Elderly home repair fraud
My elderly parents are in the process of rennovating a home which will become a primary residence when completed. My husband and I live 1000 miles away from them. We are concerned that a plumbing contractor has coerced them into allowing him to do work on their house that is substandard and without any written or verbal job estimate, no written or verbal contract, and no invoices. My step-father is 80 yrs. old, mother is 70. Both are not in very good health. The plumber sent a handwritten bill for over $19,000. My husband has talked to him on the phone and via email. We have requested all written documentation from him (estimate, contract, invoices), and he has become very beligerent and has not provided any of that. He stated that his ''word is his bond and his contract''. We have refused to pay unless he provides the proper paperwork. He has just sent a late notice to my parents. What are our rights in this case? Thank you very much for your guidance.
Re: Elderly home repair fraud
Begin with a letter from an attorney. And have another contractor go into the home and review the work that has been completed and give a fair market estimate of what similar work would cost.
If your concerns are confirmed, a police report should be filed and a call should be made to the district attorney's office.
What city or town is this in?
