Hey everyone! I'm in a bit of a strange situation and could really use your advice. My partner and I hired a construction company for extensive repairs around our living room chimney, which were needed due to both dry rot and a roof leak. The total cost was over $72,000, and so far, we've paid about $32,000 in upfront deposits.
The main project wrapped up in August last year, and the warranty repairs were completed in April this year. Now, it's been 10 months since we asked for a final estimate and invoice—still nothing! Sometimes we get responses saying it's in the works, sometimes we hear nothing at all. The company we chose has a good reputation, so it's baffling!
Our contract does allow them to charge interest on unpaid bills, but we haven't received any invoices, which is supposed to be part of their billing procedure. What do you all think is happening here? Are they dragging their feet on invoicing us to later demand a full balance with interest? Am I just overthinking this? Or could they really just be that bad at managing their books? Thanks for your help!
4 Answers
It could be that the job supervisor didn't submit the necessary paperwork when he left. That can cause a lot of confusion. There's clearly some mix-up happening in their systems.
Honestly, it sounds like they just can’t get their act together. Keep all your communications documented. If they never send you a bill, it shouldn’t be your problem; if they mess this up, they likely can’t pursue you for anything.
Yeah, I think they might just be terrible at bookkeeping. A lot of companies can be caught up in trying to make ends meet financially. It’s possible there's been some internal issue in their billing department. Since you’ve been asking for the final bill and they haven't completely ignored you, I wouldn’t worry too much about them trying to hit you with interest. If you haven't touched the funds yet, consider putting them in a high-interest savings account! At least that way they’re earning something while you wait.
Great tip! We’ve earned some interest in a high-yield account, so we’re at least feeling good about that while we wait.
It sounds really frustrating! Depending on where you live, they might not even have the ability to sue or collect after a year or two if they haven’t contacted you properly. Just make sure you have records of all your requests for that invoice. If your contract specifies a payment timeline, you could potentially be off the hook for interest. I'd recommend sending them a firm email stating that, after 10 months of asking, you'll assume you don’t owe anything if they don’t provide an invoice by a certain date. They might just get their act together and send it! Also, check to ensure there’s no lien on your property just to be safe!
Thanks for the advice! We'll definitely try that approach. I just can’t wrap my head around why they are taking so long on this.
Yikes! That sounds messy. Just to add to the story, the project manager is actually the stepson of the owner, and I’m starting to think he knows about the mess but can’t do much on his end.