Moral Issue

[Rev Tex Devlle]

ok GUYS let me know what you think! right or wrong on this decision.
i have been building this truck for this guy , a kid really 20 years old, did it as a favor but it was a paying job, did it at a discount, also when this job was done i would have 2 more jobs to for him and his family, well getting close to being finish with it, the kids dad comes in and tells me he doesnt like where i put the battery, which was under the seat closed off from the cab. And wants me to move it inside the cab behind the seat. well i refused to do it explaning it was unsafe and explain to him why, he says ok,, well as the day goes on i get ready to leave the shop. ( this is another mans shop which is a cousin to the dad) i felt like hangin around after hours, well when i went to leave i look thru the shop doors and what did i see? The shop owner and the cousin ,the dad of the kid, had someone in the truck taking it apart to remove the battery and the box! i just shook my head and went home! when i came back the next morning I am met by the kid (owner of the truck) and he tells me that hes going to let the guy work on the truck for the money he owes him! [S well i go in and the guys tore it down and working on the brakes , and other stuff! MAN i am upset, i tell him to pay me the remainer on my money he owes me! cause i am done! i aint working on it anymore!!!Also told him not to tell anyone that i built the truck cause if anything goes wrong !i dont want to be known as the builder! i cant be held responsible for the work of others!!! 6 weeks into it about 2 weeks to go to finish it! I also told him that i wouldnt do any other of the jobs for Them because of this!
so what do yall think ? Did i make the right call?

 

[onetondodge]

My short answer: You did the right thing.

 

[Willowbilly3]

Yup, bail on that one rev. It is a bit of a sticky wicket tho, because now your name is on a bunch of work you had no control over.

 

[RPM]

I am with you on that one. [cl

 

[HOT40ROD]

I can not agree with you more.

Wish I would have done the same thing. I was doing the job for free and I was changing the intake carb. and distributor on a small block Chevy in a 55 Chevy.

I got to the point were I had the intake and distributor in the motor and I had to take a few days to do some teaching. Well the guy got impatient and had someone come in a finish the job. The guy put the carb on and hooked up the distributor and tried to start it.

Well it did not start. So the owner calls me to check why it would not start. So I went over and check everything out. I found the problem. The guy hooked of the distributor backwards. and burned out the electronics. Fix the problem got the car run. No issues.

Later on I find out that the owner is bad mouthing me that I ruined his distributor.

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[hotrod preacher]

don't think it's wrong to "bail" on him...

don't think it's wrong to expect the money he owes you..

would be wrong to get mad to the point you say something that you would later regret, or damage your testimony as a christian...


bottom line...crap happens - we either live thru it or die tryin

 

[donsrods]

That is really a strange situation, what reallly complicated it was the fact it was physically in someone elses shop. If you had it only where you had access to it you could have told them to hit the door. This is exactly why I stay away from working on other peoples stuff, people are strange.

You did the right thing.

Don

 

[CR55]

Words of wisdom from these guys Rev! If you had it in your shop, you could be in control, but since it's somewhere else you may be on the losing side. Yes, you did the right thing and stopped work, but I'm sure like someone else said that you'll be bad mouthed when something goes wrong with the vehicle! I know you try to be a fair and honest guy, but you should have a written contract on everything you do no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. That puts you in a position to get paid by the owner if you have to go to court, which seems like you may have to go that route in order to get paid. Being in the building business for 40 years, I always get a contract signed before doing ANYTHING! Good luck to you with whatever route you choose....CR

 

[creep]

you are a better person then i am he would have had a wrench upside his head when i saw him workingon it as i was leaveing and when he got back the next day it would have been tore back down and let them re do it from the ground up but i have a temper that gets the best of me alot

 

[BigIrish]

... people are strange.

Don

Ha! You got that right! People change thier mind, get stuck on an idea and that's that, even if it makes no sense.

I would be very upset as well, would have done the same thing. I just hope those clowns pay you for your work.

 

[eyesore]

Rev,
I'd throw a mechanic's lien on that sucker in a heartbeat. How many times have I heard that, "if you do this one cheap we'll give you a couple of others". I'd have a heart to heart with the shop owner, surely he will understand! If not, I suggest you find another place to do work!

ISore

 

[darkk]

I had a very similar situation, and the guy was my friend! I was doing the bodywork on his coupe, (free labor) When someone he just met tells him he would do it a different way. My friend tells me his new friend would do it differently, I told him that's not the procedure I do but the result is the same. Anyway his friend came in and he re did a small portion of what I had already done, his way. Admittedly there are many ways to do a job. Most result in the same finished product. The next time I was at his home (shop) I looked at the other guys work, said nice job. I picked up my tools and left. My friend kept calling and asking when I could I stop over to finish the job. I just kept telling him sure, when I get done with the paying side job I was presently working on. I didn't go back. He ended up paying the other guy the equivalent of about $8500 for work I was willing to do (for a friend) free! Gotta love it! I can't even give away free work. I'm not a hacker, I do nice finish work:confused and I have over 45 years experience in this field!

 

[ratrodz]

don't argue with idiots they will bring you down to their level an beat you with experience. just don't turn the other cheek people like that will smack it too.

 

[Willowbilly3]

Did you have anything like a signed work order?
Well, anyway, if you are not out of pocket and they won't pay, shake the dust from your boots and move on. Most of us paid dearly for any wisdom we acquired. I call it the cost of education.

 

[Rev Tex Devlle]

Did you have anything like a signed work order?
Well, anyway, if you are not out of pocket and they won't pay, shake the dust from your boots and move on. Most of us paid dearly for any wisdom we acquired. I call it the cost of education.

well they paid me the day i stopped the work , The kid who actually owned the truck paid me on the spot! , i need the other jobs but , not under those concerns, what would happen if i disagree with them in the middle of the week and refused to do someting i thought was dangerous! well it would start all over!, They Where paying me by the hour! In my home town i am the only one who is willing to build rat rod for people! all the other shops arent will to fool with them! Oh well its not like theres that much of it being around here ! Other than Mad Fabber , we are the Rat Kings !!! LOL MOVIN ON,

 

[Sam_Fear]

I'm thinkin' THEY might eventually regret that decision. Yes, you definitely did the right thing. What was the alternative? Be their monkey and do things you know are wrong, for cash?

 

[donsrods]

You also bring up another point, that being you personally being held liable for anything that might happen. The courts generally consider us "pros" be held to a higher standard than Joe Average. (If you take money, you are a pro) That is why the people who do this as a profession carry high amounts of insurance because everybody is sue happy these days. We even carry insurance at our hobby shop and we never do any work for anyone, or even allow anyone to enter our shop. But if an oxygen tank blows or someone does slip in and hurt themselves we need protection.

The courts are full of cases where someone tried to do someone else a favor, or do work at a cheap rate, and then ended up getting sued. You are smart to hold your ground on the battery location.

Don

 

[Rev Tex Devlle]

thanks you guys for yalls support! i really felt upset about al this , just clear a few things , the reason i did it for a cheaper labor rater was , i have to supply nothing but my labor and knowledge, all part and materials where to be supplied by the shop and the owner of the truck! the owner was to pay the shop for the materials used such as welding supplys, and time that the truck bein built, they are cousins! , i was just a free lance , builder, so i believe the owner of the shop insurance will cover all other areas. cause i was contracted for the labor, and only had to cover me, but the thing was that bothered me the most was ! MY Nmae wwould still be The designer and builder of the truck! i was kinda like the Blount co version of [Chip Foose of Rat rods!!! LOL[cl

 

[donsrods]

Maybe not on the insurance covering you. At the Marina where I worked we had our own staff and insurance, but when we had an outside guy come in to do work like fiberglassing, detailing, etc., we required them to provide one million dollars worth of insurance coverage, aside from ours. In most cases you will be ok, but every once in a while you run into that one idiot who likes to sue.

I just saw a case today on the news. A guy was speeding and hit a kid on a bike and killed him. He got 10 years. Now he is suing the Parents of the kid because they didn't make the kid wear a helmet! It's nuts out there, I tell you, nuts!

Don

 

[rustybeercan]

You're probably lucky to find out what kind of people they are before you got more involved. I won't deal with people like that!

Beercan