Repairs - what to do?

[giraffez]

I recently got a quote for a couple of maintenance items from a handyman via my agent.

I have instructed my agent to ask the handyman to proceed with only one of them and the others were non urgent items I was going to put off with no intention to fix any time soon.

Today I was informed the handyman has misunderstood the instructions and went ahead with all items. All has been done and this would cost me a couple of hundred on top of what was agreed for the item I have asked to go ahead with.

My instructions to the agent was clearly documented via email. The communication may have gone wrong between the agent and handyman.

What are my options?

 

[jim1964]

Be happy all the problems are fixed.............for $200...............really.

 

[giraffez]

what do you mean by $200? sorry don't get it.

 

[jim1964]

cost me a couple of hundred on top of what was agreed for the item I have asked to go ahead with.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[S.T]

Tell your PM you're only paying what you agreed to have done in writing. They can sort it out with the handyman.

 

[thatbum]

Is it really worth making a big deal over? Spending a couple hundred bucks extra that you probably needed to do at some point anyway?

 

[tobe]

dont sweat the small stuff. And its all small stuff.

If yu do need to do something, contact the managing agents principal and explain the situation and ask for their input. They may reimburse you part of the cost, or they may promise to keep a tighter reign on the manager in future.

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Maybe the handyman was trying it on to get some extra cash.

I would say to the agent:
"The repairs weren't authorised.
I'm willing to compromise a little, although did not have a budget allocated for non-urgent repairs.
Please sort something out with the handyman and come back to me."

 

[mumbai]

I recently got a quote for a couple of maintenance items from a handyman via my agent.

I have instructed my agent to ask the handyman to proceed with only one of them and the others were non urgent items I was going to put off with no intention to fix any time soon.

Today I was informed the handyman has misunderstood the instructions and went ahead with all items. All has been done and this would cost me a couple of hundred on top of what was agreed for the item I have asked to go ahead with.

My instructions to the agent was clearly documented via email. The communication may have gone wrong between the agent and handyman.

What are my options?

As others have mentioned, the repairs have been done now and its for your own property.

Call the PM and tell that deduct the invoiced amount in 2-3 installments from the rental and pay the tradies OR pay the tradies upfront through their account and deduct it from rents spreading it 2-3 months. This way you may not feel the pinch

 

[giraffez]

Be happy all the problems are fixed.............for $200...............really.

I said a couple of hundred not $200, so why do you think its $200 and not $400 or $600? Makes a big difference when you assume the wrong thing.

 

[mumbai]

Whoa! He did not assume. You said couple of hundred, that means 200

 

[giraffez]

Thanks all.

I just feel crappy knowing the instructions I gave was specifically not to touch the other items knowing how costly they were and not budgeted for and then having to absorb it.

 

[giraffez]

Whoa! He did not assume. You said couple of hundred, that means 200

Since when does a couple equate to $200?

 

[turk]

Since when does a couple equate to $200?

Always.

Why not work out the cost to you(material etc) to do the work, take that away from the H/mans bill then suggest that the Agency carry the difference.

 

[chilliblue]

I agree with simtr's reply.


If giraffez clearly gave his instructions in writing to an agent who is contracted to follow his instructions then the additional works costs are the responsibility of the person who advised the contractor.

If the agent stuffed this up or the handyman misunderstood, gifaffez was not involved in that process.

 

[Scott No Mates]

Since when does a couple equate to $200?

A coupe is two eg: boy/girl, two forces acting in opposite, a couple of hundred = two hundred.

 

[jim1964]

I said a couple of hundred not $200

you are kidding...... Right??

 

[giraffez]

Okay thanks, I'll have a think about it and see whether a compromise can be reached.

you are kidding...... Right??

Seriously, no

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/couple

Quoted snippet from site:
"The phrase a couple of, meaning ?a small number of; a few; several,? has been in standard use for centuries, especially with measurements of time and distance and in referring to amounts of money: "They walked a couple of miles in silence." "Repairs will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars." The phrase is used in all but the most formal speech and writing."

 

[Scott No Mates]

The first few definitions all point to a couple being a noun meaning two. When you get down to the idioms you start getting the more obscure meanings.

dictionary.reference.com/browse/
idiom
an expression whose meaning is
not predictable from the usual
meanings of its constituent
elements, as kick the bucket ...

 

[mumbai]

It can be argued that 'a couple of' can be more than 2, but it 'has' to be a small number and not $600.