Isn't a check the same as cash?

Bonnie said:
Isn't a check the same as cash?

... only a cashier's check from the bank qualifies as cash
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a cashiers check can be stopped so it is not the same as cash . they can be counterfeited too .

we knew someone who took a bank check for a car sale ....

when the check did not clear in a few days he called the bank .. the check had been stopped ...


since he legally signed the car over it is not a crime .

he has to track this person down and go after them civily .

the buyer and car were in the wind .
 
win231 said:
A 3-year warranty on a new roof should tell you all you need to know.
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I don't think he's doing a whole roof. 3 years is actually a pretty decent warranty for a roof repair.

@debodun - my best advice to you is to bite the bullet and get yourself a credit card. That's the best way to financially protect yourself in situations like these.
A 9% cash discount tells me this contractor is shady. I'd pass.
 
Pepper said:
What if he overinflated the price to offer a discount when his price is generally the lower price. You were in retail (me too) and that is done all the time before a sale, giving the appearance of one when a sale, or discount, really doesn't exist.
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But this is a discount only being offered for cash.
 
StarSong said:
I don't think he's doing a whole roof. 3 years is actually a pretty decent warranty for a roof repair.

@debodun - my best advice to you is to bite the bullet and get yourself a credit card. That's the best way to financially protect yourself in situations like these.
A 9% cash discount tells me this contractor is shady. I'd pass.
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I hope deb listens to you about getting a credit card. An advantage of paying with it is protection from shadey merchants. IME, i have VISA, MC and Discover Miles cards. The latter is the easiest one to deal with, their customer service is based in the U.S. A few times I called them to dispute irregular charges, they acted quickly in my favor. PLUS, most CCs offer a bonus reward for signing up and meeting required spend the first 90 days.

Deb, check different CCs and the type of rewards you want. Cashback may appeal to you if you're not interested in FF miles or hotel points.
 
Another vote for drawing up a simple receipt and having the roofer sign for the cash.

I would also encourage you to jot down the license plate number of any stranger that comes to your property.

If something is damaged, turns up missing, etc... at least you have a starting point to track them down.
 
debodun said:
He only guarantees his workmanship for 3 years. Credit card is not an option for me.
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What is the warranty on the actual materials? Make sure they provide you with both the materials warranty and the labor/workmanship warranty before you sign the contract, and look the warranties over carefully.

Also, just a heads up with roofers: you'll want them to represent in writing whether they are using sub-contractors on your project, and to clarify the insurance and liability for those subs. Check the contractor's license and insurance, too, and get a copy of his current insurance policy for proof. You'd be surprised how often "licensed and insured" contractors will quote on a project, but their license and/or insurance has expired and they "didn't realize it". :mad:

Also for your protection, the contract should state that final payment will only be remitted upon a release of lien from the contractor AND HIS SUBS (if applicable). If a contractor ever balks at including this in your contract, run for the hills.

Sorry if you've already got all this covered, but thought I'd share just in case. Dealing with contractors is a real feat! Hope your roof turns out great.
 
I don't understand this statement, please explain in simpler terms:

Also for your protection, the contract should state that final payment will only be remitted upon a release of lien from the contractor AND HIS SUBS (if applicable).

What lien is that?
 
debodun said:
I don't understand this statement, please explain in simpler terms:

Also for your protection, the contract should state that final payment will only be remitted upon a release of lien from the contractor AND HIS SUBS (if applicable).

What lien is that?
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Here it is called a mechanics' and materialmen's lien. It can be filed against your house if you fail to pay the contractor or if he fails to pay his subcontractors or people who supplied materials. If the contractor skips or fails to pay those subcontractors, etc., and they file those liens, it can be extremely difficult for the homeowner to get those liens released. Many times the homeowner is stuck paying them off in order to clear title or prevent foreclosure of the liens.

It's a minefield, which is one of the reasons you want to be sure your contractor is in compliance with local licensure and insurance regulations. Also be aware that if the contractor/subcontractor doesn't have proper workmen's compensation insurance and one of the people working on the roof falls off and breaks his neck, you might be liable, depending on the laws in your state.

Major contracting work is not something to be undertaken only based on the lowest price, because that lowest price may mean that the contractor may not be legally compliant.

Additionally, in most places, a local building/renovation/home improvement permit must be obtained by the contractor before he does the work and a local compliance inspector will be required to sign off on the work. If it isn't up to code you can be forced to undo it and start over.

As I said, it's a minefield.
 
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Gaer said:
I always take checks for my artwork. I want so badly to trust people.
I recently had some work done onmy house. After the man finished, I said, "Thanks! What do I owe you?"
He said, "Whatever you want."
I wrote him a check, gave it to him and he stuck it in his pocket. He didn't even LOOK at it.
THAT WAS SO COOL! I was REALLY IMPRESSED by that action!
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Hmmmm........The bikini probably helped. 😊
 
OneEyedDiva said:
No...checks can bounce. Cash does not.
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mathjak107 said:
checks leave a paper trail for the irs ...cash does not
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Two of the most important things.
Cash can be tax free and guaranteed to be good. If I pay my groomer cash, she gets more of a tip than if I pay through my bank card. Many people prefer to be paid this way so I try and give businesses the choice.
 

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