being done. The gas is getting hooked up today, the plumbing is also 2 steps from being done. That stuff has been moving, albeit slowly. Joe, however hasn't been here in months. He's was silent for awhile, about things, waiting. Now, he won't come work unless I give him more money. I only OWE him 3k for the whole rest of this job, and he wants it. He's not DONE with the work. Not nearly done. I told him plainitively that since that is less than 10% of the full cost of the job, he's not entitled to it, until I get a Code of Occupancy, the final inspection. Because I KNOW his work won't pass, and it's his responsibility, contractually, to make it right. So, no money till it passes, period, I'm firm on it. Mr. Graef is firm on it. It's just the way to do business. It's a total stalemate.
Now, here's where it gets complicated. There are so many more elements to this, now. Ok. A) Since the fight, he's not allowed on the property, just his partner, or his guys. Fine. Not him. That was ok, for awhile...but now all his guys were either fired, or quit. It's just him and his partner, now. How's that for bad business practices. I actually liked some of his guys, a few of them were good workers. We ran into this guy Peto a few weeks ago, and he said "yeah, none of work for him anymore, he's pretty much by himself, he fired this and that guy, and the rest of us quit, he's a scumbag". Marvelous.
Complication B) He's announced that he's going to Florida, next month. He's SKIPPING TOWN. He peeled the names off his truck. There is no more business, as far as the law's concerned.
The situation is as follows: He wants more money, to come in and not work, so that he only has about $500 left at the very end, for CO time, which he won't even be around for, because he's leaving for Florida, forever. He wants $2500 right now, to come in and "finish" his job. Which in English, means, he wants me to fund him, so he can skip town, and fuck me out of the rest of this job, and never see him again. He won't come back for $500. So, I'm firm. Not another penny, till he finishes his end of the deal.
My stomach is in knots, right now, I just worked all this out, with Mr. Graef on the phone. He's saying, right now, the ONLY thing we can do, is finish EVERY SINGLE other thing, needed, to fulfill the loan, meaning in this house and the garage, too. Stuff I was planning on doing after the main house was done, and we were moved. Stuff that can wait, due to money, and inconvienience. Resheetrock our bedroom (that we're sleeping in) and other stuff around here, and put a new roof on the garage. He suggests that we do that within the next 10 days, ideally, so that wer'e done with every single thing that's our responsibility, and the blame falls solidly on Joe, now, for not being around to finish things.
Why is my stomach in knots? Why am I freaking out, shaking, about to throw up? We're not allowed to do another draw on the loan money, until Joe gets his final. So, we can't do another draw till the very end. That's replacing a garage roof, out of our pockets, and drywalling a bedroom, all out of our pockets. Did I mention? We've done everything, since June, out of our pockets. There was that one draw, early May, for 7 grand, and that only went so far. It bought cabinets, paid the electrician, halfway, and bought the flooring for the hall, bathroom, Alden's room, and laundry room, as well as misc linoleoum for closets and whatnot. WE paid out of pocket for the plumbing fixtures and appliances, that's a new stove, fridge, dryer, hot water heater, kitchen sink, bathroom sink, light fixtures, masonry work, and god, so much more. Dollar signs. It comes to over 10k, totally. Shit, the lights and smoke alarms, alone for the house came to over $600. We have no more savings. There's very little left, we've started living paycheck to paycheck.
But wait, there's more. Joe was already paid to do the bedroom, and put new cabinets in the kitchen of this little house, that we're living in, it was part of his contract, already. After the fight, I put my foot down, I said that I didn't want the bastard in my house. (and I don't) and that he was to refund the money for that, and we'd have it done by someone else. We have that wiggle room, where we might be able to get him to do it, anyway. But that means backing down, and letting this violent drug abusing asshole in MY house, in MY bedroom, to do work.
I feel so lost. I feel so fucked. I'm so sick about this. Literally sick, waves of nausea, everything. I can honestly say, what the fuck, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to DO. I almost want to cry, but I can't even, I feel like a husk.
[Listening to: Jeremy - Pearl Jam - (5:19)]
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