In the rush to get started with repairs after the hurricane, some New Jersey homeowners made decisions in a hurry — decisions they now regret. The Asbury Park Press reports on a case in point: homeowners Claire and Joe McGowan, who say their contractor took the money and left the job half done ("Friction for some homeowners, contractors after Sandy," by Ken Serrano).
"We were panicked because we had two other contractors in here and they were too busy," Joe McGowan told the Press. "And people kept saying: mold, mold, mold. We had to do something before the mold set in. So we felt pressured to move. We got screwed."
"There (are) sections not Sheetrocked, no baseboard heat, electrical outlets are in place but not wired," said McGowan. "He kept telling me we were 85 percent done. The biggest problem was that I trusted him as if he was a friend."
There was an arbitration clause in the contract, the Press reports, and the contractor's attorney has told the paper, "We are prepared to proceed to arbitration at any time."
