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I am a Freak
Posts: 3326
   
Location: Nowhere Special | I really need some ideas on how to handle this, thoughtfully, fairly and tactfully. I'm really kind of stuck and afraid I am going to appear to be the "bad guy" no matter what I do.
I have a 1997 Verns stock trailer, bought it new in 1997, paint fell off (manufacturing flaw) within a year. It is UGLY and has been since 1998 but mechanicaly I keep it sound and it is a safe trailer I would feel comfortable pulling any amount of distance. Its a good trailer just ugly with surface rust.. LOL
I have looked into having it painted mulitple times getting quotes from $750 to $1200 which is reasonabile just never really had the spare money or something else took priority. It is not my sole trailer, I have a "nice" LQ horse trailer that I haul mostly and the the stock trailer is usually pulled less then a dozen times a year and for short trips to the vet, sale, whatever. So spiffing it up has just not really been a priority and I have even thought of just sanding and painting it myself in my spare time.
Ok so heres the problem. My roommate and close friend likes to use the trailers and I am more then happy to allow him use of anything I have. Hes a great guy, good person, really takes care of things as if they were his. But sometimes I think he gets "carried away" because he makes decisions as if they were his as well. I have previously talked with him about painting the trailer and "eventually" either getting it painted or painting it myself but that was really all that was said about it. Well a friend of his is kind of a "jack of all trades" kinda guy and he asked him about painting the trailer. He quoted $800 I told him maybe later on down the road but at this time I just didn't want to spend that much. A few weeks later his friend looks at the trailer and does not think it will be as big of a job as he thought and he is out of work for the winter so said he could do it for $400 plus paint.. I agreed to this (which is a good thing because evidently my roommate had already commited me to it anyway) My roommate also told him to come pick it up whenever and keep it as long as he likes.. I'm like uh no I actually need to haul a unhalter broke weanling here shortly so I need to know when he is coming to get it and also how long this is going to take, I need atleast some form of time frame for this. Well on Monday I am on my way home and I see my trailer heading down the road.. Ok well I guess he came to get it and nobody told me. As luck would have it I had made arrangments to haul the weanling the following day so still have to figure out how I'm gonna get her in the slant load and had to cancel for another time. I'm relatively ok with all of this up untill Wed night. When I am told "well the trailer is a bigger job then he thought" so he is going to go have it sandblasted (previously was just going to hand sand it) and thats going to be like $280 plus gas for the 180 mile round trip, I also told him to take off the old metal around the fenders and under the gooseneck and replace it with diamond plate because that will really make it sharp! So its going to cost a little bit more then what he said.. He also went on to say he bought the paint and put it on his charge (all 5 gallons worth) so I can pay him the $150 whenever.. Now I'm no expert but 5 gallons of paint is WAY more then whats needed, I wanted real car paint not rustoleum and would have liked to have chose the color atleast! Diamond plate is EXPENSIVE and noway shape or form did I ok this but evidently the other stuff has since been trashed. When I asked what kind of money am I looking at now he rattled off $280 plus gas for sand blasting so thats got to be around $380-$400 alone. Diamond plate $200, paint $150 and then the $400 labor.. So I guess now I am looking at $1150 instead of $500 I orgionally thought.. I told him I signed on for $400 plus paint its all I can really afford right now as I have a $500 vet bill from a horse running into a T post to pay, I am leaving for TX in two weeks all the fuel, board and rent i have to spend on that, Training for one of the horses I am taking with me, I just had my truck fixed $200 I have way more bills either now or coming up real shortly that will not allow me to spend that kind of money on paint for a trailer Im not using. He says he will pay him and I can just pay him back but I know whats going to happen hes going to "take it off his rent" just like everything else he buys and fixes around here without my ok and things that just don't need done.. I honestly just do not have the money to suck up and pay this, I am counting on his rent money to keep things going here while I am gone so I don't just go plum broke. This is just not an expense I can afford and if I'm gonna spend nearly $1200 on painting that trailer I want it done by a proffesional that gurantees their work and $1200 is what I was quoted from a reputable body shop.. UGH What do I do???? |
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Good Ole Boys just Fine with Me
Posts: 2869
Location: SE Missouri | jetgetset - 2014-09-19 12:09 PM I really need some ideas on how to handle this, thoughtfully, fairly and tactfully. I'm really kind of stuck and afraid I am going to appear to be the "bad guy" no matter what I do.
I have a 1997 Verns stock trailer, bought it new in 1997, paint fell off (manufacturing flaw) within a year. It is UGLY and has been since 1998 but mechanicaly I keep it sound and it is a safe trailer I would feel comfortable pulling any amount of distance. Its a good trailer just ugly with surface rust.. LOL
I have looked into having it painted mulitple times getting quotes from $750 to $1200 which is reasonabile just never really had the spare money or something else took priority. It is not my sole trailer, I have a "nice" LQ horse trailer that I haul mostly and the the stock trailer is usually pulled less then a dozen times a year and for short trips to the vet, sale, whatever. So spiffing it up has just not really been a priority and I have even thought of just sanding and painting it myself in my spare time.
Ok so heres the problem. My roommate and close friend likes to use the trailers and I am more then happy to allow him use of anything I have. Hes a great guy, good person, really takes care of things as if they were his. But sometimes I think he gets "carried away" because he makes decisions as if they were his as well. I have previously talked with him about painting the trailer and "eventually" either getting it painted or painting it myself but that was really all that was said about it. Well a friend of his is kind of a "jack of all trades" kinda guy and he asked him about painting the trailer. He quoted $800 I told him maybe later on down the road but at this time I just didn't want to spend that much. A few weeks later his friend looks at the trailer and does not think it will be as big of a job as he thought and he is out of work for the winter so said he could do it for $400 plus paint.. I agreed to this (which is a good thing because evidently my roommate had already commited me to it anyway) My roommate also told him to come pick it up whenever and keep it as long as he likes.. I'm like uh no I actually need to haul a unhalter broke weanling here shortly so I need to know when he is coming to get it and also how long this is going to take, I need atleast some form of time frame for this. Well on Monday I am on my way home and I see my trailer heading down the road.. Ok well I guess he came to get it and nobody told me. As luck would have it I had made arrangments to haul the weanling the following day so still have to figure out how I'm gonna get her in the slant load and had to cancel for another time. I'm relatively ok with all of this up untill Wed night. When I am told "well the trailer is a bigger job then he thought" so he is going to go have it sandblasted (previously was just going to hand sand it) and thats going to be like $280 plus gas for the 180 mile round trip, I also told him to take off the old metal around the fenders and under the gooseneck and replace it with diamond plate because that will really make it sharp! So its going to cost a little bit more then what he said.. He also went on to say he bought the paint and put it on his charge (all 5 gallons worth) so I can pay him the $150 whenever.. Now I'm no expert but 5 gallons of paint is WAY more then whats needed, I wanted real car paint not rustoleum and would have liked to have chose the color atleast! Diamond plate is EXPENSIVE and noway shape or form did I ok this but evidently the other stuff has since been trashed. When I asked what kind of money am I looking at now he rattled off $280 plus gas for sand blasting so thats got to be around $380-$400 alone. Diamond plate $200, paint $150 and then the $400 labor.. So I guess now I am looking at $1150 instead of $500 I orgionally thought.. I told him I signed on for $400 plus paint its all I can really afford right now as I have a $500 vet bill from a horse running into a T post to pay, I am leaving for TX in two weeks all the fuel, board and rent i have to spend on that, Training for one of the horses I am taking with me, I just had my truck fixed $200 I have way more bills either now or coming up real shortly that will not allow me to spend that kind of money on paint for a trailer Im not using. He says he will pay him and I can just pay him back but I know whats going to happen hes going to "take it off his rent" just like everything else he buys and fixes around here without my ok and things that just don't need done.. I honestly just do not have the money to suck up and pay this, I am counting on his rent money to keep things going here while I am gone so I don't just go plum broke. This is just not an expense I can afford and if I'm gonna spend nearly $1200 on painting that trailer I want it done by a proffesional that gurantees their work and $1200 is what I was quoted from a reputable body shop.. UGH What do I do????
Go get the trailer, give the guy the $150 for the paint (get the paint and the receipt) and tell your roommate it just won't work right now. The guy is reimbursed for the paint and you aren't out the extra money. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1119
| Ditto to abrooks. See if the paint can be returned too! If you're going to pay that much, I would definitely have a professional do it! |
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I am a Freak
Posts: 3326
Location: Nowhere Special | I don't even know the guys name, never met him, have no idea where the trailer is or where he lives (another one of those things I asked for before I saw the trailer heading down the road but never got) One other small problem is the way I understand it is part of the trailer is already sanded. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| I would go get the trailer and put one of those ball stopper things in it so no one can take it without the permission. I know you say you trust this guy, but him "taking it upon himself" to do things FOR you is wrong. Especially if he "takes it out of the rent he owes you."
He's using you because his pockets are light. He comes off as helpful, but it's a scam. I'd chew him a new one and make him pay for it, plain and simple. You did NOT OK this!! |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | Nateracer - 2014-09-19 12:22 PM I would go get the trailer and put one of those ball stopper things in it so no one can take it without the permission. I know you say you trust this guy, but him "taking it upon himself" to do things FOR you is wrong. Especially if he "takes it out of the rent he owes you."
He's using you because his pockets are light. He comes off as helpful, but it's a scam. I'd chew him a new one and make him pay for it, plain and simple. You did NOT OK this!!
Exactly! I would pay for what YOU approved and nothing else. I would also tell the roommate he is responsible for any approvals that were not cleared by you, and would also have a very lengthy conversations as to what his boundries are. I would let him know, him making decisions for your money and personal property is NOT okay and will NOT happen again. I would also let him know the money he is out on the trailer will not come out of the rent, as that was not approved by you either! While having thins conversations I would also advise him, his unauthorized "fixes" around the place and taking out of rent will stop, unless prior approval is granted by you. This guy is taking advantage of you plain and simple.
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  Bye-Bye Jiggle
Posts: 1691
Location: Where ever there's sunshine! | Tell rookie thanks for the thought but no. Tell him the trailer needs to be back in your possession within 24 hrs. Have the other guy return the paint, and as for the sanding maybe pay for what's been done already or tell the rookie to figure it out. You can't just go around making bills for people. Sorry for the crummy situation |
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Expert
Posts: 1549
Location: Southwest Louisiana | If it was already ugly, it won't matter if part of it was already sanded. Go get it and if any part was already sanded down to bare metal, get some clear (or colored) sealer in a rattle can from any auto parts store or walmart and spray it over the sanded part. That'll keep that area from rusting any further. I used to work at a body shop. A horse trailer, since it's got rails on the sides, it extremely hard to sand by hand and any professional would tell you to sand blast it for the best results. You can hand sand, but you won't get ALL of the rust that's hiding in the crevices.
Go pick it up, have it sand blasted (not by this guy!) and paint it yourself. Have the guy return the paint since it hasn't been used. And it would never take 5 gallons! Holy cow he must have been painting 4-6 horse trailers with that. |
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 I keep my butt inside
Posts: 3281
Location: Weatherford, Texas | I say tough cookies--- you agreed to $400 and paint. He is trying to change it. Tell him to bring it back and keep the paint and cost (he can return it probably). I would also have a talk with roomie....sounds like he is really taking advantage of you. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | You're too nice. No one treats me that way and lives to tell about it without a few scars. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 596
Location: Somewhere in the middle of nowhere | Ok, I have kind of a different point of view on this.....the guy took your trailer without you knowing where, I would consider having it reported stolen if not returned with (like someone else said) 24 hours....you say the guy took the metal off the trailer from around the fenders and trashed it, I bet he didn't but instead probably took it to recycle for a little paycheck...and as for the paint, if you didn't pick or decide the color or give your permission, why are you paying for it?....tell roommate to get the trailer back and your not his door mat or his bank, rent is rent anything extra done at the house without your consent is on him. |
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 Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | nmeastplains - 2014-09-19 2:01 PM Ok, I have kind of a different point of view on this.....the guy took your trailer without you knowing where, I would consider having it reported stolen if not returned with (like someone else said) 24 hours....you say the guy took the metal off the trailer from around the fenders and trashed it, I bet he didn't but instead probably took it to recycle for a little paycheck...and as for the paint, if you didn't pick or decide the color or give your permission, why are you paying for it?....tell roommate to get the trailer back and your not his door mat or his bank, rent is rent anything extra done at the house without your consent is on him.
^^ this.
Sounds to me, the room mate is taking advantage of you big time. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | cooper08 - 2014-09-19 1:28 PM
I say tough cookies--- you agreed to $400 and paint. He is trying to change it. Tell him to bring it back and keep the paint and cost (he can return it probably). I would also have a talk with roomie....sounds like he is really taking advantage of you.
Exactly! if he has experience doing this sort of thing he should have known exaclty what needed to be done BEFORE he quoted you, he can't just change it, especially AFTER you told him you didn't want to spend that much. I've been in your shoes before and it STINKS! sometimes, no matter how careful you are these situations arise but I would def lay boundaries for the roomate!
I'm sorry!! how crappy. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | You are too nice....people are ignorant.
I'd go get the trailer, hand him $150, and tell him next time he takes your trailer...he better have permission from YOU the actual owner.
And I'd stop allowing your roommate to use your stuff...sounds like he's taking advantage of you, and your allowing it!!! just my 2 cents |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| Call the cops and say someone stole your trailer... YOu have no contract and with what you have said you don't even know where he is?? Not a good thing for you... BE THE BAD GUY!!
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | hoofs_in_motion - 2014-09-19 3:05 PM
You are too nice....people are ignorant.
I'd go get the trailer, hand him $150, and tell him next time he takes your trailer...he better have permission from YOU the actual owner.
And I'd stop allowing your roommate to use your stuff...sounds like he's taking advantage of you, and your allowing it!!! just my 2 cents
THIS! and after you give him the $150 for the paint, load it into the trailer and take it with you.
No one can take advantage of you unless you allow them to do so. Stop it. |
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 Horsey Gene Carrier
Posts: 1888
Location: LaBelle, Florida | suzy2qtee - 2014-09-19 4:08 PM Call the cops and say someone stole your trailer... YOu have no contract and with what you have said you don't even know where he is?? Not a good thing for you... BE THE BAD GUY!!
Tell the roomie that you want that trailer back in your yard by tomorrow or you are calling the cops to report it stolen. I wouldn't reimburse 'crap'. This has SCAM all over it. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 292
Location: Northeast Nebraska | jetgetset - 2014-09-19 12:09 PM I really need some ideas on how to handle this, thoughtfully, fairly and tactfully. I'm really kind of stuck and afraid I am going to appear to be the "bad guy" no matter what I do.
I have a 1997 Verns stock trailer, bought it new in 1997, paint fell off (manufacturing flaw) within a year. It is UGLY and has been since 1998 but mechanicaly I keep it sound and it is a safe trailer I would feel comfortable pulling any amount of distance. Its a good trailer just ugly with surface rust.. LOL
I have looked into having it painted mulitple times getting quotes from $750 to $1200 which is reasonabile just never really had the spare money or something else took priority. It is not my sole trailer, I have a "nice" LQ horse trailer that I haul mostly and the the stock trailer is usually pulled less then a dozen times a year and for short trips to the vet, sale, whatever. So spiffing it up has just not really been a priority and I have even thought of just sanding and painting it myself in my spare time.
Ok so heres the problem. My roommate and close friend likes to use the trailers and I am more then happy to allow him use of anything I have. Hes a great guy, good person, really takes care of things as if they were his. But sometimes I think he gets "carried away" because he makes decisions as if they were his as well. I have previously talked with him about painting the trailer and "eventually" either getting it painted or painting it myself but that was really all that was said about it. Well a friend of his is kind of a "jack of all trades" kinda guy and he asked him about painting the trailer. He quoted $800 I told him maybe later on down the road but at this time I just didn't want to spend that much. A few weeks later his friend looks at the trailer and does not think it will be as big of a job as he thought and he is out of work for the winter so said he could do it for $400 plus paint.. I agreed to this (which is a good thing because evidently my roommate had already commited me to it anyway) My roommate also told him to come pick it up whenever and keep it as long as he likes.. I'm like uh no I actually need to haul a unhalter broke weanling here shortly so I need to know when he is coming to get it and also how long this is going to take, I need atleast some form of time frame for this. Well on Monday I am on my way home and I see my trailer heading down the road.. Ok well I guess he came to get it and nobody told me. As luck would have it I had made arrangments to haul the weanling the following day so still have to figure out how I'm gonna get her in the slant load and had to cancel for another time. I'm relatively ok with all of this up untill Wed night. When I am told "well the trailer is a bigger job then he thought" so he is going to go have it sandblasted (previously was just going to hand sand it) and thats going to be like $280 plus gas for the 180 mile round trip, I also told him to take off the old metal around the fenders and under the gooseneck and replace it with diamond plate because that will really make it sharp! So its going to cost a little bit more then what he said.. He also went on to say he bought the paint and put it on his charge (all 5 gallons worth) so I can pay him the $150 whenever.. Now I'm no expert but 5 gallons of paint is WAY more then whats needed, I wanted real car paint not rustoleum and would have liked to have chose the color atleast! Diamond plate is EXPENSIVE and noway shape or form did I ok this but evidently the other stuff has since been trashed. When I asked what kind of money am I looking at now he rattled off $280 plus gas for sand blasting so thats got to be around $380-$400 alone. Diamond plate $200, paint $150 and then the $400 labor.. So I guess now I am looking at $1150 instead of $500 I orgionally thought.. I told him I signed on for $400 plus paint its all I can really afford right now as I have a $500 vet bill from a horse running into a T post to pay, I am leaving for TX in two weeks all the fuel, board and rent i have to spend on that, Training for one of the horses I am taking with me, I just had my truck fixed $200 I have way more bills either now or coming up real shortly that will not allow me to spend that kind of money on paint for a trailer Im not using. He says he will pay him and I can just pay him back but I know whats going to happen hes going to "take it off his rent" just like everything else he buys and fixes around here without my ok and things that just don't need done.. I honestly just do not have the money to suck up and pay this, I am counting on his rent money to keep things going here while I am gone so I don't just go plum broke. This is just not an expense I can afford and if I'm gonna spend nearly $1200 on painting that trailer I want it done by a proffesional that gurantees their work and $1200 is what I was quoted from a reputable body shop.. UGH What do I do????
I don't understand why you want to be a "nice guy." Go get your trailer, tell the creep to FO and get a new room mate. |
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
Location: North Dakota | EXTREMELY easy! Go get your trailer, pay the guy $150. put the paint on craigslist and get as much of your money back as you can, even if it is just half. Get a gooseneck lock for the trailer, and that will force your mooch of a roomate to ask before using in the future!!!!!!!! |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Go get you trailer and tell him to,return paint.. Find some one to,help you sandblast cover it with some type of paint or get some one to spray bedliner around the inside and get someone to help you primer it. Call around find someone to,spray. You can buy a cheap sander at harbor frieght and sand a little and then spray it. It might look bad but the metal will be covered. Then get someone to spray it. Save your money. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I am going to be an odd one out on this.
You are partially responsible for this situation, it is your trailer, not the roommates, you should have been involved in the painting deal, not the roommates. Your roommate made the connection, but you should have contacted the guy personally received a written quote.
You have no idea what the roommate said or how he twisted the words of both of you, he may have said the trailer looked better then it did, or told you 800 when the guy said 800 labor alone plus the supplies and fuel.
You also did not intervene when you knew the guy was coming to pick the trailer up, I don't know any company who would not charge a mileage fee for hauling something to the shop, why did you expect different.
If I were you I would contact said guy and try to figure out a compromise paint and fuel expenses.
He can take you to small claims court or put a lien on the trailer for debts owning if you don't pay your bill.
I would also tell roommate if you choose for him to stay there that all upgrades to the house/place needs to have a written proposal including all costs and have to be approved in writing before work commences.
It also sounds like he has been doing improvements without charging your labor costs, I would also reflect on what he has done and figure out including labor costs if I am saving money or loosing compared if you needed to hire these jobs out.
I would also review the roommate and tenets act for where you live to ensure he cannot take me to court over these improvements, as if you rent something out I believe you have to maintain everything in working order. |
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How to best handle this situation?? OT