Fred avoidance

[sanpaku_backup]

The guy who has done yardwork etc. for us over the last few years is this guy in his eighties named Fred. As I have posted about before, Fred has a habit of saying he will do something, taking longer than I would expect to get around to it, it somehow taking more time to do than I figured, and then charging me a gazillion dollars for it. I cannot have a conversation with this guy without the result being an extraction of far more money than I ever anticipated.

Typical Fred was me mentioning last week that, yes, we could use some yard work and could he please finish off planting the grass seed that he started in June. Faster than you can say "doodley-doodley-doo" he shows up unannounced while we're at Rosh Hashana services, they work all day, and he asks me for $280. How it is that much I can't possibly fathom.

S. made the mistake of mentioning that we are moving (so could Fred please get all of his shit out of the garage) so now Fred is filled with ideas for work we need to have done to sell the house, most of which I'll admit are valid, but I don't really know about having an eightysomething guy paint the ceilings. As usual, Fred shows up unannounced at a time when things are bad and then wears me down with talking endlessly about all kinds of things while work is piling up and the kids are screaming in the other room, so that I'm desperate for him to leave. I tell him to come by at a better time to see the ceiling, and now I've been ducking calls all morning and am hiding in my basement office with the lights off.

Another joy of home ownership: Fred avoidance.

Comments

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

WTF. Just tell him no.

Aren't you pissed off about this? Why not let that anger flow through you and tell him to go screw? The power of the dark side of the force can even defeat Fred, my young apprentice.

yamim noraim and all that

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I don't really do conflict in person. I think that where people have a "fight/flight" switch in them, mine is pretty firmly set to "flight." Or more precisely, set to: don't do something you'll regret. I do need him to put down the rest of the grass seed, after all. Also, he's pretty sad. I just can't make myself emphatically tell off a harmless old man.

[solipsiae.livejournal.com]

Is firmly but kindly firing him completely out of the question? The only geriatrics you should really be at the mercy of are federal judges or relatives.

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

Avoiding his phone calls accomplishes the same thing, sort of. The problem is that we often do indeed need some sort of yard work and he is at least willing to do it. So we keep inviting him back. Stupid, I know.

I like this approach:

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

"Thank you, but we have made other arrangements." :)

Re: I like this approach:

[cellio]

That, and "this is not a good time". Try not to reward his flakiness.

Re: I like this approach:

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

I must have said that to him about a hundred times yesterday. The guy is a veritable leech.

Re: I like this approach:

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

If we had made other arrangements we wouldn't be having the conversation. The truth is that I really do need to do whatever it is he is telling me needs to be done, but having just contemplated the thought I can't just run away and call up a random contractor. Fred is a known if dreaded quantity. I'm also not entirely sure he is screwing me worse than any of the others would.

Re: I like this approach:

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

"Other arrangements" can mean simply that you don't plan to have him do it. You don't have to elaborate on what the arrangements are.

Situations like this are why I read Miss Manners religiously. I don't like that feeling of being trapped by obnoxious people, but I don't like feeling that the only way out is being rude.

But wrt our other "conversation" about realtors--if I were you, I'd let your future realtor help you decide what really needs to be done to sell the house, rather than relying on Fred's expertise.

Re: I like this approach:

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

Absolutely what is keeping me in panic night and day is that the realtor needs to give me the advice (though surely their advice will err on the side of spending a lot of money), but as we discussed I have no way to get a good one other than opening the phone book at this point, so I'm sort of paralyzed. We weren't wise enough to go to open houses -- we need someone now -- and I have no idea who to ask point-blank for a recommendation... so I'm sort of paralyzed, not to mention beseiged with work and the kids. And Fred is right in my face.

Some of the things are obvious, though. We have a crumbling ceiling from water damage before the roof was fixed. Where we need advice is on stuff like painting the exterior -- no doubt the house could use a coat of paint, but Fred suggests putting a primer down and letting a new owner choose the color. I can see the virtue of that, but either way, it's starting to get cold here and we need the work done now. Thus we need to find a realtor.... you see how it is.

Re: I like this approach:

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

You do sound panicky!

First: it will be okay.

Second: there are always open houses on Sundays here, and maybe everywhere, but if you literally need someone today, maybe this would work: go to realtor.com, put in your zip code, see what else is for sale in your area. Look at the listings that are more or less comparable to your house and call their realtors and talk to them. That way you may find someone who "specializes" in your area or your price range.

I am sure Fred is a good person and all, but he is just adding to your stress right now, so maybe it would be best to tell him you'll get back to him if/when you have other things in place first. It sounds like he kind of preys on your anxiety. But putting primer on the house and not painting it is a stupid idea. Your house will have zero curb appeal that way.

Re: I like this approach:

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

With yontif etc. it's like "everything has to happen this week!" Also I can't look at anything in this house without thinking how much insane work and cleaning needs to be done in the zero time that I have. So, panicking, yes, yes.

I found a couple of ratings places and one of the realtors who is local and selling a lot around here. We'll try to hit some open houses on Sunday.

I didn't know if he meant white primer, which, yeah, would be pretty awful, or just a top coat on what's there now. But the bigger issue is, Fred, you're going to go on a giant stepladder and paint the house? Just seems hard to picture. So, avoidance.

Re: I like this approach:

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

Either way, the primer thing is a weird idea.

Also, with the contractor issue--is Angie's List in your area? I just signed up for it for a second year. It's worth the $30 subscription for me to not have to worry about whether I have just hired a crooked contractor. Like yesterday when we had to get the fridge repaired!

I must stop bombarding you

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

Angie's List has a category for real estate agents, I just discovered. This will be really useful for me in a year or so, I hope!

Re: I must stop bombarding you

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

I joined and there was no fee -- I guess there's not a lot of people on it yet in this area. Unfortunately the only realtor recommendations are for people in other parts of the state. But it is good to have the contractor numbers as well. Thanks!