New kitchen flooring - question about payment

[lecach]

The house we are trying to sell is 2 hours from us and is vacant. We are having the kitchen floors replaced on Monday. The invoice said that they needed a check for the materials before ordering which I sent. The invoice also said that the remaining balance was due after installation.

The floor company is now asking me to go ahead and send the second check to them. I would prefer giving the check to my Mom who will check the house after the job is done and make sure it was done correctly. I just dont feel comfortable giving them the check ahead of time.

Am I within my rights to hold the check until we check the job? I have always been told not to give payment in full on work done on your home til after its done to your satisfaction.

 

[Octoberbride03]

You are within your rights to hold the check, but if you can you should have your mother there to supervise the job while they do it. And she can pass the remainder of the amount owed to the installer upon completion. This is how we did our carpeting a couple of years ago in our bedroom. Deposit was for like half and then the installer got the remainder when they were done. Flooring takes longer to do than carpet but someone should be at the house.

 

[msmayor]

If the invoice you have for ordering the flooring states that final payment is due after installation, then they can't change that now.

And nothing against your mother, but in all honesty I would not trust anyone else to be present and perform a final inspection on a new floor...I would be there myself. You give up your right to complain about something your mother may have missed by not being there yourself.

 

[Bren's Mom]

You can hold the check until you inspect that the job was completed properly. However, this needs to be done within a reasonable time frame. You're only 2 hours away. It's reasonable to say you'll come to inspect the weekend immediately following the install...but not to expect them to wait, say, 30 days, for payment.

 

[lecach]

OP here. My Mom is MUCH more particular about stuff than me. And she's also a realtor so she's used to giving things a careful eye. I just started a new job last week and cant take time off. And we have company next weekend so I cant go in then either. So I have to trust Mom to do it.

I spoke to the floor company and they said it was fine to give them the check after Mom does the inspection once I pointed out what the invoice said. Turns out that the rep I have been dealing with from the floor company also works part time at the real estate office that our listing agent works in. So I will send the check to our agent and she can hand it over once we've signed off.

 

[Bob NC]

It's reasonable to say you'll come to inspect the weekend immediately following the install...but not to expect them to wait, say, 30 days, for payment.

If the payment is due upon completion of the install, then no, waiting for the next weekend to pass is not "reasonable."

If them requesting payment before the job is finished is not reasonable, what makes withholding payment when the job IS finished reasonable?

Let your Mom pay when they are finished.