I hired a contractor for a project, and he left a large piece of equipment in my driveway. It's been four days, and while he keeps saying he'll come to pick it up, his trailer is tied up with another job. I'm wondering how long is reasonable to wait before considering the equipment abandoned and finding someone else to take it? I understand he's busy, but my driveway isn't a storage facility. What's your advice?
3 Answers
Honestly, I think four days isn’t too long yet, but it could be a different story if it's blocking your driveway. If you like the guy and want to use him again, maybe give him a little break. But keep in mind, you also have every right to ask him to hurry it up because it’s your property, not his storage space.
If it continues beyond a week, I’d suggest asking for a firm pickup date from him. After a couple of excuses, let him know you’ll have to look into towing it away if he doesn’t get it soon. Sometimes, contractors need a little push to take responsibility!
10 days seems reasonable to me. At that point, if he hasn’t picked it up, maybe it’s time to start looking into your state’s abandoned property laws. You could also send him a friendly reminder about it—something like, 'Just a heads up, I can’t keep this here forever!' You’ve got to protect your space.