I needed to get a new hot water system installed in my rental unit in Mount Isa, and got some quotes which averaged $800 – $900. The hot water system stopped working completely a week ago and my property manager (acutally community housing department) called a plumber (without contacting me – another issue which I am pursuing with them) and incurred a bill for me for $1,350 to replace a 50L Rheem hot water system in the same spot, plus the metal plate that it sits on, and dump the old unit!! This seems really excessive to me even for Mount Isa. It was a normal weekday and not out of ordinary hours or anything.
We called the plumber up and asked for an itemised invoice and some details (wasn't his ABN on invoice and no licence number or QBSA on their either – have called plumbers board to check and he is licenced, but doesn't have a BSA licence which he should…) and asked why so expensive when other local plumbers quoted up to $500 less, he basically said too bad, pay up or he'd take it to small claims court.
I am prepared to pay amount of the dearest quote I got – about $900 (nearly $200 more than I could get it for in Brisbane) but not $1,350. Is there anything else I can do to try and sort this out?
i might not be of much help, but my first impression is to check your contract you have with your PM. What does it say? Does it say you have to authorize repairs before paying for it? Does the PM have 'reasonable' power to make decisions that will cost you money? If you find that your pm doesnt have that power, then its up to the pm to pay. obviously you pay your PM $900 bucks and he can settle the difference- but also find a new pm.
If theres no ABN on the invoice then legally you can withhold 50% of the amount.
It is an assumption that he ripped you off, and not fact. Get more info.
Moral here is: dont delay when something needs to be fixed.
In court I think you would get bent over…..
A hot water service failing is considered a emergency repair. I would think the issue is more with your PM – they should have got a second quote if it seemed out of the ordinary. You should find on your agreement an amount after which they have to contact you for consultation – usually around $1000 but you would need to check yours. (you can decrease or increase this amount)As for the bill-maybe no one else could do it same day? There are some slack tradeys about……again though, if they cannot contact you, or if they did and you procrastinated and then a hws failed, this is an urgent replacement that you may still find overrides any spending limit – you would have to check. I casn appreciate this is an unwanted extra capital expesne though that's for sure. All the best.
HI there
you may also want to contact the BSA and get advice in this situationIf this guy wasn't properly licensed – the BSA may want to prosecute him. Also see if there was some connection between the PM and the contractor.
I once acted for a real estate agent who was actually suing one of their former property managers who was directing work to a contractor who wasn't licensed with the BSA (who happened to be her fiance). They didn't end up pursuing the matter as there wasn't likely to be money at the end of the day but the BSA still issued prosecution notices for the contractor – who went interstate to avoid them.
Also most real estate agents will have some policies only to employ properly licenced tradesman. The PM in this instance may be acting contra to the workplace policies and could actually be considered negligent.
As has been highlighted above – getting the hotwater fixed pronto is probably an urgent repair that should be undertaken – using an unlicensed tradesman is not. I would be contacting the principal of the real estate firm/community housing department and complaining.
thanks
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