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WHAT IS YOUR STORY? Jilted worker punches, threatens man with sledgehammer attack By Erin Smith Thu Jul 10, 2008, 09:20 AM Somerville - A
construction worker felt jilted enough by a deal gone bad that he
attacked his former client's son with a sledgehammer, police said. When Police Officer Alan Monaco responded to 22 Thorpe St. on July
6, a 44-year-old Somerville man told him Somerville resident Gedeon
Oliveira had done some work at the victim's mother's Thorpe Street
house, and there was a disagreement about money. The mother allegedly
gave Oliveira $600 and asked him to leave and not finish the job,
according to police reports. About two hours later, at about 8:45 p.m., Oliveira alleged returned
to Thorpe Street with a sledgehammer and told the man he was going to
rip down the work completed at the mother's house, according to reports. The victim told police he was frightened for his life because of the
way Oliveira was swinging the hammer at him. The victim unsuccessfully
tried to calm Oliveira, according to police reports. Oliveira then
allegedly punched the victim in the head — as the victim's wife and two
teenage sons watched — before leaving the area, police said. Oliveira, 46, of 77 Munroe St., faces charges of assault by means of a dangerous weapon and a thecontractorsside.com Lee W. Dodson 3508 Loma Lada Drive Los Angeles CA 90065 818-737-1336 323.243.0404 July 10, 2008 Editor Somerville Journal Re: Sledgehammer
Assault The Internet is Mightier Than a Sledgehammer Dear Editor: Read with interest the story of Gedeon Oliveira, the alleged
attacker of a client on whose house he worked. While this story of a contractor taking untoward action
against a client may be uncommon, the circumstances leading to the attack are
not. Client-contractor disputes are all too common because the contractor is
the least likely person to afford either the time or the finances to take the
civil action against the client, and when he does, the contractor finds
unsympathetic ears in court, in the media, or with official agencies. In fact, this man reacted, albeit unwisely, to the climate
of the construction business lately. The man obviously felt he had nowhere to
turn, therefore Oliveira made a hasty and unwise decision to tear out his
unpaid work. Mistakes in this situation abound, and many questions need
answers. Had the client properly researched the worker? Was the agreement in
writing? Was the worker licensed? Had the contractor researched the client? Was
the work hourly, cost plus, or stated price? Were the complaints about the work
discussed rationally with the intent to settle? The client has many resources and all of the power because
she has the money and owns the property, but the contractor has few avenues. He
normally doesn't ask for references. All he knows is that there is work to be
done and that he is willing to do it. Because the contractor has had no way to check out a client,
or anybody else, we established thecontractorsside.com,
a resource website where a contractor, a tradesman, or anyone connected to the
construction industry can register a complaint or can check out client,
supplier, official, or agency online. What happened between Mr. Oliveira and the client could have
been avoided if information on both were readily available. These things happen? They don't need to. If the client were listed as difficult, the contractor could
have said "No thanks," and never would have faced the situation. Information is
power, and sometimes, it's the power to just say no. Admittedly, thecontractorsside.com weights toward the
tradesman, but on the site Offers the opportunity to answer because an e-mail of
notification is automatically generated to person about whom the complaint is
posted. The world of construction, as common as it may be, is
unfamiliar territory to most clients, but resources are available. It is a
different story for the contractor…until now. Check out http://www.thecontractorsside.com.
If nothing else, it is interesting. Respects, Lee W. Dodson Owner thecontractorsside.com
http://www.thecontractorsside.com
323/441-9277
Fax
thecontractorsside@gmail.com
PRESS
RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/23/08
ARE CONTRACTORS
AN
ENDANGERED
SPECIES?
Polar bears were just granted
“endangered species” classification, and while it’s probably a
good thing, the certification does little to help another endangered
species: the contractor. “It is not hyperbole to assert that the contractor
in the United States, and in the world, in general, is being moved,
one step at a time, towards extinction,” so says Lee W, Dodson,
owner of thecontractorsside.com, a resource site for the worldwide
construction industry.
The Los Angeles Times has noted
recently that “the supply of good contractors is twenty years behind
the demand,” and yet those who enter the profession have become the
most maligned of businesspeople.
In its efforts to gain recognition
of the contributions of the small contractor, thecontractorsside.com
has worked to reveal the true nature of the business climate for one
of the prime ingredients to the economy.
To further
that effort, thecontractorsside.com
has launched:
DIRTY ROTTEN CLIENT EVENT
OVERVIEW
http://www.thecontractorsside.com in association with BUILDERnews
Magazine and http://www.filthyrichcontractor.com will give a business consultation
to one contractor or contracting business who writes the most interesting
story of their encounter with a bad client, supplier, official, or another
contractor.
The business consultation will
consist of a two hour evaluation of the contractor’s business and
set up of a viable business model, then it will followed up by two one-hour
follow up consultations to make sure the model works.
The consultation will be conducted
by Ron Roberts of filthyrichcontractor.com, a well-known and
respected business model consultant dedicated to the particular style
of the construction business.
The discounted value of the
program, available to members of thecontractorsside.com, is $1000.00,
and Ron has testimonials that say it’s worth $100,000.00 if the construction
business is in trouble. By registering on thecontractorsside.com
and posting the experience the poster gets it free.
The story does not have
to be well written, but it does have to lay out the facts of the
business relationship. With well over a hundred years aggregate experience
in construction, the event will be judged by people who know the business,
a panel of nine regular people from all over the country connected to
the business:
http://www.buildernewsmag.com
http://www.hometalkusa.com
http://www.contractors-united.com
http://www.4allcontractors.com
http://www.filthyrichcontractor.com
http://www.aehcc.com
http://www.ondemancreations.com
http://www.thecontractorsside.com
http://www.helloworld.com/srstgary
In addition to the opportunity
to get the best advice keyed to your particular business, thecontractorsside.com
has arranged with BUILDERnews magazine to give a free one year
online subscription to the publication to each registered user of
thecontractorsside.com up to ten thousand new users or repeat posters.
The magazine is a terrific
source for business info, well produced, smart, and professional. It
could end up to be the best source for industry news and comment this
year. If bought at the news stand, the year price would be $48.80, by
registering and entering, the DIRTY ROTTEN CLIENT gets it delivered
monthly right to the poster’s computer.
HERE’S HOW
Go onto http://www.thecontractorsside.com.
Register. Participation is
limited to new registers or repeat posters
Fill out the form.
The poster tells the story.
Keeps it clean and factual. Tells what happened. Tells what the problem
did to his or her business, what it cost both financially and personally.
Anonymous postings may be requested.
Every post is read and evaluated
according to a point system.
Early entry is advised as the
competition closes July 8th.
The winner will be announced
on Michael King’s Home Talk USA Saturday July 20th at 9:30 am CDT.
Only one person will know the name of the voted winner, and she will
reveal it to Michael King on the air.
Other prizes may be awarded
to runners up the same day and time.
Digital BUILDERnews
subscriptions will be awarded on a first come, first served basis up
to 10,000, and will be automatically subscribed to the email address
on the registration page.
If you drive on it, work
in it, or live in it, a contractor built it.
“This project is designed
to bring the downs of the business out of the shadows,” said
Dodson. “We’re particularly
grateful that publications like BUILDERnews see the problem and are
providing tangible support. As we are for the Michael King of Home Talk
USA, and the other judges of the event.”
Will anybody listen?
“We believe so, but this
one project will not be our last stand. We have a couple of other surprises
coming within the month.” Dodson grinned. “We’re waking our members
up to the power of the internet. Should be interesting. The market is
smart, we want the contractors to get just as smart.”
Tags: Builders
Lee W. Dodson 323/441-9277
Fax thecontractorsside@gmail.com http://thecontractorsside.com
DIRTY ROTTEN CLIENT EVENT
OVERVIEW
http://www.thecontractorsside.com in association with BUILDERnews
Magazine and http://www.filthyrichcontractor.com will give a business consultation
to one contractor or contracting business who writes the most interesting
story of their encounter with a bad client, supplier, official, or another
contractor.
If you have more money going
out than coming in, this is something you need.
The business consultation will
consist of a two hour evaluation of the contractor’s business and
set up of a viable business model, then it will followed up by two one-hour
follow up consultations to make sure the model works.
The consultation will be conducted
by Ron Roberts of filthyrichcontractor.com, a well-known and
respected business model consultant dedicated to the peculiar styles
of the construction business.
The discounted value of the
program, available to members of thecontractorsside.com, is $1000.00,
and Ron has testimonials that say it’s worth $100,000.00 if the construction
business is in trouble. By registering on thecontractorsside.com
and posting your experience you line up to get it free.
The story does not have
to be well written, but it does have to lay out the facts of the
business relationship. Believe me, with over a hundred years of aggregate
experience in construction, we’ll get it.
The stories will be judged
by a panel of eight regular people from all over the country connected
to the business: http://www.contractors-united.com http://www.4allcontractors.com http://www.filthyrichcontractor.com http://www.hometalkusa.com http://www.aehcc.com http://www.ondemancreations.com http://www.thecontractorsside.com http://www.buildernewsmag.com
In addition to the opportunity
to get the best advice keyed to your particular business, thecontractorsside.com
has arranged with BUILDERnews magazine to give a free one year
online subscription to the publication to each registered user of
thecontractorsside.com up to ten thousand users.
The magazine is a terrific
source for business info, well produced, smart, and professional. It
could end up to be the best source for industry news and comment this
year. If bought at the news stand, the year price would be $48.80, by
registering and entering, you get it delivered monthly right to you
computer.
HERE’S HOW
Go onto http://www.thecontractorsside.com.
Register. You can’t participate
in the competition if you are not on the site. It’s for members only.
Fill out the form.
Tell your story. Be factual.
Tell what happened. Tell us what the problem did to your business, and
please keep it clean. You can tell us what this event cost you financially
and personally.
We read every post and evaluate
them according to a point system.
Enter soon. This competition
closes July 8th.
The winner will be announced
on Michael King’s Home Talk USA Saturday July 20th at 9:30 am CDT. Only
one person will know the name of the voted winner, and she will reveal
it to Michael King on the air.
Other prizes may be awarded
to runners up the same day and time.
Digital BUILDERnews
subscriptions will be awarded on a first come, first served basis up
to 10,000, and will be automatically subscribed to the email address
on the registration page.
If you drive on it, work
in it, or live in it, a contractor built it.
Best of luck.
Dear Fellow Contractors Please resend this email to the Los Angeles Times ( robert.lopez@latimes.com) and then send this on to ten other contractors and so on, so we can let the press know how honest contractors feel.
Thecontractorsside.com Read with interest your story on unlicensed contractors being busted. This is of interest to legitimate contractors everywhere, however, I do not see and have not seen one
article anywhere, in any publication, that gives favorable mention to the contractors who slug it out
every day in a tough business. Contractors already know that unlicensed contractors hurt the business, but reports of this nature tend to tar all contractors with the same broad brush. In this state, contractors operate under the
most stringent rules in the country, Contractors must not only be licensed, they must carry a bond, must carry workers' compensation insurance or self insure, and are required to go to mandatory arbitration without recourse to appeal
in the case of dispute. Add to these facts that the codes and regulations, price increase in permits, and heavy zoning restrictions, and the cost to the contractor has skyrocketed in the past few years.
The customer does not know the intricacies of the business of contracting, nor does the customer
care. He looks at price, and there is where the cheap guys see an opening, i.e. unlicensed contractors. The licensing process (testing, evaluating, authorizing) is fairly good, but the process needs streamlining.
It can take months to move forward. But after the licensing process is successfully completed, the licensing entity becomes the adversary of the contractor, rather than becoming the ally. The Board becomes solely an advocate for the consumer, leaving little doubt that the contractor bears burden of proof of innocence.
Accusations of malfeasance against the contractor weights in favor of the contractee, and the contractor bears the total burden of expense while the other party simply shows up, the State on his side. The bonding companies, knowing they own the contractors' business, can charge maximum fees for a
"required product,' and they do. In my investigations into bonding companies, I have found not one contractor who has received the advertised "preferred rate" for bonds. Bonding companies do an absolutely
perfect "bait and switch" maneuver that nearly always results in doubling the original cost of bond. Workers' Compensation packages soar in expense as another "required cost of business." Due to the
overwhelming number of fraudulent claims, the snail-like pace of adjudication and settlement, the ineptitude of investigators, the onerous medical proving up, the system is burdened at more than quadruple its capacity, thereby increasing costs to the insured which, in turn, is passed on as
increased cost to the end user. Add to these facts the unending number of stories of "bad contractors" who rip off the clientele, and any story, repeat any story, dealing with the construction trades rises to a tacit indictment of all
contractors, unlicensed or duly licensed. One might ask if the licensed contractor has any recourse but to report unlicensed contractors, and the answer is no. Most contractors are loath to become involved with any authorities over any but
the most egregious of violations because it does not serve their interests and because most contractors want to stay off officials' radar. Anonymity is the best protection. One might further ask if anything has been done to help small contractors. Again, the answer is
no. Legislatures and government bodies have done absolutely nothing, passed no laws, written no new regulations to help those whom "if you drove on it, if you work in it, or if you live in it, a contractor built it."
Courts have been no better. In Southern California, according to the L.A. Times, seventy-five per cent of all civil actions involve construction related cases. My research indicates that the contractor may as well
stay on his or her current job to make the money he or she will need to pay off the judgment because, from Small Claims to Superior Courts, eighty-five per cent of the time the ruling is for the client. This anti-contractor attitude has evolved from a belief that contractors make a killing on every last
project. The reality is that most small contractors work to a less than twenty percent markup that is rarely achievable. Most small contractors do well to reach a ten per cent profitability, if that. Across the nation, the situation is remarkably the same. Since I launched my website:
http://thecontractorsside.com, I have heard from thousands of contractors the same series of complaints about identical issues, but the one foremost complaint is the use of
official bodies and rules to either reduce payment, or to not pay at all. Why is this complaint so common? The easy answer is that there are a lot of cheaters out there, but it could well be that cheating has become institutionalized as a product of unbalanced
regulation on a business which may be the only business in our country that remains unable to be outsourced. I heard recently from a contractor who boasted he had never been stiffed on a payment in his twenty-five years of plying his trade. I thanked him for his call and asked if he might
have any advice to contractors who had not been as lucky. He rattled off a few well-known practices and said if a contractor followed the rules, he would be paid. I thanked the man and sat down to write my constituents his wisdom.
Yesterday, the same contractor called with the news that while he had played by the rules, done his due diligence, he had just yesterday been stiffed for $8000.00. He was still stunned by the event. Needless to say, he registered on the website ten minutes later.
What can be done to improve the lot of the small business contractor who has next to no power with officialdom or media? Because the small contractors have no true advocacy aside from small publications and loosely
organized trade associations, they have limited access to redress, and few speak on their behalf. Their sole recourse is to become educated as to their market, and that means sharing information. There are business seminars and coaching institutions which can help in the "business" of the
business, but these entities focus on individual practice rather than a group effort towards commercial overview. Again, the contractor is isolated, insulated from information essential to the conduct of informed practice, i.e. good customer, iffy customer, bad customer up to and
including suppliers, officials, banking institutions, architects, and engineers. No one shows any intention of taking the contractors' side, therefore, the contractor must take his or her own side in the work of improving the business, and this means in the area of
policing not only unlicensed contractors, but also in the area of policing every area of contractor-societal interconnect, including self- and client-education. If contractors initiate the improvements, the effect can be far-reaching and effective, but they must
take action to preserve the small business venue. If the small contractor opts out, the results for the economy can be disastrous. Prices for construction will soar when the only bidders are large companies who perforce control the market.
It is said that this country runs on small business. It employs more people than major corporations, provides more peripheral and entry level jobs, is more responsive to market pressures, is more highly creative is
problem solution, and is truly the backbone of the nation. The contracting business needs some good news and good press. http://thecontractorsside.com is the only resource for this kind of information and the only
established advocate for the contractor. If you want to know what's happening in the construction business where it really matters and where to take action, this is the place. I am cc'ing this message to my constituents so they can sign onto it in agreement and
send it to you so the thousands of diligent, honest contractors can finally get some credit where it is due. Respectfully, Lee w. Dodson
Dear Fellow Contractors Please resend this email to the Los Angeles Times ( robert.lopez@latimes.com) and then send this on to ten other contractors and so on, so we can let the press know how honest contractors feel.
Thecontractorsside.com Read with interest your story on unlicensed contractors being busted. This is of interest to legitimate contractors everywhere, however, I do not see and have not seen one
article anywhere, in any publication, that gives favorable mention to the contractors who slug it out
every day in a tough business. Contractors already know that unlicensed contractors hurt the business, but reports of this nature tend to tar all contractors with the same broad brush. In this state, contractors operate under the
most stringent rules in the country, Contractors must not only be licensed, they must carry a bond, must carry workers' compensation insurance or self insure, and are required to go to mandatory arbitration without recourse to appeal
in the case of dispute. Add to these facts that the codes and regulations, price increase in permits, and heavy zoning restrictions, and the cost to the contractor has skyrocketed in the past few years.
The customer does not know the intricacies of the business of contracting, nor does the customer
care. He looks at price, and there is where the cheap guys see an opening, i.e. unlicensed contractors. The licensing process (testing, evaluating, authorizing) is fairly good, but the process needs streamlining.
It can take months to move forward. But after the licensing process is successfully completed, the licensing entity becomes the adversary of the contractor, rather than becoming the ally. The Board becomes solely an advocate for the consumer, leaving little doubt that the contractor bears burden of proof of innocence.
Accusations of malfeasance against the contractor weights in favor of the contractee, and the contractor bears the total burden of expense while the other party simply shows up, the State on his side. The bonding companies, knowing they own the contractors' business, can charge maximum fees for a
"required product,' and they do. In my investigations into bonding companies, I have found not one contractor who has received the advertised "preferred rate" for bonds. Bonding companies do an absolutely
perfect "bait and switch" maneuver that nearly always results in doubling the original cost of bond. Workers' Compensation packages soar in expense as another "required cost of business." Due to the
overwhelming number of fraudulent claims, the snail-like pace of adjudication and settlement, the ineptitude of investigators, the onerous medical proving up, the system is burdened at more than quadruple its capacity, thereby increasing costs to the insured which, in turn, is passed on as
increased cost to the end user. Add to these facts the unending number of stories of "bad contractors" who rip off the clientele, and any story, repeat any story, dealing with the construction trades rises to a tacit indictment of all
contractors, unlicensed or duly licensed. One might ask if the licensed contractor has any recourse but to report unlicensed contractors, and the answer is no. Most contractors are loath to become involved with any authorities over any but
the most egregious of violations because it does not serve their interests and because most contractors want to stay off officials' radar. Anonymity is the best protection. One might further ask if anything has been done to help small contractors. Again, the answer is
no. Legislatures and government bodies have done absolutely nothing, passed no laws, written no new regulations to help those whom "if you drove on it, if you work in it, or if you live in it, a contractor built it."
Courts have been no better. In Southern California, according to the L.A. Times, seventy-five per cent of all civil actions involve construction related cases. My research indicates that the contractor may as well
stay on his or her current job to make the money he or she will need to pay off the judgment because, from Small Claims to Superior Courts, eighty-five per cent of the time the ruling is for the client. This anti-contractor attitude has evolved from a belief that contractors make a killing on every last
project. The reality is that most small contractors work to a less than twenty percent markup that is rarely achievable. Most small contractors do well to reach a ten per cent profitability, if that. Across the nation, the situation is remarkably the same. Since I launched my website:
http://thecontractorsside.com, I have heard from thousands of contractors the same series of complaints about identical issues, but the one foremost complaint is the use of
official bodies and rules to either reduce payment, or to not pay at all. Why is this complaint so common? The easy answer is that there are a lot of cheaters out there, but it could well be that cheating has become institutionalized as a product of unbalanced
regulation on a business which may be the only business in our country that remains unable to be outsourced. I heard recently from a contractor who boasted he had never been stiffed on a payment in his twenty-five years of plying his trade. I thanked him for his call and asked if he might
have any advice to contractors who had not been as lucky. He rattled off a few well-known practices and said if a contractor followed the rules, he would be paid. I thanked the man and sat down to write my constituents his wisdom.
Yesterday, the same contractor called with the news that while he had played by the rules, done his due diligence, he had just yesterday been stiffed for $8000.00. He was still stunned by the event. Needless to say, he registered on the website ten minutes later.
What can be done to improve the lot of the small business contractor who has next to no power with officialdom or media? Because the small contractors have no true advocacy aside from small publications and loosely
organized trade associations, they have limited access to redress, and few speak on their behalf. Their sole recourse is to become educated as to their market, and that means sharing information. There are business seminars and coaching institutions which can help in the "business" of the
business, but these entities focus on individual practice rather than a group effort towards commercial overview. Again, the contractor is isolated, insulated from information essential to the conduct of informed practice, i.e. good customer, iffy customer, bad customer up to and
including suppliers, officials, banking institutions, architects, and engineers. No one shows any intention of taking the contractors' side, therefore, the contractor must take his or her own side in the work of improving the business, and this means in the area of
policing not only unlicensed contractors, but also in the area of policing every area of contractor-societal interconnect, including self- and client-education. If contractors initiate the improvements, the effect can be far-reaching and effective, but they must
take action to preserve the small business venue. If the small contractor opts out, the results for the economy can be disastrous. Prices for construction will soar when the only bidders are large companies who perforce control the market.
It is said that this country runs on small business. It employs more people than major corporations, provides more peripheral and entry level jobs, is more responsive to market pressures, is more highly creative is
problem solution, and is truly the backbone of the nation. The contracting business needs some good news and good press. http://thecontractorsside.com is the only resource for this kind of information and the only
established advocate for the contractor. If you want to know what's happening in the construction business where it really matters and where to take action, this is the place. I am cc'ing this message to my constituents so they can sign onto it in agreement and
send it to you so the thousands of diligent, honest contractors can finally get some credit where it is due. Respectfully, Lee w. Dodson
 DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF AND ALL CONTRACTORS If you're sick and tired of getting the runaround, getting put off on payment, getting stiffed, and having nowhere to go to get help in being paid.... It's time to do something about it. Go to http://thecontractorsside.com and tell your story. You might not think that it will do any good to get a bum or slow client's record on the site. You might not think you'll feel better, but you will. thecontractorsside.com is designed to let other contractors know what to expect when dealing with a new client. We're getting 400 "research" inquiries a day about unknown clients. We've heard from contractors all over the country telling us that they checked out a client to see if they paid, if they were litigious, if they were difficult.
Because of the response we've been getting on our
Mommie Hammer campaign
for mammograms for women who can't afford them,
we're extending the program
for a bit longer.
Here's why:
We've heard from a lot of contractors who wanted
more time to get their
friends involved, so we listened.
by punching the link and paying there. Your order
will be entered immediately, and the
product will be on its way.
Thanks for opening another door to respect for our
business. The press and public are
all over this.
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