Latest news with #contractor
Malay Mail
20 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
‘We're not looking for luxury, just survival': Putra Heights fire victims plead for extended aid as promises stall
PETALING JAYA, June 2 — Victims of the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, are hoping that temporary aid, such as rental homes, cars and motorcycles previously provided by various parties, can be extended, as some of the assistance has recently expired. Two months after the incident on April 1, some victims are now in a quandary as they are required to return the aid. Mohamad Nasir Ab Hamid, 69, a resident of Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru who was affected by the incident, said his family is currently staying in a small house near their original home with rental support for three months while waiting for their house to be repaired. 'My house was deemed a total loss, with an estimated repair cost of RM150,000, but to this day, the appointed contractor has yet to begin work,' he told Bernama when met in the housing estate today. Mohamad Nasir said the temporary vehicle he received after the incident was also returned last month when the loan period ended. 'For daily errands, if I need a car, I use a Kancil that I've slowly repaired bit by bit. We're not looking for luxury — just a car that can serve our everyday needs,' said the father of nine. Regarding the repair works on his home, Mohamad Nasir said that for now, his family is trying to carry on with life as usual and understands that it will take time, as many other homes were also destroyed in the incident. 'When the contractor starts the repairs, I want to see how they will go about it and what the situation will be like, because we've yet to be informed how the process will be carried out,' he said. Meanwhile, his wife, Aliyah Ismail, 55, said she was grateful for the assistance received but hoped that cash compensation would also be provided to help victims, especially those left homeless, sustain their livelihoods. Previously a catering business operator, she now sells traditional cakes and snacks, earning between RM20 and RM30 a day to help cover daily expenses, in addition to financial support from her children. Aliyah said that so far, apart from receiving vouchers for electronic goods and other aid, her family has only been informed of assistance for home repairs. 'As of now, we haven't heard anything about compensation — only about home repairs. Compensation should be given. We have no money, no income. Rental is expensive. 'Goods are expensive too, and to restart my catering business, I need to buy a lot of supplies and equipment because everything was destroyed in the fire,' she said. The gas pipeline fire saw flames shoot more than 30 metres high, with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius. Firemen took nearly eight hours to fully extinguish the blaze. Eighty-one homes were destroyed, suffering structural damage exceeding 40 per cent, another 81 were partially destroyed, 57 were affected but not burnt, while 218 homes were unaffected in the fire. — Bernama
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus cement contractor accused of defrauding consumers of $70,000
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – An Ohio contractor is being sued by the city of Columbus after customers allegedly lost over $70,000 in unfinished work. According to the Ohio Attorney General's Office, Ron Lewis, of Ron Lewis Cement, is accused of abandoning concrete jobs and engaging in deceptive business practices. The lawsuit filed in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas states that Lewis, of Blacklick, violated the Consumer Sales Practices Act and Home Solicitation Sales Act after 10 consumers lost around $70,000 combined after hiring Lewis for concrete-pouring jobs. Why South-Western City Schools parents are considering leaving the district Lewis, the lawsuit said, stopped completing jobs as of at least March 2024, despite accepting up-front payments. Two consumers reported that Lewis excavated their existing driveway but never finished, and others said he performed no work at all or provided excuses for delays and failed to fulfill his end of the contract. The lawsuit also states that Lewis did not register his business with the Ohio Secretary of State, violating the CSPA, and did not provide customers with a required three-day cancellation notice, violating the HSSA. The Attorney General's Office is seeking restitution for affected consumers as well as civil penalties and injunctive relief. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
I'm an old-school landlord – the future of the rental market terrifies me
Have a question to ask The Secret Landlord? Email secretlandlord@ It struck me today, as I was organising a batch of electrical certificates (rental properties must have electrics checked every five years), how all my tenants are the same ones I rented to when the contractor last visited five years ago. In fact, for two thirds of the properties, they are the same tenants as when I received the previous certificate 10 years ago. Electrical certificates were not made law until 2020 for new tenancies, and 2021 for existing, but I've been carrying out these checks for much longer than that. I may not have been required to by law, but seeing as, by law, I've been required to provide safe accommodation, it's something I've always done. Something else that I've always done is use the same contractor for the same properties. It may not sound competitive, but I value customer service over saving a few pounds, and it's worked very well for me. Of the properties I manage myself (I operate a hybrid model whereby I self-manage some and have agents for others), I give the tenants the contractors' contact details and urge them – if faced with an issue – to contact the contractor directly. In my 21 years of being a landlord not one tenant has ever abused this system. Considering the trust I've built up over the years with my tenants, I was struck by how much trust has been eroded from the rental sector while reading about rental supply being at an all-time low. With the exodus of what the Americans call 'mom and pop landlords' – the likes of most smaller-scale British private landlords – tenants are now being forced to stump up thousands of pounds for purpose-built shells from large corporates. It makes me feel very old-school, and sad. As a portfolio landlord, I know I'm in the top percentile in terms of the number of properties I own. But whether you have 100 or one, I think the reasons for providing accommodation to someone, in return for rent, doesn't really change: it makes you feel good. I know that line of thinking flies in the face of many people's views of landlords, and successive government policies designed to destroy the sector, but bear with me: being a landlord is a good thing. I enjoy helping people out. I like fixing problems – I was called by a tenant who's broken a tap while writing this! I adore my properties, and I love that people are able to build their lives and stay with me for many years. I enjoy that we can have a relationship, for want of a better word, and that when times get tough (I've had tenants die, divorce and get into debt), I can point people in the right direction. But it's not just practical stuff. Tenants with private landlords can also benefit from the little nuggets of an area we get to know – which doctor's surgery is the best, the new bars that have opened, which streets are best avoided. The stuff no corporate call centre staff will ever grasp, no doubt because they've likely never visited the place, let alone have any knowledge of the ins and outs of the actual property. Of course, I also know my tenants should probably buy their own place at some stage. But I think we can often lose sight of the fact that's not something that suits everyone, and renting a property is an option that should be made available to most people – should they want to. What terrifies and angers me the most about where the rental market is heading is how expensive and corporate this whole sector is becoming. I remember a time when if you wanted to rent a hovel for a pittance, you could. It may not have been much, but at least it would have been a roof over your head in return for not much money. Those days are gone. It shows the impact of regulations on improving the sector, which is a good thing – but at what cost have these changes come about? You see, every improvement has to be paid for in some way, and that, dear reader, only ever leads to higher rents. Over the past few years, I have sold a lot of properties. It wasn't really that I wanted to, but the changed tax law on Section 24 and upcoming EPC changes meant I had to reevaluate my business. It's been a difficult time, but an enlightening one. I had the choice – I still have the choice – to sell everything, but I don't. Being a landlord is a right pain at times, but it's also a rewarding lifestyle and investment choice. This year I celebrate 21 years in the landlord business and honestly, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do with my life.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Another Colorado homeowner shares similar experience with contractor fraud following CBS Colorado reporting
Another Colorado homeowner is sharing her story about her experience with a home renovation after seeing a contractor investigation from CBS News Colorado's Gabriela Vidal. In that case, that same contractor has been accused of scamming another couple. Leesa Tori's Denver home has come a long way since she first embarked on a massive renovation project. CBS Colorado's Gabriela Vidal speaks with homeowner Leesa Tori. CBS "It was the entire house, so about 2,500 square feet," said Tori. The process of demoing and remodeling her home, however, became more of a nightmare than she could have ever expected. The renovations started in June 2023 after she and her architect vetted multiple contractors. She ultimately went with Joel Cooner's Company, Cooner Construction LLC to handle the $350,000 renovation. "Things seemed like they were moving along okay, but then things were seeming odd, like they brought a ton of lumber and it sat out in the weather for months," said Tori. "Then, nobody came, except for Joel every once in a while, over a weekend working by himself, and I started getting nervous." Tori rented a trailer from a friend, anticipating only to be living in it for about 4-6 months while renovations inside her home were completed. Instead, however, she ended up spending about 19 months inside the trailer with uncertainty about when this project would finally be done. At this point, Tori had already spent close to $300,000 on the project. "Things that were completed, a lot had to be redone," she said. "One day I started trying to figure out how much would it cost if Cooner abandoned me. It is only after she hired a new construction company that the project finally moved forward. However, it came at the expense of everything Tori had saved up. "It cost me three times as much to finish the property, and all I could do was cash out on my retirement. I just didn't have any options," she said. Leesa Tori claims a contractor failed to complete a renovation on her home, costing her hundreds of thousands more. Leesa Tori On top of spending more to finish her house, subcontractors tasked to fulfill some of the construction started popping up claiming Cooner never paid them for work done on the house. "The framer put a lien on the property, tried to come here to collect it," said Tori. "Then, when I had to refinance the house to get whatever I could out of it, to pay to finish it, they're like, 'Oh, you have a $5,000 lien from the framer,' and I already paid that." Tori ultimately filed a complaint against Cooner, but only reached a settlement that would have been enough to pay one of the subcontractors who never received the payment they were supposed to have. "It's absolutely devastating. I'm 59, thought I'd be retiring in a few years, I have no retirement, no nothing," she said. A sinking feeling that all came back to the surface when Tori learned through CBS Colorado's reporting there were others who suffered a similar situation as she did with the same construction company. "I sobbed pretty hard when I first read it," said Tori. "It's not just me, he's defrauding other people, I just felt not so alone." Cooner and his attorney still have not responded to multiple requests for comment over the last week about the cases in which his company allegedly took customers' payment and did not finish their construction projects. "Nothing that's going to bring back the hundreds of thousands of dollars that I've lost, I don't have a plan for that," said Tori. While her home is much more complete today, there are still aspects of the home that have yet to be completed, such as additional framing, adding shower doors, and filling in holes on her ceiling. However, finding the means to afford those things will be a challenge. Piles of lumber outside of Leesa Tori's home. Leesa Tori She says she may even be forced to sell the property to ultimately pay off the debt she now has. "It breaks my heart to think about that. I'm trying to really figure out another way," she said. "I just had visions of all five grandsons playing in the yard, my kids and their spouses together." However, Tori hopes that by sharing her experience, other victims of contractor fraud can come forward as well and motivate policy changes that protect consumers. "I kind of wish there was a bigger light being shown on it, because it's really truly devastating," she said.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Is It Time To Hire A Financial Planner? Here's How To Know
Let's talk about something that can feel a little awkward: asking for help with your finances—especially when it comes to planning for retirement. For a lot of people, hiring a financial planner feels like admitting defeat. 'Shouldn't I be able to figure this out on my own?' Maybe. But the truth is, just like you'd hire a contractor to renovate your kitchen or a mechanic to fix your car, there comes a point when bringing in a pro is not just smart—it's necessary. Here are a few signs it might be time to bring a financial advisor or investment manager into your corner. Maybe retirement is five years away. Maybe it's right around the corner. Either way, when it starts to feel like more than just a far-off dream, it's time to get serious about your plan. A financial advisor can help you turn vague goals into a clear strategy—and help make sure you don't overlook something important. One of the most common questions I hear is: 'Am I on track?' And honestly, it's a great question. But the answer isn't always simple. A financial planner can look at your full picture—income, expenses, investments, insurance, taxes—and help you figure out whether your current path gets you where you want to go. If you've got 401(k)s from different jobs, IRAs, brokerage accounts, or even rental properties, it might be time to call in a professional. An advisor can help consolidate, organize, and align your investments with your retirement goals—and potentially uncover efficiencies that save you money along the way. Whether you're a DIY investor or someone who's always been a bit hands-off, retirement planning requires a shift in strategy. It's not just about growing wealth anymore—it's about protecting it and making it last. A financial planner or investment manager can help build a portfolio designed for income, not just accumulation. Retirement isn't just about the money you've saved—it's about how you use it. That includes thinking through tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, Medicare and long-term care planning, and how you want to pass along assets to your loved ones. These aren't decisions to make on the fly. This one might be the most important. If you're losing sleep wondering if you've missed something, or second-guessing every financial move, that's your gut telling you it's time for support. A trusted advisor offers more than financial guidance—they offer confidence and clarity. You don't have to go it alone. In fact, the best time to hire a financial advisor is before you feel overwhelmed. It's about being proactive, not reactive. Whether retirement is a decade away or right around the corner, having someone in your corner can make all the difference. As always, stay healthy, happy, and on track toward a retirement that's truly yours.
