Contract
 

I am hiring a company to install a boat lift. Company is asking for 5k down payment. I have a contract prepared for the company to sign. Company rep said they don't do contracts, never signed one before.
I am a general contractor, we enter into contracts daily.

What do you think about someone not wanting to sign?

Contract is very simple, just says that the lift company will install the lift in accordance with the manufacture's recomendations within a set time.

Are you wearing track shoes??

So they are selling you a lift with no purchase agreement on their end? Just give me $5K and we promise to install a lift for you? No way I would go for that. I agree with you wanting them to sign something.

Since you are a GC, you already know the answer to this. If a guy came up to you and said "I'll lay the brick on this house, but you gotta give me $5K before I even show up, what would be your answer?

Read this thread and then decide if you should have a contract....

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/b...eal-5k-me.html

Or this one. Poor Adrenaline Junkie, all he wants to do is get a lift.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/b...oat-lifts.html

True story...

A friend of mine contracts a reputable company to install baot lift. Agreed price is 15K. They ask for 1/2 down and he sends a check for $7,500 and there is a contract.

Company does nothing. My friend takes company to court. 3 years since check was cashed (lift company kept promising to do the job) court gave lift company 90 days to start and finish lift. Needless to say they did not do the job. So my budy was back in court and got a judgement for the $7,500. Then the company files bankruptcy and he's out again. Never recieved any of his money back, is out time for court, out for attorney.
He's also an orthopedic surgeon where time is money.

Moral of the story is the world is ****ed up. and especially anything to do with boats don't trust anyone.

Not only should he sign a contract, you might want to make him post a surety bond too!

As a GC, you know how this story is going to end. On to the next lift builder..........

no contract, no down payment.......let them pick one.

X2

Run

Hows their reputation is it verifiable? How long they been in the biz? I would have thought they would want a contract of some kind to.

That is a GREAT suggestion, if these guys are supposedly good and have a good rep but oooh no, they can't sign a contract because let me guess, they have never had a problem with a customer then fine, they put it in and when they are DONE you will pony up the cash!!!

I have bought three lifts in my life, they installed it and I met them there that afternoon to check it out etc, and wrote them a check when they were done... I wish my clients were at the job the afternoon we were done and wrote a check that day, standard is 30 to 60 days and 90 is not uncommon.

My thought would be to RUN!!! plenty of Companys out there that dont mind signing a contract to do what there being paid to do!!!

I used to have a lift in a slip that I rented.I paid in full when it was done and my boat was on it.No way I would pay 5k up front with nothing in writing.People work faster when they have not been paid yet.