# Need Some Counsel Re: Losing a Gov't Grant Kitchen Job



## AboveAndBeyond (Dec 5, 2008)

I'm currently at a loss for words at exactly what happened here.

In brief, the federal gov't granted us $73,000.00 for the sole purpose of remodeling H.O.'s kitchen/downstairs. Estimate has been in the works 5 months, finally got approved, H.O. excited, $45,000 in materials (silestone, yorktowne, dacor, massive electrical and plumbing upgrades), $28,000 labor and overhead. currently their kitchen is a slop sink and pile of cast iron cookware. H.O. gets drunk, spazzes on me, says i'm "screwing him" (free showroom kitchen = boned?), accuses me of laundering his money and threatens me with grevious bodily harm (wish i was joking) if i didn't extend the scope of work to include a porch and 4-bay carport (not kidding,) all while i'm cornered in his home. just about fell short of of donating my kidneys in the process of convincing the fed that this guy "needed" dacor appliances.

anyone have any advice how to handle this with the gov't rep, and the customer (who i'm not finished with yet, now that i'm off his property)?? i'd at least like to be compensated for tons of time and expenses trying to get this project off the ground, for a guy who threatens to sic his dog on me, no less. and compensation for countless hours spent at the bar after a night like this (wouldn't you?)

cheers!


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## kevjob (Aug 14, 2006)

If he is threatening you with bodliy harm and is serious you need to involve police right now, before this goes further and he says you stole from him.


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## EPD (Jun 23, 2008)

Go to the police, someone will lose out here


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## Bob Kovacs (May 4, 2005)

Don't know how to get you out of your current situation, but I'd appreciate it if you'd stop contributing to government waste by "convincing the fed that this guy needed Dacor appliances"- that's my tax dollars you're wasting. What federal grant program allows Silestone counters and Dacor appliances? I'd like to write a letter and get that program shut down.......


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## SelfContract (Dec 6, 2007)

Call police, video record the acts or threat & give to FBI/Federal officials.


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## mickeyco (May 13, 2006)

I'd probably just kick the guys ass, but what I really want to know, is under what circumstances I and the rest of the taxpayers here are paying $73,000.00 for a kitchen in what sounds like a private home, and where the hell is my free motor bike, I've been waiting patiently but I'm starting to get fed up.

Don't worry about the motor bike, but I sure would like to know what the deal is on this one.






.


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## DQM (Mar 7, 2009)

federal gov't grant where do I apply


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## dubz (Sep 8, 2008)

I don't know anything about the program, but if I get a call about a deal like that and I have to do some finagling to please the homeowner and get the job, I'm doing it. I'm sorry. It is nerve rackingly slow out there around here. Good luck op


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## Mike(VA) (Jan 9, 2008)

Something sounds a bit off here. Was the HO angling for 'extras' before he got drunk? I bet he was and when you didn't accommodate him, he goes off on you. As others have said, I would involve the police immediately, document in writing everything that transpired, and forward a copy to the fed rep. I would also submit an invoice to the fed for 'time served' and bail out now. My guess is the fed rep will write this guy off since he may no longer 'qualify'.


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## send_it_all (Apr 10, 2007)

I would have killed him and his dog.


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## AboveAndBeyond (Dec 5, 2008)

thanks for the advice to some of you. allow me to defend myself for the rest! gov't grant money awarded because he's a seriously disabled veteran. if you saw the house, the family, and the fact that they literally can't prepare meals, your opinion may change. this is straight out of swiss family robison, it's like the third world in my freaking backyard. the goal is longetivity, hence material that will actually withstand time; it's not a disposable remodel. thanks for taking a shot though.

we made no agreements about the extra work; the H.O. offered to trade a side of beef for a porch. i didn't take it as a serious request. plus it's not covered by this particular grant. hence my bewilderment. i can't even sell a free kitchen!

thanks for the advice. i gave record of everything to our gov't rep who is trying to iron this out. i just haven't been in this situation before and not exactly sure how to ride it out.


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## mickeyco (May 13, 2006)

So your worried about threat from a "seriously disabled veteran", give the guy some time to sober up and get back to him, might not be a bad idea to wear a vest (bullet proof) when at the house. I don't mind my tax dollars going to those truly in need, especially veterans, and I can sympathize with the drinking, but when they start trying to take advantage and scam I draw the line. 



.


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## KCCT (Mar 8, 2009)

Personally I hope you loose your ass and have to pay back my money to the fed. There are plenty of mid-range products that would have been suitable for that situation at a more realistic cost.


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## HomerJ (Jan 23, 2009)

AboveAndBeyond said:


> thanks for the advice to some of you. allow me to defend myself for the rest! gov't grant money awarded because he's a seriously disabled veteran. if you saw the house, the family, and the fact that they literally can't prepare meals, your opinion may change. this is straight out of swiss family robison, it's like the third world in my freaking backyard. the goal is longetivity, hence material that will actually withstand time; it's not a disposable remodel. thanks for taking a shot though.
> 
> we made no agreements about the extra work; the H.O. offered to trade a side of beef for a porch. i didn't take it as a serious request. plus it's not covered by this particular grant. hence my bewilderment. i can't even sell a free kitchen!
> 
> thanks for the advice. i gave record of everything to our gov't rep who is trying to iron this out. i just haven't been in this situation before and not exactly sure how to ride it out.


Longevity is all well and good, but I have to admit I'm not thrilled to learn that the govt. is using our tax dollars to buy Silestone tops and Dacor appliances. 

If anything, the guy should be getting in-stock cabinets, a laminate top and magic chef appliances. (do they still make magic chef appliances?)

I can't believe more people aren't outraged by this.


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## KCCT (Mar 8, 2009)

AboveAndBeyond said:


> thanks for the advice. i gave record of everything to our gov't rep who is trying to iron this out. i just haven't been in this situation before and not exactly sure how to ride it out.



Mind posting the contact information to the govt. rep? Im sure a few of us here would like to talk to them as well.


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## MALCO.New.York (Feb 27, 2008)

AboveAndBeyond said:


> Thanks for the advice to some of you. *Allow me to defend myself to the rest! Gov't grant money awarded because he's a seriously disabled veteran.* If you saw the house, the family, and the fact that they literally can't prepare meals, your opinion may change.


NAH!

It is NOT THE Grant that is wrong............It is the Fleecing!!!!

No "Longevity" Offense Intended by us "Naysayers", so do not go away...............................

Stick around and become "A Better American"! We WILL teach you how!

Really!


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

the Office of Veteran's Affairs is probably handling this request...a little bit of phone work and anyone should be able to come up with the regional number. There would be a case worker assigned to this particualar vet...who makes the call as to expenditures. I would be the contractor 'sold' the upgrades to the case worker-he said as much in the original post. Original scope was likely to bring the space up to specs according to ADA...possibly the stone top was so the vet wouldn't set the place ablaze while taking off a hot pan. Even if it were, a line's got to be drawn somwhere in providing a quality service without the fluff-better oversight would be nice.

I was going to bid a job in a similar circumstance a while back...getting info from the case worker was like pulling teeth-I backed out as it was too much hassle for the scope of work.


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## KCCT (Mar 8, 2009)

Bottom line the OP is a money hungry shiester hack. Pardon the bluntness but when somebody is scamming my, and YOUR, money on useless bull**** just to line his own pockets and sugar coat it by "helping a vet" I tend to get a little pissed off. Like I stated before, if the guys house was in such disarray that the government needed to step in to help bring the place up to standards for his safety and welfare, ANY mid-grade setup would have exceeded the requirement. Im not saying scratch and dent grade, but nice stock cabinets, laminate tops or even tile tops made by the gc, and decent appliances would have been totally acceptable. Milking the government for all its worth in this case is equivalent to jacking an insurance quote for a kickback or to hide a deductable. Sure at the moment you will make a bit more, but in the end EVERYBODY suffers.


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## Mike(VA) (Jan 9, 2008)

I'm tending to agree with KCCT although not as harshly as he is doing. The standards required for vets, disabled vets, or anyone for that matter are sometimes way over the top, but this job could have been spec'd for a lot less and still meet the requirements. Our poor OP, though, probably got carried away with this when he realized the feds would pay so much. Honestly, guys, its happens and sometimes we don't recognize it until someone else points it out. Not justifying it, that's just the way it happens sometimes. 

Whose scamming whom? The feds are scamming us if they are willing to pay that much for a functional kitchen. The OP is scamming us if he takes advantage of the system that is scamming us, and the vet is scamming us if he wants more for less or even nothing. Plus, we are scamming ourselves since we let this stuff go on. :sad:


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## Bob Kovacs (May 4, 2005)

AboveAndBeyond said:


> thanks for the advice to some of you. allow me to defend myself for the rest! gov't grant money awarded because he's a seriously disabled veteran. if you saw the house, the family, and the fact that they literally can't prepare meals, your opinion may change. this is straight out of swiss family robison, it's like the third world in my freaking backyard. the goal is longetivity, hence material that will actually withstand time; it's not a disposable remodel. thanks for taking a shot though.


Sorry- not buying it. In the first post you mentioned how you worked hard to convince the fed rep that the client "needed" Dacor appliances, and now you're saying that they were used due to "longevity" as if the fed specs required them. Sounds like a nice way of increasing the contract price, and hence your profit.....


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