I had something happen to me last week and it has taken me this long to be able to write about this without being filled with white hot hatred. Not to mention that I find it really hard to find any humor whatsoever in this situation.
I'm normally not a hot-tempered person. I tend to be pretty laid-back in a lot of ways. But insult me, my family, or my friends, and the gloves come off. Question my honesty and integrity, and prepare yourself for my hellish wrath.
We finished the Big Corporate Headquarters project in October 2005. We still haven't been paid for it. The contract that we had was somewhat unusual for this region of the country, where we didn't work directly for the owner - we worked through a huge worldwide construction management company who was hired as the watchdog for the owner. From this point, just out of laziness, I will call them Acme. Throughout the project, Acme Jackass, the rep who handled this project, was extremely difficult to get along with. By the end of the project, everyone including most of the owner's team hated this guy's guts because he was just a total dick.
So in the almost two years since the project was completed and the owner moved into the building, we have been bickering back and forth with Acme over issues. Most of them were minor, one of them was pretty major in that the rooftop units that were purchased by the owner and assigned to our contract to install and make sure they ran, don't work worth a flying shit. I think we might have this finally resolved, but it should not have held up our payments on this project. If anything, they should've withheld a small percentage of the project to cover any repair costs and/or replacing the craptastic units. This is a huge risk that we take as contractors when we deal with "assignments" of equipment purchased by a building owner - they can buy a total piece of shit, it can be delivered 6 months late, never work right, and WE end up being on the hook for it. Hardly fair, but it's a risk that we take to work on some projects.
Anyhow, we have been through two financial audits by an independent auditor. I have personally answered every stinking question that has been brought up by Acme to the point where I have dug through filing cabinets looking for invoices from 2004 for something that cost $24. I shit you not. The last time the auditor came, he complimented us on our work and said that we had not only addressed all of his issues but that he was going to recommend that we were paid immediately.
Well, that was what - a month ago? We bickered back and forth with Acme some more. And finally, last week, our Big Boss went and met with the owner and the Acme rep to try and hammer out a financial settlement to finally get us our money. When it all came down to it, it was more prudent for us to lose a couple of hundred thousand dollars so we could get our money versus putzing around for another six months with the potential of still getting screwed. So we took the settlement offer. I haven't sat down yet to figure out exactly how far we got bent over (it involves some shared savings that we were awarded yet a bunch of change orders for extra work that they refused to pay) but I would say it's probably in the $200K range.
But the kicker - and the thing that made me go totally ballistic - was the Acme Jackass telling the Big Boss that "the reason we didn't pay before now is that we weren't sure that the subcontractor payments were entirely legitimate."
Oh no you didn't just say that.
See, subcontractor payments are my baby. That is what the main part of my job is. I take a lot of pride in my job - I believe that people deserve to be paid for the work that they've done. Now, if they fucked it up or never showed up, that's a whole other story. But I've been on the subcontractor side before - hell, I married into the subcontractor community - and I will never, ever screw a subcontractor. Period. So to have this jackwad at Acme question my ability, my honesty, and my integrity totally sent me off the deep end. I suspect that Heather and GMan probably heard me all the way in Baltimore when my mouth exploded into a string of expletives that would make a sailor blush. Hell, Gretchen probably heard me way out in her neck of the woods!
I'm normally not a hot-tempered person. I tend to be pretty laid-back in a lot of ways. But insult me, my family, or my friends, and the gloves come off. Question my honesty and integrity, and prepare yourself for my hellish wrath.
We finished the Big Corporate Headquarters project in October 2005. We still haven't been paid for it. The contract that we had was somewhat unusual for this region of the country, where we didn't work directly for the owner - we worked through a huge worldwide construction management company who was hired as the watchdog for the owner. From this point, just out of laziness, I will call them Acme. Throughout the project, Acme Jackass, the rep who handled this project, was extremely difficult to get along with. By the end of the project, everyone including most of the owner's team hated this guy's guts because he was just a total dick.
So in the almost two years since the project was completed and the owner moved into the building, we have been bickering back and forth with Acme over issues. Most of them were minor, one of them was pretty major in that the rooftop units that were purchased by the owner and assigned to our contract to install and make sure they ran, don't work worth a flying shit. I think we might have this finally resolved, but it should not have held up our payments on this project. If anything, they should've withheld a small percentage of the project to cover any repair costs and/or replacing the craptastic units. This is a huge risk that we take as contractors when we deal with "assignments" of equipment purchased by a building owner - they can buy a total piece of shit, it can be delivered 6 months late, never work right, and WE end up being on the hook for it. Hardly fair, but it's a risk that we take to work on some projects.
Anyhow, we have been through two financial audits by an independent auditor. I have personally answered every stinking question that has been brought up by Acme to the point where I have dug through filing cabinets looking for invoices from 2004 for something that cost $24. I shit you not. The last time the auditor came, he complimented us on our work and said that we had not only addressed all of his issues but that he was going to recommend that we were paid immediately.
Well, that was what - a month ago? We bickered back and forth with Acme some more. And finally, last week, our Big Boss went and met with the owner and the Acme rep to try and hammer out a financial settlement to finally get us our money. When it all came down to it, it was more prudent for us to lose a couple of hundred thousand dollars so we could get our money versus putzing around for another six months with the potential of still getting screwed. So we took the settlement offer. I haven't sat down yet to figure out exactly how far we got bent over (it involves some shared savings that we were awarded yet a bunch of change orders for extra work that they refused to pay) but I would say it's probably in the $200K range.
But the kicker - and the thing that made me go totally ballistic - was the Acme Jackass telling the Big Boss that "the reason we didn't pay before now is that we weren't sure that the subcontractor payments were entirely legitimate."
Oh no you didn't just say that.
See, subcontractor payments are my baby. That is what the main part of my job is. I take a lot of pride in my job - I believe that people deserve to be paid for the work that they've done. Now, if they fucked it up or never showed up, that's a whole other story. But I've been on the subcontractor side before - hell, I married into the subcontractor community - and I will never, ever screw a subcontractor. Period. So to have this jackwad at Acme question my ability, my honesty, and my integrity totally sent me off the deep end. I suspect that Heather and GMan probably heard me all the way in Baltimore when my mouth exploded into a string of expletives that would make a sailor blush. Hell, Gretchen probably heard me way out in her neck of the woods!
The most irritating part, other than having my work questioned, is that we provided backup on top of backup and then more backup for the backup throughout this entire project. Copies of subcontractor invoices. Copies of checks. Copies of final lien waivers. There was no way in hell that I was leaving any loose end out there for Acme Jackass to find because I knew how he was going to play all of this. Even the auditor told me that we had more than adequately explained any oddities that he had found. So for Acme Jackass to pull this stunt at the last minute - not to mention to my Big Boss - was way over the top even for him.
And then today, a new list of demands from Acme Jackass about things they want before they will pay us, including lien waivers for people who literally did $100 worth of work on this $40 million project. This will be a humongous pain in my ass for the next week while I call these people and beg for a lien waiver for a project that they finished over two years ago. Most of these little companies don't have offices, fax machines, or email, so imagine how fun this is going to be for me.
I have always done my best for my clients. I have always done my best for the people that work for us as subcontractors. And I have never been so insulted professionally in my entire life. I realize that the jackass from Acme is pulling every excuse out of the book to keep himself on the owner's payroll a little longer, but puhleeze - pull a more legitimate excuse out of your ass next time, dude. Really.
So I told SG and Cat Door M about this over the past few days since they worked on the project with me and are acutely aware of Acme Jackass' past hijinks. And Cat Door said it best when he told me, "Liz, I don't think there's a single person out there that would ever think you gave it less than your very best."
I hope not. I try to do the best in everything I do. Yes, I'm human. Yes, I screw up sometimes. But I always try to be fair, honest, and live my life with enough integrity that I can look myself in the mirror every day.
And then today, a new list of demands from Acme Jackass about things they want before they will pay us, including lien waivers for people who literally did $100 worth of work on this $40 million project. This will be a humongous pain in my ass for the next week while I call these people and beg for a lien waiver for a project that they finished over two years ago. Most of these little companies don't have offices, fax machines, or email, so imagine how fun this is going to be for me.
I have always done my best for my clients. I have always done my best for the people that work for us as subcontractors. And I have never been so insulted professionally in my entire life. I realize that the jackass from Acme is pulling every excuse out of the book to keep himself on the owner's payroll a little longer, but puhleeze - pull a more legitimate excuse out of your ass next time, dude. Really.
So I told SG and Cat Door M about this over the past few days since they worked on the project with me and are acutely aware of Acme Jackass' past hijinks. And Cat Door said it best when he told me, "Liz, I don't think there's a single person out there that would ever think you gave it less than your very best."
I hope not. I try to do the best in everything I do. Yes, I'm human. Yes, I screw up sometimes. But I always try to be fair, honest, and live my life with enough integrity that I can look myself in the mirror every day.
I wonder if Acme Jackass can say the same thing. I sincerely doubt it. And mark my words, if I ever see him walking down the street I will run him down with my car and then back over him. Twice. You know, because I have so much integrity that I wouldn't want him to suffer longer than he has to. I'm a nice person that way.
And that's all I have to say about that. And to you, Mr. Acme Jackass:
5 comments:
Now that is a rant! And a darn good one....you deserve to be pi$$ed. What a moron he is. Love the facial expression at the end the very most!!!
Christina
I absolutely can believe every word of it. I have met - and so have you - my share of complete numbskulls in this biz.
I suspect there would be line formed behind you if you were to back over him.
Oh that pisses me off. I think there should be a finger in your photo and a few more cuss words in your rant. What a rat bastard.
So THAT'S what that was... I knew I heard something!
I'm with Joansy, Less tongue, more teeth and a finger, (with a booger on it even! or something.)
I don't know, that's a pretty evil eyebrow that you're giving them! The finger would be a nice touch but I guess that would move you out of the PG rating.
Hope that you can dispense of the remaining Acme BS quickly and painlessly.
Post a Comment