#1 ·
I’ve been sitting here for days, just staring at this screen, wondering if I should even bother posting this. Honestly? I'm not even sure if I'm doing the right thing anymore. Everything feels a bit up in the air. So, yeah... if anyone has any advice, I'd really appreciate it. Any of it.
Alright, look. I’ll give you the short version of what happened and where things went sideways. I'm just going to lay out the essentials here. If I tried to write out every single little detail, we'd be sitting here all day and I'd end up filling an entire book. Let's just get to the point.
It all started about three or four months back. We finally made the call to get gas lines run into the house. I mean, we already had the main line running right up to the property, but everything inside was strictly electric. So, we figured, why not? Let’s just take it one step at a time—start with getting the hot water situation sorted out. Small wins, right? Or so we thought.
They were asking around, poking their noses into everything. Walking every inch of the place, checking who’s actually better, who’s cheaper, what the fine print says on the contracts... honestly, they went over every single detail. Everything.
By the way, we’ve got two neighbors doing the exact same thing. One’s a full-blown independent contractor, and the other used to work for him back in the day. The first guy spends most of his time out on the coast working—you know how it is, always busy—so we ended up having to swing by the doctor's office just to track down a preliminary estimate and all that other paperwork. It's a whole process.
Out of everything we looked at, that neighbor of ours went and offered the absolute cheapest option on the table. And of course, he volunteered to do the whole thing himself. I mean, what can you even say? He’s right there, so it’s convenient... plus, if we hired someone else, we'd end up driving them around anyway, and then we'll be listening to him complain about gas money before the job's even done. So, I told him straight: we’re doing this in stages. We'll tackle the bathroom first, and once we've actually managed to scrape enough cash together, we'll deal with the rest of the mess. One step at a time, right?
That day he brought over the estimate, I just sat there, completely stunned. It was like looking at a riddle instead of a quote. They’d list the materials, sure, but next to them? Nothing. Just "piece" or "foot." No individual prices, nothing. Just one big, intimidating final total slapped at the bottom. I looked at him and asked, "Look, can we get a little more detail here? Like, how much are we actually talking about for the radiators, or the water heater...?" And he just gives me this look. Like I'm being difficult. He goes, "Don't even worry about it. I'll handle all of that. It's taken care of." Seriously? Is that how things work now? You just hand someone a massive number and tell them to trust the process? Since when did "trust me" become a valid line item in a budget?
I guess that’s fine, then. At least we won't have to go running all over the place... or whatever else they've written down.
He rolls in with his wife in tow, and wouldn't you know it? She’s already handing over a pair of khakis, asking me to hem them... Honestly, does it ever end?😲
He wanted the cash upfront. Seriously. And he actually had the nerve to claim that amount covers the whole job... you know, everything except the water heater. Can you believe that? Just walking in here asking for the money before he's even picked up a wrench. Does he think I'm made of money or something? It’s just one thing after another.
So, I went ahead and did it. Made the whole thing, dropped it off, asked about the bill... and then, right there in front of them, I just threw it out there. Like, "Hey, if you could just swap out that kitchen faucet while you're at it?" You know? Just a little something extra. Is that too much to ask? Probably. But hey, why not?
Well, maybe... I guess... if you really want to go there. Or not. It’s all up in the air, isn't it? Just one of those things.
I don't want to go on forever about how things used to be... just skipping over it now. Why bother?
Started working... god, what a grind. I mean, seriously, maybe two or three holes a day if I'm lucky? It’s been three weeks now and all I’ve managed is a handful of holes and a few M-pipes. And that’s only because we had some help on the job. What a joke.
The day finally arrived when it all ended. Or maybe it just stopped? I don't know anymore. It’s funny how you spend all that time bracing for the impact, waiting for the hammer to drop, and then... nothing. Just silence. Is that what we were actually looking for? A quiet exit? Everything feels different now, or maybe I'm just tired. Honestly, who can even tell anymore? 🙏🙏 So, he went ahead and swapped out the tap water and the faucet... just like that. Like, we didn't even agree on that part. Honestly, what is it with people? Just doing whatever they want without checking in first. Does anyone actually listen anymore? No. Apparently not.
So, I told them—they finally went ahead and bought me that new water heater—that we’re going to settle the score by autumn, once we hit the second phase of this whole mess. I sat down and crunched all the numbers myself. They tried to tack on another few hundred bucks here and there, claiming that was it, but yeah... we'll see about that.
Catch you later for part two of this whole mess.
If that was all there was to it, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this up right now... would I?
He showed up again the second day after the ceremony, asking if we could toss him a bit more. Like he didn't get enough the first time around? Honestly, who does that? $333 Hell, they’re heading off to a wedding... they need stuff. I say, no, we don't have any.
So, things kicked off with a massive blowout. But look, I’m just saying—he needs work, and we all need a way to pay the bills, right? That’s just how the world turns. Anyway, for three days straight, he was basically hovering around, begging for cash. And then, get this—he actually went behind my back and pinched some money from me. I didn't even realize he'd done it until after the fact. Can you believe that? I didn't give him permission, yet there it goes. Just... wow.
He just told me while we were sitting there crunching the numbers how much more cash we’re going to need... God, I was losing my mind. Just completely spiraling.
So, I’m walking along, just passing by while he was busy wiring things up, and I figure, why not? I ask him straight out, "Alright, look, what kind of rate are you actually looking for?" You know, because it's never written down anywhere. And then he just... he just blanks me. Total nothing. $2000!!!😲😲
How much? Seriously, have you guys lost your minds? For that kind of money, a regular employee would be putting in three full months at a firm like Amazon, yet here you are, trying to squeeze people into jobs for just three weeks. It’s absolute madness. What are you even thinking?
Private contractors are asking for about... what? It feels like the numbers just keep climbing every time you look. Honestly, does anyone actually know where the ceiling is on this anymore? It’s getting ridiculous. $1000Seriously, though... it’s like half the price of that guy who does hack jobs. Why would you even bother?
So, Kim Kardashian just popped up right in front of our eyes... honestly, can we even be surprised at this point?
So I said... my husband... two months have passed already. They actually called him up to try and settle things for the future... and he just bailed. He walked away from the job entirely. And the kicker? We actually handed him money on top of everything else. Just gave it to him. Can you believe that? $333.
So I told him, look, it’s fine, no big deal—just give back the money you borrowed. And that was it. Total meltdown. Suddenly everyone’s getting worked up and shouting over each other, claiming he hasn't got a clue what we're even talking about. They started going on about how he wasn't even on the payroll here... as if that changes anything. Is it really that complicated? Honestly.😲I mean, whatever... just blah blah blah.
So, basically, he’s refusing to pay me back. Just straight-up digging his heels in. Then my guy starts getting aggressive with him—making threats and all that—and honestly? I’m right there with him. He needs to cough up the cash. Period.
He gave me a deadline of just a few days... which led to us having these absolute battles over the phone... uh... how do I even put it...
And he refuses to hand over the cash until he sees that the damn joke is over, finally saying, fine, I'm giving you back the $167, and I'm shouting, no, it's 700 (turns out he forgot to charge for that faucet and only took 200—so he was $100 up)...
So I told him, okay, just give me 500 and $67 for the pants I sewed. Now, here’s where the neighbor drama kicks in... She claims she has no clue about any money, swears they didn't borrow anything, but after I gave her a little "friendly" reminder, she suddenly remembered 🙏 that they actually did borrow it and that I did the sewing.
And now I'm out here asking for my $67 for the work I did...
She has the nerve to ask how I can be so rude, demanding so much for such a small job. I told her straight: just like your husband can be rude by charging $67 to swap out a basic kitchen faucet, I can be just as bold and demand pay for my labor. My hands and my expertise aren't free...
He ended up returning the $167.
Long story short, she still hasn't paid me back. I don't want to keep calling her, but I can never seem to catch her out on the street or at the local grocery store...
So, I finally tracked down her daughters on Facebook. I sent them a message telling them to tell their mom to pay back the money she borrowed, with a deadline of tomorrow, Friday.
I saw her outside briefly and mentioned they got the message, but there's been zero response. No message back, nothing.
I wrote back saying if she doesn't pay, the whole town is going to find out exactly what kind of people they are and that they basically stole from me...
So, what would you guys do:
1. Just walk away from my $67?
2. Keep chasing them down?
3. Leave another message?
4. Tag all their friends on Facebook with a little "nudge," you know, something like, "Hey, just so you know, the neighbor owes me money and won't pay up"?
5. Am I in the right here? Is this the right move?
6. What would you do in my shoes?
Alright, look. I’ll give you the short version of what happened and where things went sideways. I'm just going to lay out the essentials here. If I tried to write out every single little detail, we'd be sitting here all day and I'd end up filling an entire book. Let's just get to the point.
It all started about three or four months back. We finally made the call to get gas lines run into the house. I mean, we already had the main line running right up to the property, but everything inside was strictly electric. So, we figured, why not? Let’s just take it one step at a time—start with getting the hot water situation sorted out. Small wins, right? Or so we thought.
They were asking around, poking their noses into everything. Walking every inch of the place, checking who’s actually better, who’s cheaper, what the fine print says on the contracts... honestly, they went over every single detail. Everything.
By the way, we’ve got two neighbors doing the exact same thing. One’s a full-blown independent contractor, and the other used to work for him back in the day. The first guy spends most of his time out on the coast working—you know how it is, always busy—so we ended up having to swing by the doctor's office just to track down a preliminary estimate and all that other paperwork. It's a whole process.
Out of everything we looked at, that neighbor of ours went and offered the absolute cheapest option on the table. And of course, he volunteered to do the whole thing himself. I mean, what can you even say? He’s right there, so it’s convenient... plus, if we hired someone else, we'd end up driving them around anyway, and then we'll be listening to him complain about gas money before the job's even done. So, I told him straight: we’re doing this in stages. We'll tackle the bathroom first, and once we've actually managed to scrape enough cash together, we'll deal with the rest of the mess. One step at a time, right?
That day he brought over the estimate, I just sat there, completely stunned. It was like looking at a riddle instead of a quote. They’d list the materials, sure, but next to them? Nothing. Just "piece" or "foot." No individual prices, nothing. Just one big, intimidating final total slapped at the bottom. I looked at him and asked, "Look, can we get a little more detail here? Like, how much are we actually talking about for the radiators, or the water heater...?" And he just gives me this look. Like I'm being difficult. He goes, "Don't even worry about it. I'll handle all of that. It's taken care of." Seriously? Is that how things work now? You just hand someone a massive number and tell them to trust the process? Since when did "trust me" become a valid line item in a budget?
I guess that’s fine, then. At least we won't have to go running all over the place... or whatever else they've written down.
He rolls in with his wife in tow, and wouldn't you know it? She’s already handing over a pair of khakis, asking me to hem them... Honestly, does it ever end?😲
He wanted the cash upfront. Seriously. And he actually had the nerve to claim that amount covers the whole job... you know, everything except the water heater. Can you believe that? Just walking in here asking for the money before he's even picked up a wrench. Does he think I'm made of money or something? It’s just one thing after another.
So, I went ahead and did it. Made the whole thing, dropped it off, asked about the bill... and then, right there in front of them, I just threw it out there. Like, "Hey, if you could just swap out that kitchen faucet while you're at it?" You know? Just a little something extra. Is that too much to ask? Probably. But hey, why not?
Well, maybe... I guess... if you really want to go there. Or not. It’s all up in the air, isn't it? Just one of those things.
I don't want to go on forever about how things used to be... just skipping over it now. Why bother?
Started working... god, what a grind. I mean, seriously, maybe two or three holes a day if I'm lucky? It’s been three weeks now and all I’ve managed is a handful of holes and a few M-pipes. And that’s only because we had some help on the job. What a joke.
The day finally arrived when it all ended. Or maybe it just stopped? I don't know anymore. It’s funny how you spend all that time bracing for the impact, waiting for the hammer to drop, and then... nothing. Just silence. Is that what we were actually looking for? A quiet exit? Everything feels different now, or maybe I'm just tired. Honestly, who can even tell anymore? 🙏🙏 So, he went ahead and swapped out the tap water and the faucet... just like that. Like, we didn't even agree on that part. Honestly, what is it with people? Just doing whatever they want without checking in first. Does anyone actually listen anymore? No. Apparently not.
So, I told them—they finally went ahead and bought me that new water heater—that we’re going to settle the score by autumn, once we hit the second phase of this whole mess. I sat down and crunched all the numbers myself. They tried to tack on another few hundred bucks here and there, claiming that was it, but yeah... we'll see about that.
Catch you later for part two of this whole mess.
If that was all there was to it, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this up right now... would I?
He showed up again the second day after the ceremony, asking if we could toss him a bit more. Like he didn't get enough the first time around? Honestly, who does that? $333 Hell, they’re heading off to a wedding... they need stuff. I say, no, we don't have any.
So, things kicked off with a massive blowout. But look, I’m just saying—he needs work, and we all need a way to pay the bills, right? That’s just how the world turns. Anyway, for three days straight, he was basically hovering around, begging for cash. And then, get this—he actually went behind my back and pinched some money from me. I didn't even realize he'd done it until after the fact. Can you believe that? I didn't give him permission, yet there it goes. Just... wow.
He just told me while we were sitting there crunching the numbers how much more cash we’re going to need... God, I was losing my mind. Just completely spiraling.
So, I’m walking along, just passing by while he was busy wiring things up, and I figure, why not? I ask him straight out, "Alright, look, what kind of rate are you actually looking for?" You know, because it's never written down anywhere. And then he just... he just blanks me. Total nothing. $2000!!!😲😲
How much? Seriously, have you guys lost your minds? For that kind of money, a regular employee would be putting in three full months at a firm like Amazon, yet here you are, trying to squeeze people into jobs for just three weeks. It’s absolute madness. What are you even thinking?
Private contractors are asking for about... what? It feels like the numbers just keep climbing every time you look. Honestly, does anyone actually know where the ceiling is on this anymore? It’s getting ridiculous. $1000Seriously, though... it’s like half the price of that guy who does hack jobs. Why would you even bother?
So, Kim Kardashian just popped up right in front of our eyes... honestly, can we even be surprised at this point?
So I said... my husband... two months have passed already. They actually called him up to try and settle things for the future... and he just bailed. He walked away from the job entirely. And the kicker? We actually handed him money on top of everything else. Just gave it to him. Can you believe that? $333.
So I told him, look, it’s fine, no big deal—just give back the money you borrowed. And that was it. Total meltdown. Suddenly everyone’s getting worked up and shouting over each other, claiming he hasn't got a clue what we're even talking about. They started going on about how he wasn't even on the payroll here... as if that changes anything. Is it really that complicated? Honestly.😲I mean, whatever... just blah blah blah.
So, basically, he’s refusing to pay me back. Just straight-up digging his heels in. Then my guy starts getting aggressive with him—making threats and all that—and honestly? I’m right there with him. He needs to cough up the cash. Period.
He gave me a deadline of just a few days... which led to us having these absolute battles over the phone... uh... how do I even put it...
And he refuses to hand over the cash until he sees that the damn joke is over, finally saying, fine, I'm giving you back the $167, and I'm shouting, no, it's 700 (turns out he forgot to charge for that faucet and only took 200—so he was $100 up)...
So I told him, okay, just give me 500 and $67 for the pants I sewed. Now, here’s where the neighbor drama kicks in... She claims she has no clue about any money, swears they didn't borrow anything, but after I gave her a little "friendly" reminder, she suddenly remembered 🙏 that they actually did borrow it and that I did the sewing.
And now I'm out here asking for my $67 for the work I did...
She has the nerve to ask how I can be so rude, demanding so much for such a small job. I told her straight: just like your husband can be rude by charging $67 to swap out a basic kitchen faucet, I can be just as bold and demand pay for my labor. My hands and my expertise aren't free...
He ended up returning the $167.
Long story short, she still hasn't paid me back. I don't want to keep calling her, but I can never seem to catch her out on the street or at the local grocery store...
So, I finally tracked down her daughters on Facebook. I sent them a message telling them to tell their mom to pay back the money she borrowed, with a deadline of tomorrow, Friday.
I saw her outside briefly and mentioned they got the message, but there's been zero response. No message back, nothing.
I wrote back saying if she doesn't pay, the whole town is going to find out exactly what kind of people they are and that they basically stole from me...
So, what would you guys do:
1. Just walk away from my $67?
2. Keep chasing them down?
3. Leave another message?
4. Tag all their friends on Facebook with a little "nudge," you know, something like, "Hey, just so you know, the neighbor owes me money and won't pay up"?
5. Am I in the right here? Is this the right move?
6. What would you do in my shoes?