Experiences Working With Friends

dayexco

what have been your experiences working with friends? we do primarily pipe work. there was a new strip mall coming here, friend of mine was just getting into larger site prep jobs. bought 3- ts-14's. dozer, champion blade, rollers, trucks, etc.....he couldn't get bonded for the site prep. asked me if i would "package" the site prep and site utilities on the deal so he could bid it and would be working under me. well gee, he's a friend, right? he gave me a proposal, i can't even remember if we shook hands on the friggin deal GET SIGNED CONTRACTS EVEN FROM YOUR BROTHER!!!!! anyway....he gets 1/3 into the job that i thought he was very capable of doing, says he's in over his head and pulls his machinery off. MY name was on the bond, so i ended up hiring another dirt contractor at about 20% more than we had bid to finish it up to avoid paying liquidated damages. well....guess what, i'm going to be in a court room in about 2 wks. i hate sueing him, but damn it, doing a favor for him shouldn't cost me money.....GET SIGNED CONTRACTS!!!!!!

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

PipeGuy

Is he still in business? If so, why'd he pull out - too low a bid to do the work?

rino1494

That really sucks. Back in the early late 80's one of my dad's "friends" rented machines off of my dad to do some work. Never ended up paying. Got him for over $40,000.

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Life is hard. It is harder when you are stupid

Uncle Sam wants YOU....to speak ENGLISH

Teetorbilt

Very good and very bad, not much in the middle. Most have been good though.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Patty

Quote: "GET SIGNED CONTRACTS EVEN FROM YOUR BROTHER!"

Hindsight is worth (in this case) THREE million bucks!

This is advice that NO ONE should overlook. I am paying the price, financially and emotionally, for being TOO TRUSTING towards a family member that let greed rule his life. Some people have no conscience! You can avoid a lot of grief in your life, not to mention legal bills, if you just play is 'straight'.

And, even in the case, of a well-meaning, well-intentioned business deal, contractual agreements, IN WRITING, spell out who is responsible for what. You never know when a curve ball can get pitched and things could go South. I've seen business owners DIE of a sudden heart attack leaving SO MANY unresolved issues behind. Why chance anything. KWIM?

Take it from me. I learned the HARD way. Learn from my mistakes.

denick

Two partnerships with "friends" only bad memories and a lot of debt not paid. Try not to think about it. I would prefer to have the friends.

Nick

jmic

Have a friend since 9th grade, at one time decades ago we went into a remodeling business together, lasted about 10 months, just didn't work out. But he ended up working for me for 20 yrs. after that desolved. Paid him well and worked out great as my foreman .

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___"Remember You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression"______________________
Joe