I decided that with the latest batch of “issues” to arise with the cottage, it was a good idea to put them down in writing so I don’t forget about them. This isn’t so much for you folks to read but as a reminder to myself for 10 years from now as to what went on.
The latest news is that apparently the inside of the cottage is done. A few minor things left but apparently that is it. The rest is minor outdoor work so it looks like we’ll be starting to move stuff out of the storage bin and back into the cottage this week. SWEET! About freaking time. That having been said, it hasn’t been without more issue. Let’s start with the contractor.
I’m not sure how much I have said on here about what has transpired but basically we were told back in May that we would have a cottage fully built and ready by July 1st. There were some unforseen financial issues that came up so we had to accept a delay but the contractor insisted that the cottage would be ready by August 1st. Near the end of July, we were told that it would be 90% completed by the 15th (which was in fact the day of my geocaching race). After that day came and went, we were told another week and it would be almost done. I think you can see a pattern here. Now I know that things change and stuff happens but don’t keep telling me something will be done by a certain time unless you can deliver on that. If I did that to my clients I’d be out of a job in no time flat.
We also requested that we be kept up on EVERYTHING that was being done. See, my mom knew the contractor and he’s an old family friend of hers and she’s done lots of work with him previously, but for this situation, she asked that me and Tamara sort of take the reins and run with it. He basically has ignored us completely. He’s made entire decisions about what to do in the home without ever asking us, or even my mom. The actual guys doing the work never saw the floor plan for the cottage so when the window was installed, it was installed on the wrong side (which now would be quite costly to move). We were told we’d see tile samples and never saw any but tile has been laid.
Then came the fiasco with the water. See our cottage shares a well with the adjacent cottage. When mom sold that cottage they sold it with terms allowing the neighbors to use the well. With all the new construction going on, we thought it would be a good time for the neighbors to get their own well and we sever the agreement. Our contractor turned that into a threat to the neighbor that if he didn’t agree to our supposed terms, we would cut their water off. We NEVER told the contractor to do this and now our neighbor is quite pissed and has in fact threatened to call the cops if our contractor goes anywhere near his property, despite the fact that our well controls, holding tank, and pump are on their property. We now have had to get a lawyer involved so we can smooth things over.
Then came last Friday. Our contractor told my mom the place would be ready for her to spend the weekend in so if she wanted to, she could come down. Mom packed up a pile of food and was VERY excited to finally get to stay at the cottage. Well, the place was nowhere near ready, had no water, and was very obviously not prepared for any kind of visit. When our contractor could not get a hold of mom, he finally called Tamara and she explained how mom was very upset. We wanted to have a meeting to discuss why things were going on for so long and why a lot of things were not being done as we asked or as we were told. He said he’d call us back in 20 minutes and let us know either way if he could meet.
A few hours later mom shows up at the house and tells us that the contractor showed up at HER place to discuss the situation. He never called us back and never let us know he was going mom’s. He simply lied flat out about calling us back and never told us a thing. If mom had not been involved in this cottage business, I would have fired him. Me and Tamara was SO furious and insulted about how disrespectful he was being. But regardless, mom did tell him she wanted the cottage done by Sept. 18th. What he didn’t know was that if it’s not done, we’re not paying him any more money. In fact, I’m VERY tempted to not pay him another cent because of the BS he’s put us through.
Then a few days ago mom got a letter from the OTHER neighbor. See, the driveway that we use to access our cottage comes off the main road and accesses two properties. Technically, from the survey marker, we own three feet and the neighbor owns eleven. We have been using that driveway for 20 years and the previous owner had been using it for 20 years as well. It’s been a shared driveway for 40 years and there’s never been an issue. The new owners (bought the cottage last fall) have made it VERY clear to us that they are not happy about us using “their” portion of the driveway. They’ve blocked it several times and made a big stink when a car has even gone within inches of their property. This has made it difficult for us because that driveway is the ONLY access we have to our property and has been for a LONG time.
The letter we got basically said that they would be raising their cottage and property by about two feet and this would affect the driveway as well. In doing so, they recommend that we have our own driveway installed and not use the shared one. This set off a bit more tension as we have heard from many people that regardless of whether or not they own the bigger portion of the driveway, because it’s been there for so long, they can’t just deny us access to it.
Well, no one wants to tell us whether or not that is actually the case. The department of transportation doesn’t know anything about that and neither does the planning commission that handles cottages in Pointe Du Chene. Everytime we ask the question, we get told to go see a lawyer. In putting in a new driveway, we’d have to put in a new culvert for the ditch and the DOT quoted $1400. Now mind you he did say a private contractor would likely do it for less but you can imagine my surprise when I heard that number. The biggest issue for me is that if the neighbors are doing something that destroys or modifies the only access we have to our cottage, why should we be the ones forking out the money? As far as we know, we have every right to use the existing driveway so why should we have to put in a new one?
I’m more than willing to work on a solution but I certainly want to know what my rights are with regards to that driveway and if we have a say in it, well, we want to keep it. If not, we fork out whatever money we need to and get a driveway built. What I don’t like is how the neighbor has tried to make it seem like they have been ordered to do so. The letter they sent made it seem as if the planning commission had told them to make these changes, but when we went to visit the commission, no one there knew anything about or neighbors changes. So either they are BS’ing us in an attempt to get us out of what they think is “their” driveway, or something else is amiss.
All of that having been said, I am really getting tired of the stupid ass issues that seem to keep popping up. If I had know that getting a cottage built would be this much hassle, I would have said fuck it and not bother. The only solace I can take is that when everything is done, we’ll have a hell of a nice cottage that will stand the test of time and that the whole family can enjoy.
