Contractors Say They are the Ones Getting Scammed

By Justin Foss, Reporter

Tools

By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Oct 22, 2008 at 5:01 PM CST

Story Updated: Oct 22, 2008 at 5:02 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS - A local plumber says he's frustrated some flooded homeowners aren't paying for the work he does. Says he'll no longer give flood victims the benefit of the doubt. Now he's asking for cash up front.

Since the flood hit, various organizations have warned flood victims to not pay for work before it's done, in an attempt to prevent homeowners from getting scammed.

Tony the plumber says out of the five jobs he's done since the flood, two of the homeowners haven't paid the full bill.

When Tony Hines steps into each flooded home, he can see the pain this disaster has caused. He wants to help out, but a few bad apples are making that difficult.

"We think we're going to get paid, but we're hitting about 35 or 40 percent of stuff we're not getting paid on," said Tony Hines, First Response Plumbing.

Hines says some of the homeowners aren't paying because the bills are higher than first thought, there's a simple reason for that. He says as they make everything up to today's code, they're finding unexpected leaks and other problems.

And, Hines says contractors of all sorts are telling him the same problems. But, the Cedar Rapids police department says they haven't had many complaints about this, although they say the answer is pretty simple.

"For the homeowner, they need to know the contractor they're getting involved with...and the contractor, they need to know that the homeowner they're working with is going to pay," said Sgt. Cristy Hamblin, Cedar Rapids Police Department.

Now, Hines says they're not taking any chances, and asking for more money right away.

"Yeah, no more benefit of the doubt, and I feel bad because these people deserve a break," said Hines.

Hines still hasn't lost faith, but he did say that faith has been challenged a bit.

Contractors that don't get paid can ask the court to put a mechanics lien on a home. That means that if that house is ever sold, that contractor will get first crack at the money to finally get paid.

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