Support NeoGAF

[Billbofet]

Odd situation.

Our house was damaged in a hail storm last summer (roof). Everyone in the neighborhood seemed to be getting a new roof, so I reached out to a contractor whose sign was at every other house.
He came out, got up on the roof, found damage, and told me to put a claim in.
I put a claim in with insurance. An adjustor came out, met with the contractor, and they found extensive damage. A new roof and gutters were recommended by the adjustor.
We were quickly approved by insurance and sent a check for $17k. I reached out to the contractor to put us on the schedule, put $500 down.
Four weeks later, we got a new roof installed, and three weeks after that, new gutters - this was mid-August.

I was expecting to be contacted within a week of the gutter installation with an invoice, but this has yet to happen.
A friend in the neighborhood is in the same situation. His roof was installed a couple of weeks ahead of us. He even called the office and was told our PM was out as he recently had surgery - this was four weeks ago.

My question is: Am I doing something illegal by not reaching out to pay? I honestly forgot for the last several weeks and was reminded when I saw my neighbor/friend this weekend. He still has not heard back.

I fully intend to pay, and it's been nice earning interest on the money sitting in my account since it was approved in June, but am I doing anything wrong by not reaching out? Is it reasonable to assume they would be contacting me? I was never given an invoice or even an estimate of cost - the contractor based this all off the approved insurance amount..... curious to see how long this plays out.

 

[Happosai]

Odd situation.

Our house was damaged in a hail storm last summer (roof). Everyone in the neighborhood seemed to be getting a new roof, so I reached out to a contractor whose sign was at every other house.
He came out, got up on the roof, found damage, and told me to put a claim in.
I put a claim in with insurance. An adjustor came out, met with the contractor, and they found extensive damage. A new roof and gutters were recommended by the adjustor.
We were quickly approved by insurance and sent a check for $17k. I reached out to the contractor to put us on the schedule, put $500 down.
Four weeks later, we got a new roof installed, and three weeks after that, new gutters - this was mid-August.

I was expecting to be contacted within a week of the gutter installation with an invoice, but this has yet to happen.
A friend in the neighborhood is in the same situation. His roof was installed a couple of weeks ahead of us. He even called the office and was told our PM was out as he recently had surgery - this was four weeks ago.

My question is: Am I doing something illegal by not reaching out to pay? I honestly forgot for the last several weeks and was reminded when I saw my neighbor/friend this weekend. He still has not heard back.

I fully intend to pay, and it's been nice earning interest on the money sitting in my account since it was approved in June, but am I doing anything wrong by not reaching out? Is it reasonable to assume they would be contacting me? I was never given an invoice or even an estimate of cost - the contractor based this all off the approved insurance amount..... curious to see how long this plays out.

I don't see how you're doing anything wrong. I would question contractors who aren't using field management software though for your transparency. Were they using any (like ServiceTitan, HCP, et al)? Most of those all-in-one's have tools for the contractors to send you a digital invoice and deadline. Unless you're doing consumer financing which should still be sent to you and your bank.

Better question would be are the contractors listed on Trust pilot? Yelp? Google Reviews? May want to read through and see if anyone's going through something similar.

 

[German Hops]

Unethical.

 

[diffusionx]

I don't think you're doing anything illegal but I would personally just settle the account and get it finished.

I used to have a gardener who was a total dipshit, and she would send out invoices like a year after the service was performed - super annoying.

 

[eddie4]

It's on them now. You got the quote; they did the work, and you agreed to pay; it's on them to send you the final bill. I would maybe consider calling them and trying to settle the account so that later on they don't say something stupid like, "we sent you the bill, and you never responded, this invoice is late, so there's a $200 fee for late payments, etc."

 

[Happosai]

It's on them now. You got the quote; they did the work, and you agreed to pay; it's on them to send you the final bill. I would maybe consider calling them and trying to settle the account so that later on they don't say something stupid like, "we sent you the bill, and you never responded, this invoice is late, so there's a $200 fee for late payments, etc."

That's why I asked if they were using field management software. Digital invoicing you can put late fees right there. Anyone doing this type of work with print off or scribble invoicing for larger jobs like this is shady in my book. Then again, I'm a bit OCD on record keeping.

 

[AJUMP23]

It isn’t illegal but don’t think they won’t try to collect at some point. They should bill you and normally you need to prove to your insurance you completed the repair with the invoice.

Don’t spend the money.

 

[Shifty1897]

It isn’t illegal but don’t think they won’t try to collect at some point. They should bill you and normally you need to prove to your insurance you completed the repair with the invoice.

Don’t spend the money.

Exactly this, they'll reach out eventually.

 

[Kilau]

Contractor is swimming in so much money and work pulling the roofing/insurance hustle they can’t keep up.

Reach out to them to try and cover yourself, keep notes with dates and names of who you spoke with.

 

[Happosai]

It isn’t illegal but don’t think they won’t try to collect at some point. They should bill you and normally you need to prove to your insurance you completed the repair with the invoice.

Don’t spend the money.

Correct, if they're still doing everything on paper and there's a stack of invoices unchecked, they'll notice. Q4 and even the laziest CPAs in small office will find it before December.

 

[John Marston]

Finally!

A thread where boobs aren't involved.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Finally!

A thread where boobs aren't involved.

Pffft, sounds like the contractor is a bit of a boob.

OP, immoral = yes. illegal = no. They'll reconcile their books eventually and chase you down. I'd just get the details and pay it so you don't have shit hanging over your head or conscience.

 

[Billbofet]

It isn’t illegal but don’t think they won’t try to collect at some point. They should bill you and normally you need to prove to your insurance you completed the repair with the invoice.

Don’t spend the money.

Oh, there is no way I would spend the money. Just can't believe they haven't missed it yet.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Cool thread. Informative Gracias

 

[Sleepwalker]

Finally!

A thread where boobs aren't involved.

Did anybody say contractors?

 

[Jenov]

Just make sure you save the money to settle the account because the contractor can put a lien on your house for nonpayment even years later depending on state law.

 

[Tams]

Pffft, sounds like the contractor is a bit of a boob.

OP, immoral = yes. illegal = no. They'll reconcile their books eventually and chase you down. I'd just get the details and pay it so you don't have shit hanging over your head or conscience.

OP's immoral? Lol, what?

It's on the contractor to send an invoice. If they want to be paid, they need to ask for the money.

It's probably a snafu with the insurance company(ies), so the contractor doesn't know what to charge the policy holders yet.

 

[HoodWinked]

i'd imagine he's buried in invoices and schedules that he probably doesn't know which are paid and which aren't.

cosmically its unethical since you know you have received a service but did not incur much of a cost. also i can't imagine a contractor being able to send this to some collections without even notifying you multiple times with an invoice.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

OP's immoral? Lol, what?

It's on the contractor to send an invoice. If they want to be paid, they need to ask for the money.

It's probably a snafu with the insurance company(ies), so the contractot doesn't know what to charge the policy holders yet.

I didn't mean to imply OP is an immoral asshat flaunting the law and business like it's no big deal etc. Probably reads one way vs the way it was intended. Just that not paying dues on works for hire and knowing you're not paying is an immoral act but not an illegal one the way OP described.

Too true on the insurance/contractor snafu, they'll come back eventually. Best put that money aside or chase them to pay and finish it up clean OP.

 

[German Hops]

Finally!

A thread where boobs aren't involved.

 

[Guilty_AI]

(didn't read)

Yes

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I used to have a gardener who was a total dipshit, and she would send out invoices like a year after the service was performed - super annoying.

This, they will get to issuing you an invoice and it will be most likely when you do not want it. Mental load of having to remember if the situation is settled and making sure you do not touch that money for other things is a lot - just push them to send you the damn bill, call them everyday to do so. In my experience after 2-3 times they will send it over.

 

[Futaleufu]

If you dont get an invoice then the contractor is dead

 

[nush]

I used to have a gardener who was a total dipshit, and she would send out invoices like a year after the service was performed - super annoying.

It’s called invoice fishing.

 

[ReBurn]

Don't spend the money. They will eventually ask for it. Either them or whoever takes over their accounts.

 

[Billbofet]

I called and left a detailed voicemail as no one answered the call.

Again, I was not implying that I wouldn't pay for the work done. I honestly forgot until last week when I saw my friend/neighbor in the same situation.
I fully intend to pay, but my question was more about if the onus is on me to follow up since so much time has passed. Looks like it's not. The ball's in their court.

 

[Trunx81]

Invest the money to get interest and pay when they send the bill.

 

[ReBurn]

I called and left a detailed voicemail as no one answered the call.

Again, I was not implying that I wouldn't pay for the work done. I honestly forgot until last week when I saw my friend/neighbor in the same situation.
I fully intend to pay, but my question was more about if the onus is on me to follow up since so much time has passed. Looks like it's not. The ball's in their court.

You don't have to chase them to give them money.

 

[Trogdor1123]

I’m in the tail end of an insurance claim for a flood and it takes forever for them to invoice for some reason. I was waiting on my invoice for betterments and improvements for 45 days,asking all the time. Frankly, I don’t think asking would even matter. They will just send the bill when they are ready, they just take forever. You are fine.

when they do invoice you though you have 30 days to pay. So, keep that money on hand

 

[Billbofet]

Invest the money to get interest and pay when they send the bill.

Way ahead of you. I have it all invested in print media and Yahoo stock!!

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Not illegal, but they come for it eventually. Good to see you reached out to them because I would had done the same.

Maybe the contractor just fucked up.

I organized an after work company party. It was a clusterfuck as the person I originally did prep orders with by email wasnt even working the day of the event. And then at the party people ordered more drinks and food. So the place screwed up the bills and didn't charge me for the first bill of around $500 of apps I preplanned days earlier. They only gave me a bill for what we ordered there.

I reached out to them the next day and they forgot about billing me in the system for the $500. So I paid them a few days later when they send me a payment link for the $500 and they were appreciative I caught the error.

 

[Trunx81]

Way ahead of you. I have it all invested in print media and Yahoo stock!!

this you?

 

[Trilobit]

One I know has been waiting years for an invoice from a moving company. She's been calling them several times as she doesn't like to have unpaid bills, but she's still not gotten any. According to my country's law the invoice is cancelled automatically eventually.

This isn't the first time I've heard something like that happening. One time it was because the owner was pretty much burnt out. The companies that had hired his company were getting frustrated with not having had any invoices sent out so one assistant offered to send them, but the owner refused. Eventually they got sent out. It's weird, it's like saying no to thousands of dollars for no reason. Burnout is a tricky thing.

 

[sono]

Any properly functioning business would chase for payment definitely odd situation. Also if the insurance sent you the cheque how did they know how much for? (You wrote you don't have an invoice yet.)

 

[Billbofet]

Any properly functioning business would chase for payment definitely odd situation. Also if the insurance sent you the cheque how did they know how much for? (You wrote you don't have an invoice yet.)

The adjustor's assessment of the damage was $18k, so the contract will likely back into this amount since my deductible is $1k.
In my situation, the adjustor and contractor basically worked in tandem.

I mentioned this today at my son's football game, and another neighbor that used this company had his roof completed in May and just paid their invoice this week. By that measure, I have a couple more months to go....
Every other contractor I have worked with I have done a walkthrough immediately after the job is done and pay before they walk out the door. Not used to my current situation.