My MIL paid a family friend $2,500 to replace her utility pole and box. He never reconnected the power to her enclosed back porch which houses her washer, dryer and freezer. The separate hot water heater for the shower was also never connected. When we contact him (through text) he states that he hooked up what he could and he’s not coming back out to do anything else unless he gets paid an additional fee. My mother in law is almost 80 and this is very upsetting to her. What can we do ?
"The family friend is an electrician. We live in Florida and Clay Electric states they do not change out power poles on private property. We had to have them come and inspect it when it was done, and we had to pull a homeowners permit from the county to have the work done"
So does the friend work for Clay Electric? I'm assuming this means there was a contract or estimate or invoice of some sort? Was the family friend doing it as a side gig? Need some clarity on a few details, thx
They will help you get this sorted out, whether he is licensed or not.
In AZ if you are not licensed and take a job over 600.00, you have broken the law. You must be licensed to do any electrical work, it is the law, if you aren't licensed, you have broken the law. I would think this is the case, except he said he would for more money, get that in writing.
Hopefully, Florida has a good ROC and this will be the simple solution.
If he hasn't done anything wrong, this complaint won't effect his license or bond. The ROC is there to protect the consumer from unethical contractors or handymen. Use them.
Did the work pass inspection?
You might try Jimmy Carter's home improvement group, Habitat for Humanity. Another option is to get a local tv newscaster involved. Bad publicity could ruin the guy who did the work, but it's also taking a big chance b/c your MIL's capability to make decisions such as contracting could be called into play.
Another option is to locate companies that specialize in treating elders. When I went to the Area Agency on Aging expos, I collected literature from a variety of companies that catered to seniors.
Were the disconnects made by this individual in order to make the improvements? If so, I'm surprised that he'd refuse to reconnect; obviously the appliances aren't functional if they're upgraded or improved but not connected.
It's sickening!
I would take this as a warning, and now hire someone responsible to check for safety issues.
If he's a licensed electrician, I would ask him how much the charge will be to finish hooking up everything. Get it in writing what you want him to do and do not pay him until the work is finished.
Consider getting an estimate from another licensed electrician.
But even if she paid him by check (and has an invoice to go along with it)...small claims court in my state (MN) has raised their claim amount to $5000 so she may not qualify to even pursue it in court.
FYI it's possible your MIL didn't ask the right questions about her expectations for what she'd get for the money. We're in a steep labor shortage right now so even if she can afford it she may need to wait for the work to be done. Electrical is very expensive.
If she's a member of a faith-based organization, maybe ask for help within this group to seek a person to finish the work for a "senior" rate (but def needs to be a certified electrician because it will need to be up to code and pass inspection).
Also, this isn't the right forum for this type of question.
Sounds like she either needs to contact the power company or an electrician to get it all hooked up. That's why you hire professionals, not "some guy."