What to do if a licensed contractor didn’t pull a permit when he finished my basement?
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What to do if a licensed contractor didn’t pull a permit when he finished my basement?
Do I have to let him do the fixes? I don’t want him back because he is a shady contractor who didn’t do the job right to begin with. I want the state to remove his license. He said it was my responsibility to pull the permit or ask him to. Not his to inform me. He said he can pull a permit now and fix things but will not give me back part of the money I paid him so I can hire someone else to fix things. Is my only option to take him to court? He said the contract I signed states the work doesn’t include fees for pulling a permit. The problem is I didn’t know anything about these stuff. I trusted that as a licensed contractor he will tell me what is needed to be done.
Asked on September 29, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Minnesota
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The best way to answer your question about the contractor who failed to pull a permit for work done on your unit's basement is for you to consult with an attorney that practices in the area of construction law to see whether you should retain a new contractor to resolve the lack of permit status with the property or allow the old one to try and rectify the issue he created.
From what you have written, I would retain a new contractor to fix matters and sue the old contractor for the costs that he or she caused you for the new contractor who fixes the problem.
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