Comments On Corrosion And mfg Warranty / Alarm Co. Not Paid- Problem That Shouldn't Have Happened- August 23, 2013

Ken:

First, I actually do enjoy reading your email blasts. Second, you made a slight error in an explanation. There are basically 3 independent NRTLs (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories) for the alarm industry which are Underwriter's Laboratories, Inc. (UL); Factory Mutual Research Corp (FM) and ETL.

NFPA is not a NRTL. NFPA creates a Standard on which UL, FM and ETL base their testing (calculations for battery life, run times, how long a period within which to transmit an alarm, etc.) The NRTLs do not write the Standard; they do their testing and evaluations based on it. It's similar to the legislature creating the laws and the courts enforcing the laws that have been set by the legislature.

Richard K

PS-I also enjoy the feedback Bart is getting on his contributions.

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I have been reading and following your newsletters for some time now and I thank you for all your insight and assistance to comments in this forum you have provided. I need to take the time to get my contracts in order but I will get to that shortly since my insurer has asked for limitations of liability

clauses.

I am contacting you today regarding a new issue unrelated to the current topic. I have been distancing myself from builders now for some years because of all the prep-work involved in permits and fees and notices and everything that happens in between before getting paid in full. I recently was contacted by a associate who passed on work to me from a contractor acquaintance. I naturally felt that there was some type of trust and rapport to deal with this person so I offered a time and material work order at a contractor rate to complete/repair the alarm system(s) at the clients house which I later met with and did sign my work orders and signed them accepted with their home address and names on them. The work was completed over 60 days ago and on the second week I asked the home owner what was going on with their Contractor as he was unavailable and never returned any of my calls. I found out that he in fact was the subcontractor to the GC who had pulled the permit to the owners remodel.

The homeowner said the contractor had been paid for my work. The contractor said the owner was responsible for the work orders for the alarm systems. They are all three now playing a finger pointing game and I am out $545.27 for time and material. I know if I would have recorded the work under the permit for the alarm I would have had a chance to lien the home stopping the owner from getting a CO but they are all ready living inside the home!!! What are your thought.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

anon

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Let's see. You didn't get a Subcontract signed with the GC. You don't have a Residential All in One signed by the homeowner. I don't think you'll find "trust and rapport" on my order page for Standard Alarm Contracts. Chalk it up to a cheap lesson, only $545. Invest in a Residential All in One and you'll make it up in your first deal. BTY - you can't lien the job. Alarm systems are not improvements to real property. You could have filed a UCC if you had the Residential All in One.

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