After any hurricane, especially one as devastating as Hurricane Katrina, you get a swarm of unscrupulous, manipulative contractors that come in to take advantage. There have been many cases where people have paid out of state roofers $8,000, only to see them skip town after doing only minimal work. It just goes to show, you need to make sure they have a license to operate in your state. If not, steer clear. That’s easier said than done when your roof is heavily damaged or you have structural damage to your home. We had about $3,500 worth of work done to our kitchen alone after a tree came crashing through during the height of Hurricane Katrina’s fury.
I had to have my roof replaced also. The roofing company (licensed in my state) was recommended by a contractor from my homeowner’s insurance. It wasn’t mandatory. But, they guaranteed they would do quality work or they would have to make good on any extra repairs. I have a wood burning fireplace that I get to enjoy about five or six times a year. We don’t really have much in the way of winters here. But, I really enjoy my fireplace anyway. I noticed what appeared to be leaks in the ceiling near the chimney. I got my stepladder for a closer inspection. Yep, definitely these were leaks. Most likely culprit was a lack of flashing or it was poorly installed around the chimney. I notified the roofing company. Long story short, they said they weren’t liable since it had been over two years. I reminded them I have a 20 year warranty on the roof. The guy hung up. Severely pissed, I call my insurance company and inform them what had happened. The insurance rep said they will contact the roofer to inquire why they feel they aren’t liable for my roof. If they don’t comply with the requirements set forth by the insurance company, they will dismissed from any further contract work from this national homeowners insurance company. That made me feel better.
The roofer called me yesterday (Tuesday) about starting repairs on the roof. “What are you going to do about the ceiling in my living room,” I asked. He said that wasn’t his problem. I said, no…you might want to rethink that. It was your poor craftsmanship (probably due to his hiring low-skilled illegals during this time…but I couldn’t prove it) that caused the leak spots all over my ceiling. Again, this ^&&B**& hung up on me! 
The roofer informed the insurance company they didn’t like my attitude and they recommend they bring someone else in to do the repair work, including the ceiling that would have to be sprayed with the little popcorn also. Amazing. Insurance company informs me late Tuesday afternoon, they were giving the roofer ten days from yesterday to start and finish the work. If the roofing company doesn’t, they will take them into court. . But, they (insurance company) would have someone else out there to do all the work needed, roof, ceiling and anything else. So, it looks like I will be involved in litigation, indirectly, with this roofer. This guy that owns the company is a genuine, five star asshole, pardon my French.
Thanks Katrina.
6/11/2008
Parting Gifts from Katrina
6 comments:
I have to take exception with a comment in your post today. Though the post itself is fine and your problem very much real (I'd be pissed too) I'm of hispanic descent, a patriot to the death (read my memorial day post at www,newdilemma.com),and have worked construction in the past. The assumption that every hispanic you see is an illegal, and that all illegals are low-skilled kinda punched me in the stomach. My wife was "an illegal" when I met her, in her country she was a college professor, though now legal, she is not qualified to be a professor here, as this country does not validate her studies. The immigrant help used during the Katrina disaster was simply called upon by our government when they called F.E.M.A. :
Find.
Every.
Mexican.
Available.
If I had written your post I think I would had simply stated he used un-skilled labor without determining their legal status. Good luck on the roof, fell free to remove this from your comment section if you like, it was truly intended just for you.
James, I am sorry if you are offended by my comments. I will not take it down. I'm a big boy, I can take criticism. However, from my perspective and from talking from several homeowners locally, they have had to have "redo's" of their roof from local construction companies hired after Katrina. That may have been through no fault of the illegals (which I'm relatively certain they were, but no proof) due to them having no real roofing experience. Construction companies were hiring anyone with a pulse. If I had been them, I would have taken the job also.
That's not to say every Hispanic is illegal. It may have been that they were legal. It just seemed odd that legal residents or naturalized citiznes couldn't speak a word of english, except for the foreman (also Hispanic).
I don't question your or any naturalized citizen's loyalty. I have no doubt you would defend this country with your life. What angers anglos like myself are the many illegals (which just happen to be mostly Hispanic) take advantage of our social services that we as taxpayers work so hard to pay into. I know there are surveys that say illegals put more into the system than they take out. I happen not to believe that. My rage is not so much at the illegals streaming across our border as it is my anger with politicians who are trying to use this issue for political gain, Democrat and Republican alike.
The fact is, James, as a patriotic American, you realize we must control our borders. We cannot afford to care for the indigent of Mexico, Guatemala and other
Central American countries. It will lead to a second American Revolution if this continues.
Perhaps I did word it incorrectly as you stated. But, I've never been one to be PC. I speak what is on my mind. I hope this will not keep you from coming over here to discuss my crazy posts. I apologize if it offended you again. But, I do not apologize for the content or meaning. Illegals must go home. Hispanic, European, Polish or whatever.
And yes, I realize Polish can mean European as well. Sometimes my fingers get ahead of my brain.
I understand the problem we are having in the case of many "illegals", I too myself have gone shopping and seen some pay with wic or welfare and leave in they're new Cadillac Escalade. But I also believe in the inscription on the Statue of Liberty;
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
Our government is no longer the government that John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson or any other founder of our Declaration of Independence, yearned about.
They have made immigrating to this country quite the difficult experience. It cost me as a U.S. citizen 3,000 dollars to leagalize my wife. In her country that equates to 32,250 dollars. And frankly if she had that kind of money, what would be her need to immigrate?
In the times of our forefathers it was not like this, immigrating in itself should not be difficult, though the guidelines to follow once you have entered the country should be stringent, until you have proven yourself a worthy citizen of this great country.
But alas, it is more who is financially stable enough to come in. As our government has come to protect the corporations and not the people anymore. (pumped gas lately?) I don't think the Second American revolution will not be caused by peoples right to be here, if not by the bloated sham of a government that say they believed what our forefathers beleived but no longer show it. Samuel Adams would have already been protesting in the streets of Boston by now. Republican or Democrat? - neither - Son of Liberty.
Sorry once again for the long post in your comment section, though I must admit I am quite fond of politcal banter.
James, that inscription on the Statue of Liberty is often quoted by those who advocate amnesty for illegals. What they fail to recognize are two things; when that inscription was engraved, America was an entirely different country. An entirely different era that doesn't apply to today's world. Two, those people that saw the Statue of Liberty as they made their way to Ellis Island were LEGAL immigrants who came to this country without breaking our laws.
It seems strange to me that Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and other countries around the world can control their borders, control immigration. Yet, if the USA does it, we are all racists. That is when the open borders crowd loses the argument because that argument is lost amongst the millions of German, Polish, Italian, etc., who came to this country before.
I welcome any immigrant who comes to this country legally, obeying our laws. Those who come illegally deserve the considerable consternation they are receiving on this issue.
The American Revolution was caused by taxation without representation. If our taxes continue to fund the issues Republicans and Democrats want for political gain (and damn the consequences to the taxpayer), there will be an uprising in this nation. This nation was started due to an unfair tax burden. It appears we are on that path again.
Hope you have a good day. I have work to do.
What I wouldn't give to sit on your porch or mine, and debate this issue while sipping some cool ice tea. I think in the end our outcome would fall along the same lines. But just to be clear, I do oppose an amnesty, though I'm not sure what solution I would propose to the current problem. Also the reason I mentioned our forefathers was to make clear my understanding this country is much different now. I would love to know how much the Legal immigrants at Ellis island paid to come here. Probably not as much as today and probably not as difficult to obtain that permission, but I am only guessing. As to the state of our current government, time will see what occurs, but I think we can both be thankful Hillary will not lead it in 2008. Have a great day!
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