Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Wolfala on March 01, 2004, 06:45:19 PM
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Background information: In my town in southwestern connecticut we are building a new school which is an $80,000,000.00 project for which my father is the head of the building comittee here in town.
At the same time, we were trying to get a professional bike race to go through town - the idea was to hit up the contractor doing the bike race to support the town. Here's what happened.
So dad went to them with the request - hes been dealin with them for about 3 years now through the process of the school development. They came back with basically "here's $500.00 and take a hike"
Now to understand my father - he is a perfectionist when it comes to being a construction manager - and thats why he is head of the building comittee. So he sat down to dinner.....
"...you don't get mad - you get even. They just made it to the very top of my **** list - and I havn't been impressed with them."
"they dont know what they are in for next weds when we walk through the buildings...
I will demand perfection....and just wait till they start slipping behind schedule.."
At this point I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pass out. Aside from begging to come along on the walk through just to see this near historic occasion in person for future inspiration.
The best part is, dad approves all of their billing. So nothings gonna slip - and he even said he's gonna enjoy this. So ya gotta laugh. 80 mln dollar project - its 1 thing if you say 'ya know we really dont do stuff like that", but 500.00 is a ****ing insult.
Certain things ' this episode included ' i love about dad. Were alike in that sense - getting even big time.
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*Re-edit, NM, I am punch drunk from lack of sleep. Normal English looks like boozonics to me. *
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I think his pappy is going to be extremely anal
.. which is a good thing in this case :)
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Well if they aren't performing, then ****'em. :)
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I think I get it now. They haven't been performing, and he's going to nail them. Good times. I'm just sensitive because I've been on both ends of it. Not able to make payroll because the building owner / owner's rep is a crook, or not wanting to pay a contractor who didn't hold up their end of the deal.
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My father is in the construction business. I've heard some pretty funny stories lol.
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maybe I misunderstood what you wrote-
but did I understand it right?
they are basicly doing a decent job but when asked to contribute to an unrelated charitable event the did but not to the level he wanted ($500 is an insult? in my house it's $500).
so now he's gonna get very anal and nit-picky when going over their work, and basicly scew over their lively hood?
and you think it's a good thing and ar proud of him.
is that right? is that what you meant to post? really?
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Capt,
You don't do business much do you?
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I do a bit, and that kinda crap is one of the things that is wrong about america.
btw- about that $500. if you ever want to insult me, just let me know. I'll hook you up with the info for my paypal account.
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I'm glad you live upto your name. Here's an education for you - if you were to have a client for several years - and have done business with them and he asks to give back to the community where you employed them for a long time - tell me yr position and see if 500.00 out of 80 mln was not an insult. Its pocket change - if even that - welcome to the real world.
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thats fair. maybe since they've done bussiness with your dad for som many years he should pay for them. it's just pocket change after all.
you seem unable to distinguish between ethical bussines pratices, charity and extortion.
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I agree, its a bull**** tactic.
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Your Dad should recuse himself for conflict of interest. You have just described an extortion tactic and your Dad could be held liable in a legal action.
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Since $500 is so insulting, I assume he gave it back. Hmm?
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I am a quality professional and I'm with apathy on this one. I would LOVE to make that walk with your dad. If the contractor has his watermelon together he will be able to point out the agreed upon standards and the results. Perfection isn't the issue, standards are. If the building meets the standards your dad doesn't have a leg to stand on.
I am also on the board of a non-profit charitable organization. $500 is a wonderful start. Extortion is bad... get over it.
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That is exthortion, and I am contacting the appropriate authorities right now.
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Originally posted by Lizking
That is exthortion, and I am contacting the appropriate authorities right now.
(http://www.gavle.to/~stephan.dubois/improper_use.jpg)
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No, exthortion is a bad thing. And you should never brag about it.
http://www.westonk12-ct.org/Construction/constindex2.html
http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dgm/sfu/list2001.pdf
I would never contact them, but I could. I have been in construction my whole life, and I have seen this situation from both sides, and let me tell you, it is a sad way to do business. If the contruction company is not doing a good job, hold thier feet to the fire. If you are pissed because they will not let you exthort money, that is a different issue altogether.
"Background information: In my town in southwestern connecticut we are building a new school which is an $80,000,000.00 project for which my father is the head of the building comittee here in town.
At the same time, we were trying to get a professional bike race to go through town - the idea was to hit up the contractor doing the bike race to support the town. Here's what happened.
So dad went to them with the request - hes been dealin with them for about 3 years now through the process of the school development. They came back with basically "here's $500.00 and take a hike"
Now to understand my father - he is a perfectionist when it comes to being a construction manager - and thats why he is head of the building comittee. So he sat down to dinner.....
"...you don't get mad - you get even. They just made it to the very top of my **** list - and I havn't been impressed with them."
"they dont know what they are in for next weds when we walk through the buildings...
I will demand perfection....and just wait till they start slipping behind schedule.."
At this point I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pass out. Aside from begging to come along on the walk through just to see this near historic occasion in person for future inspiration.
The best part is, dad approves all of their billing. So nothings gonna slip - and he even said he's gonna enjoy this. So ya gotta laugh. 80 mln dollar project - its 1 thing if you say 'ya know we really dont do stuff like that", but 500.00 is a ****ing insult.
Certain things ' this episode included ' i love about dad. Were alike in that sense - getting even big time."
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The contractor doing the work is almost certainly the low bidder on htis project. Which means he probably had to bend over backwards to get it despite the fact they've done business for years with this entity. And now, said entity wants him to cough up more, or run the risk of trouble on hte job, which in this case means fines and/or penalties due to not meeting deadlines? Sounds unethical to me. What haven't you explained to us?
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Extortion, plain and simple. Hope that the contractor takes a legal action if your Dad screws with them. Maybe he can even use your post as an evidence of malicious abuse of power by your Dad.
MT is absolutely right, if the job is up to the code and standards, it has to be approved. Any attempt to reject a satisfactory performance as a form of a revenge is simply dishonest and immoral. Nothing to be proud of.
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Originally posted by Lizking
That is exthortion, and I am contacting the appropriate authorities right now.
Udie, is that you man?
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No money was exchanged - I believe the words were: "Tell yr boss to save his money and don't send a xmas ham."
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If it looks like extortion, and it smells like extortion...
-- Todd/Leviathn
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Sorry wolf but your dad is wrong here.
It looks like he wants a kickback. Imagine if what you said made it out to the papers.
Your dad wants money for a racepark in exchange for an 80mil school project.
Huge nasty juju on that one.
The construction company is being smart and covering its butt.
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I love your father too! in fact he is leaving your mother for me:aok
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I think you guys are going off the deep end. There's a lot of gray area in any construction contract.
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Originally posted by LAWCobra
I love your father too! in fact he is leaving your mother for me:aok
really classy...
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Originally posted by FUNKED1
I think you guys are going off the deep end. There's a lot of gray area in any construction contract.
Sure, and if the job is not acceptable reject it. BUt you can't reject an acceptable job as a revenge.
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What I mean is that you can go out on any major job and find things that don't match the contract exactly.
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Originally posted by Dead Man Flying
If it looks like extortion, and it smells like extortion...
-- Todd/Leviathn
Then you know that you're in NY City, or Jersey.:D
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What I mean is that you can go out on any major job and find things that don't match the contract exactly.
so if the job is aceptable acept it and if no don't. giving to a charity or not should have nothing to do with it.
if paying to this charity is a cost of doing the job, then who really pays?
all construction costs eventually end up costing the customer.
so the money for this biek race will untimately be being payed out of money alotted to the area childrens education (this was a school contract, right?).
when you boil it all down your dads extorting the $$ from the school board.
btw- I could see putting a little pressure on someone for something like a childrens hospital, or the like. hell I leaned on people a little heavy when collecting for breast cancer a few years ago (never to the point of threatening them or their income though, mostly just guilt). but putting the squeaze on someone in so sleazy of a fashion, and for a fluff'n bike race for Christ sakes, it's just low.
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Originally posted by Wolfala
At the same time, we were trying to get a professional bike race to go through town - the idea was to hit up the contractor doing the bike race to support the town. Here's what happened.
So dad went to them with the request - hes been dealin with them for about 3 years now through the process of the school development. They came back with basically "here's $500.00 and take a hike"
They bid the job under to get the contract hoping the change orders would bring them there profit and possibly overhead, now they got someone busting there balls over a bike race that has nothing to do with the current project... I don't find it very funny in the least, hopefully they will bust your dads balls with huge change orders and make some profit to make the payroll for the month so the workers can feed there families!!
IKON
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We are however, glad that you love your Dad.
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Small world, I know the contractor thru a sub we do business with, I just passed the post to him thru email, he sounded very eager to read it! offered me a kick back for my efferts....
Regards
IKON
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Dad is going to be pissed if this thread bones him...
:eek:
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There is no perfectly built construction project. That is why Specifications are developed. Pretty much all the jobs I have been on have either been built to specification, or ended up in the courts before or soon after completion.
A dishonest, incompetent or adversarial inspector, be he municipal, owner or testing, can quickly turn a project into a nightmare for all concerned, and on a school project, the people that will pay will be the local taxpayers.
If the builder is doing shoddy work, there are normal, documented avenues to pursue that will ensure that any expense that arises will be incurred by the Construction Firm, not the taxpayers.
If your Dad thinks that he is doing the right thing, and so do you, you are both wrong.