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We upped our income - UP YOURS! "How to make easy money in Home Improvement"

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with UNcommon Homes

Kathleen M. Smith, Executive Director
Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Maryland Home Improvement Commission
500 North Calvert Street, Room 306
Baltimore, MD 21202-3651

Dear Ms Smith:

As you know, we've met on several occasions discussing the impotency of the Maryland Home Improvement Commission {MHIC}.  After conferring with industry experts and legal scholars we've developed an idea to make lots of money.  It's quite evident that becoming a Maryland home improvement contractor is a surefire way to make easy money. 

Our "Modest Proposal" goes like this:  We will take 1/3 cash deposits {or maximum allowable by law} to begin work, unskilled labor will perform demolition and substandard workmanship.  After a few days we will abandon the job with substantial work left incomplete.  We will then file a mechanics lien {albeit false, but the courts don't care and neither does the Attorney General}; just like Genesis Group, MHIC lic#05-121925 does.  We will keep all excess monies paid; stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from innocent homeowners over the course of the next few months/years. 

We know that we can do this with impunity - as your office, the state of Maryland and the Attorney General have told us so.  The state of Maryland is impotent in enforcing any punishment.  As long as we sue the homeowner for a mechanics lien - the state of Maryland and the MHIC are powerless to touch us or any of our franchisees.   We know that other contractors have done this successfully {Genesis Group MHIC #05-121925} and received NO punishment, why shouldn't our franchisee's cash in too?

We look forward to your office telling all the home owners, "We're sorry Mr. Homeowner, we can't touch those contractors as they have sued you for non-payment and a mechanics lien."  We know that our franchisee's can drag these innocent homeowners through the courts for years, forcing them to spend tens of thousands of dollars defending bogus claims OR they can yield to our patented extortion scheme and pay off the contractors to drop their false claims. 

Of course our franchisee's we will drop their claim, ONLY if the owner signs a complete release agreeing not to file any counter claim or MHIC complaint.  Meanwhile, we'll be getting rich on the backs of innocent homeowners while MHIC and the Attorney General stand idly by doing nothing.

We will be franchising our system to all Maryland Contractors; it will be called "We upped our income - UP YOURS®"

Please give us your thoughts on the subject.

Sincerely,

Franchisor

CC: Governor, Martin O'Malley, 100 State Circle, Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1925 
 Tom Perez, Secretary Dept. of Labor, Lic. and Reg. 500 North Calvert St, Baltimore, MD 21202-3651 
 Sen., Ed Kasemeyer, James Senate Ofc Bldg, Rm 301, 110 College Ave., Annapolis, MD 21401 - 1991
 (410) 841-3653
 Sen, Alan Kittleman, James Senate Ofc Bldg, Rm 414, 110 College Ave., Annapolis, MD 21401 - 199
 (410) 841-3671
 Douglas F. Gansler, Attorney General and Laura Gansler, 7011 Darby Road, Bethesda,  MD  20817-2911
 Joel Jacobson, Asst. Atty. Gen, Consmr. Protc. Div. 200 St. Paul Plc, 16th Flr Baltimore, MD 21202
 (410) 576-6300
 Washington Post Editorial, letters@washpost.com
 Baltimore Sun Editorial, letters@baltsun.com
 The Examiner Editorial, fkeegan@baltimoreexaminer.com
 The Daily Record Editorial, editor@mddailyrecord.com
 WBAL-TV 11, 3800 Hooper Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21211, (410) 467-3000
 WMAR 6400 York Road,  Baltimore , MD 21212,  (410)377-2222
 WJLA WJLA-TV, 1100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209 703-236-9552
 WJZ Jay Newman, VP Gen Manager, newmanj@wjz.com 3725 Malden Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21211
 All licensed Md Home Improvement Contractors

Posted by

You’ve sold the home.  You got the price your sellers wanted.  Now what?  The appraiser calls, don’t panic, you’re prepared – or are you?

Here are a few tips for you to assist the appraiser and ensure a smooth path to closing.

Make every effort to be available to the appraiser for the requested inspection date or make sure he has convenient access.

If you attend the inspection do not distract the appraiser during the inspection.

Advise the appraiser of all the homes, you, your office and competitors have sold in the neighborhood.  Let him know YOU are the expert in the neighborhood [even if your not].

Appraisers want statistics and FACTS regarding values, amenities, neighborhood and market area data.  Provide a highlight sheet of all pertinent patent and latent information about the house, i.e. furnace updated, roof replaced, electric upgraded etc…

Provide the sales contract with all addenda and agreements.  Appraisers must consider ALL value-influencing factors.  Undisclosed terms or conditions could adversely influence the reliability of the appraisal report.

Provide a copy of the current deed.  The appraiser needs to know the exact legal description, how title is held and any encumbrances, restrictions, covenants and easements that may affect value.

Providing a site drawing with location and house dimensions is also very useful.  With the site plan, the appraiser can confirm the legal description, lot size, location in or near flood zones and the square footage of the dwelling.

Provide a recent tax bill.  Again, this document will corroborate the legal description, states the annual taxes and occasionally provides the site size.

Provide the appraiser at least three relevant sales – don’t just give him the highest sales you can find.  Remember, he has access to all the data and can corroborate whatever you give him.  If your sales aren’t relevant you lose credibility and the appraiser may not rely on your expertise.  Try to find relevant sales less than 90 days old; you can still supply sales up to six months old.  You should also provide any pending sales and several active listings.  Sold, Pending and Active listings are ALL valuable tools to the experienced appraiser.

Any other information you have floor plans, condominium documents, local developer plans, home inspection reports etc…  all help the appraiser reach accurate conclusions and enhances the opinion of value.

Show All Comments Sort:
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Coldwell Banker Realty
Jeffrey - That is the way to get their attention - get it out in public view in front of the electorate.  All of a sudden the light goes on!
Jul 21, 2007 01:15 PM
Michael Mapes-Suntrust Mortgage
Sun Trust Mortgage - Newport News, VA
Oh wow this is terrific, I think I might start something like that here in Virginia and we can join forces and develop  a Political Action Committee. We can call it "Equity Farmers Coop"
Jul 21, 2007 01:16 PM
Darrel Quebedeaux
Evergreen Realty & Associates Inc. - Newport Coast, CA
I would like to own several.  Am I required to be a resident of the state?  Shame on them for this and bravo to you for standing up against it.
Jul 21, 2007 09:05 PM
Jeffrey Underwood
UNcommon Homes - Columbia, MD

Thanks for comments/feedback.  I also posted a step by step process to ensure the "fleecing" of innocent homeowners please read.  ;-)

I'm sure everyone knows these comments are tongue-in-cheek but they are all TRUE!  It's happening to me right now. 

An unscrupulous contractor {Genesis Group, Mark Collett - Baltimore MD} abandoned my job site on 9/1/2005 having been paid $90,000+ on a $111,000 contract.  He left $35,000 worth of work incomplete and another $50,000 substandard.  His work failed the Howard County Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits - INSPECTION and her failed 3 inspections by independent Engineers.  He then had the temerity to file a false mechanics lien because he knew it would protect him from the pending MHIC complaint.

It's taken 2 years and $40,000+ in legal expense, + $50,000+ to correct or complete his work and we're still not to trial.  Even if I win the best I can hope for is a $15,000 reimbursement for the MHIC {the max they allow}.

Had MHIC and the MD Attorney General done there job protecting consumers they would have investigated my claim, discovered Genesis Groups false mechanic's lien and saved me the $40,000 in legal fees.  They would have awarded me my $15,000 guarantee fund claim as partial compensation of my damages.

The icing on the cake is that Genesis Groups insurer had their adjuster estimate the damages EVEN HE DISCOVERED $23,000 in damages - YET THEY ONLY OFFERED ME $12,500 to settle the case.

Due to tribulations of the past 2 years I have developed a bullet proof way to ensure a contractor can NEVER make a FALSE claim like Genesis.

 

Jeff Underwood, ABR, CRB, CRS, RAA, MBA

Jul 22, 2007 02:56 AM
Anonymous
Al Mumford

Dear Lord,

I would like to start immediately and purchase your franchise.  This will be great for me because I already know nothing about home improvement or construction, so doing substandard work would be easy.  All I need do is pass the license test (I hear they just about give you the answers to all of the questions).  Finally, a job that would be worth staying home for.

By the way, can I shorten the name of my company to just "UP YOURS"?

Thanks again for the great opportunity,

Al

Jul 22, 2007 03:02 AM
#5
Jeffrey Underwood
UNcommon Homes - Columbia, MD

LOL, Yes the name can be modifiied.

 

Jeff U.

Jul 22, 2007 03:39 AM
Anonymous
GO F YOURSELF
They don't give you the answers A##hole. You have to study the exam books before you take the test. Your loss is of no meaning do to your own stupidity. You had the right to fire him at any time yet you allowed an unscrupulous contractor continue working on your property for $"50,000 worth of sub standard work. That usually takes a while DUMB A$$. I dont feel sorry for you. Its your fault you hired him you should've fired him and saved yourself money.
Feb 10, 2008 12:04 PM
#7
Anonymous
Anonymous

That's areal intelligent response by "go F yourself."   He proves my point - how ignorant contractors are.  He does not even know how quickly and easy it is to do $50,000 in damage to a home.  I guess he lives in trailer and $50,000 is 5 times the worth of his home.  As far as passing the exam, anyone with a 6th grade education can pass the MD MHIC exam. it's open book and you need not even read it before the exam.  Also, as anyone knows, it's difficult - if not impossible - to hire a second contractor to take over on someone else's workmanship.  Contractors can hold a homeowner "HOSTAGE" making life difficult.

Fortunately we were able to sue the builder and his insurance carrier who paid to reimburse us for all the builders damage.

 

There are 5 things a homeowner MUST do to prevent be taken advanatge.

 

Get Contractors

Insurance policy dec. page 

Drivers Licesen #

Fed ID #

Credit Report

Case Law summary - this will tell you how many times the builders been sued or has sued someone else 

Feb 10, 2008 05:29 PM
#8