Does anyone know how to find an

Dianie

04/27/2016 - 13:08

Does anyone know how to find an independent building inspector in Sicily to assess completed work done by a builder?

Topic

Renovating

Comment

http://www.lifeinitaly.it/Servizi_Immobiliari/professionisti.php

Dear Ugo,Thank you so much. I will consider their services. It is a little complicated. I bought a house in Cianciana. The first builder (English) ran out. The second builder did substandard work even putting in used sinks but declaring them new. Many other things amiss like bad stairs. A paid for bathroom door does not exist.The agency in charge of supervision sides with the builder saying everything is fine except for a few concessions.Don't know if I should just drop it and carry on with someone else though all the funds for renovation are now spent. It is a small town and very bad to have this problem. I would like to stay on good terms with everyone but really hard to now. Lost trust!Thanks,Dianie

Hi Diane , Put yourself in the hands of a lawyer, it's definitely expensive and with the slow pace of justice and the Italian bureaucracy, you risk of spending a lot of money to not have anything concrete to finish. Probably the only thing to do is look for an amicable agreement with the last builder , and certainly a good surveyor is the best person to ask for help, if you send me your coordinates to - ugo@lifeinitaly.it - I'll put you in direct contact with Pulizzi which is the geometra more closer to your home. With him we have solved a similar problem two years ago, ina location not very far from you . Ugo , by Lifeinitaly.it

Hi Ugo,OK, thank you. I have the builders estimate sheet for all works and I asked the agency to check off each item since it is in Italian and they were paid to supervise the works. I believe a lot of things have not been done. But it has all been paid for. However, they are angry that I don't want the same builder to continue works while I am not there. I have been waiting for the bathroom door for 5 months and after I saw what he had done, I was afraid of what I would find when I came back. I told them not to let him in because I want to be there when he does the work.I was upset that they approved the work (without really checking it) and this pushed them more to his side after I said not to let him in. I guess they took it as an insult and then I feel like I have been lied to and betrayed. But as I said this is a small town where everyone knows everyone or they are all related somehow. I really have to resolve this somehow.(I am now in Hong Kong having arrived April 23) On February 20, an email from the agency said all works I agreed to and paid for had been completed and supervised. But wow...when I got there what a different story! So, this is why I want an independent person to read the list and inspect the work. (Sorry if I am repeating myself...I don't have my past message before me). Actually, I don't feel I have any recourse even if I have been cheated except to move on with someone else. You have no idea how bad this work is. Someone who visited my house asked me if "I" did some of the tiling! It is all crooked with gaps like a 12 year old did it in a hurry.Also, the very surprising thing is that I saw this builder's work at another house and it is beautiful. I am truly at a loss.To send the coordinates I need to do what? I need the address and? Sorry, I haven't done this before.Thank you for listening and your patience. Really appreciate getting a response. So I feel better already :)On a side note, this is something I learned from the baker at a local paneficio:I ordered a pizza to be delivered to my house for a party and asked him if I could pay the day before. He said (via Google translate) NO! This is Sicily! If you pay first, I will not bring the pizza!So, this is what I feel I did wrong. I was too generous and paid too early. The builder took a holiday and then asked for more money before the first works were even completed. Argh! I have learned a hard lesson.I did find some other builders who said I don't need to pay until they finish and I am happy with the work. I would definitely choose them next time.Best regards,Diane

Diane, usually the work is paid to the progress - Give a part of the money, small, at the beginning of the work, then when some of the work is done, you pay another down payment and on it goes - That way, if the work is not done right, you can stop paying, before it's too late. The coordinates are the phone number, which - for privacy - it's just not put here - otherwise you can write an email, to the address that you find in the database - I do not live in Sicily (but in Umbria). For my work, I have contacts all over Italy, and then I have a tecnichal peoples trusted by delegate them where they are needed. Ugo by Lifeinitaly.it

where in Sicily are you? finding an independent engineer to check building work is easy. your problem is with the agency who are not working on your behalf, which is all too common. you are the client and its yourmoney. But if you have signed a contract then you cannot just walk away. drop me a line if you want to, if you''re in the south east then i can certainly help

Hi,Thanks for your message. You are right that it is the agency (and also the builder). I just don't understand what is going on. Turns out they are not on my side at all. I have been acquainted with them for over 5 years. I thought they were friendly and honest. I was wrong! Yes, I am the client and paid for their services...but what a let down.I didn't sign a contract but have an agreement in email.I paid for everything by December 12 2015 including the 3% for the agency to supervise the builder. On February 20 2016 I got an email saying all works were completed and supervised. A person at the agency said I could move in...but the builder corrected the agency and said it was not ready yet. Then, the builder asked for more money for painting & cleaning etc and I got a strange feeling. So I made a trip to see for myself since the agency was out of touch with the state of the house.I was totally shocked when I went in. The work was not completed---no bathroom door, old sinks installed & passed off as new, wobbly staircase with mixed woods and terracotta, other stairs angled in different directions...so bad! One sink even has a dead spider and dirt underneath from 20 or 30 years ago! Yet they claim it is new. Wow! What gall! When i sent a picture to the agency to prove the ancientness of this sink and the dead spider, they didn't even address it. I asked that the builder not do work there while I am gone, like fix the stairs and put on the bathroom door. The agency balked and said he may not do it all then (even though it is already paid for and the door has been on hold for 5 or 6 months. I really want to be there when work is done after seeing what can happen. But it seems like the agency just wants to cancel the work altogether since I won't allow him in.So, now it seems like there is a tug of war going on. If I won't let the builder in, then he won't do it at all even when I come back. They defend the builder all the way. It is really frustrating.I even sent 78 euros extra to the builder to cover bank charges on the Italian end. I expected change back. But no, that is gone to. They claim there is less than 5 euros. So that would mean a 75 euro bank charge for money sent from abroad. That is impossible. Can't win.I think I am going to move on and do a lot of the work myself and get other people I can trust (if possible). I am just really disappointed. They offer no apology for the bad work done that they obviously didn't even supervise. But they say, the builder corrected some things for "free" when those things were so wrong. They stated it like they are doing me a favor.I just wonder what other things have been done that are not up to legal standard. Or which things were left undone completely that I paid for.I have the list of the works and the estimates. One thing I noticed on the top of the list are " two water channels" on the terrace. I don't see them but I don't even know what to look for. This is why I need an independent person to check it. I asked the agency to check each item off point by point and send it to me with comments by email (since I paid them to supervise) but they seems put off by this request.I thought I would be exempt from a bad experience like this. Generally, people are happy with this agency and the builder. Maybe it is one off. Anyway, something went crazy haywire.I am in Hong Kong now. The house is in Cianciana in Agrigento. Not sure when i will be going back. I am not rushing about it. I want to give some time to think things over and calm down. I really appreciate your offer to help. Where are you located? I think I will make it back in the next few months but not sure yet.I hope we can stay in touch.Best,Diane

Hi Diane, I am really sorry to read the horror story that has happened to your with works to your house.I think it is a difficult and delicate one, and anyone who may be able to help will have to be local.I live in the north of Italy - another planet altogether.Modicasa is based in Modica - not too far away from you. I do not know Modicasa personally but he always seems to give good advice on this forum.He asked you to contact him directly - if you click on his name on top of his message you will be able to see his user profile and business website which will give you his direct contact details.Wishing you the best of luck!Conor

Hi Conor,Thanks for telling me how to reach someone directly. I am new to this forum so I didn't know.Thank you for your good wishes. In spite of everything, I love the house and the situation has forced me to solve a lot of the house problems on my own.Some deep learning going on also about people and relationships that is hard to explain. Cultural barriers? I don't know...I had a party before I left (as to drive out the negative energy) and put up a big sign from the hardware store that shows a guy digging and says: "Lavori in Corso"...humor is one way out. Everyone had a good laugh.Otherwise, things like this can really get you down...Best regards,Diane

There are lots of expats in Cianciana, and im sure there will be lots of English soeakers there who will help/share their stories/give pointers. Im in Modica which is two and a half hours from you, but this is not the first time I have heard your story. Write me an email or a pm and Ill see if i can help. Its a matter of embarassing people into doing something, and facebook and twitter are very good for this. No agency or builder wants bad press. The problem is that often agencies and builders are hand in glove

Hi Modicasa,I tried to email you on your business site but it failed to send and told me to come try later. I got to meet a lot of people and learned so much last month from them in Cianciana but that was before the damage was done. I will catch up with you when I get back to Sicily as I have some new plans.Also, I will try later to email you again with more details.Thank you for your suggestions and assistance.Ciao...see you in Sicily!Diane :)