Hapless brushstroke

I have a friend. Let’s call him Jim, and he has to paint a commercial building in town. In this post-Covid era, it’s hard to find contractors and even paint available to do the job. 

So after exhausting all the busy painters and handymen, Jim turns to Rob who did the exact same job for him six years ago, in 2 or 3 days, with his complete crew at the time. Even though Rob just retired he accepts the job and says: “It’s going to cost you $5,000, and I want to be paid in cash”. 

Just to be sure that Rob is in the ball park, Jim is lucky to get a bid from a contractor for $4,900. This reassures him except that it represents more to Rob since it’s an under-the-table payment. Having no other option, Jim accepts and doesn’t even ask for a written estimate since he trusted Rob and was pleased with the job he did for him half-a-dozen years earlier. 

When Rob starts on the job he only think there’s part A of the building to do, but Jim reminds him that the last time he also did parts B and C. Rob claims he couldn’t remember that it was included in the price, but without saying anything more, got started on the job. 

When he gets to part B, he advises Jim to change some wood trim that he deems to be rotten. Reluctantly, Jim acquiesces even though he doesn’t think that wood need replacing. That works takes a lot of time, yet at no point does Rob warn Jim that it will cost more... 

Then Jim reminds Rob that part C that still needs to be done. Again, Rob denies remembering it’s part of the job, but does it nonetheless. 

When the job gets done two weeks later and comes the time to pay, Rob tells Jim: “There is no way I’ll be satisfied with the $5,000 you want to give me!” He eventually meets with Jim and announces that it will be $7,000 instead. 

Since these amounts are cash and are unlikely to be reported to the fiscal authorities, the gross amounts would be more like $8,000 and $11,000 respectively, should a tax-paying contractor had done it. Time goes by, discussions continue, but Rob won’t yield one cent. 

At the end, and with no desire to prolong the painful situation, Jim pays Rob in full. Morality, always get a written estimate and an updated on if the situation warrants it!