Get a load of this thinking..............................

[Gino]

I was out repairing an electric sign this morning which had some missing parts.

We got the replacement parts and because this place was having their 'Grand Opening' tomorrow, I finished this sign in the rain just this morning. I was one wet sucka.

Anyway, we were contracted to fix certain things on the sign and when I got there, there was no one to talk to or anyone answering phone calls about further problems with their sign. The sign's integrity isn't in question, but the cosmetics are in bad shape as far as things falling off or being very loose. Now, it looks like someone already knows this, cause when I got up there, I found these huge tech screws... and I mean HUGE...... everywhere. I couldn't turn them in or out cause everyone of them was stripped beyond belief. In the rain, I was not about to do them a favor without any written authority explicitly telling me to do more than what I was contracted to do. So, I finished what I was working on and put one extra screw down in a bad spot.

Although it's a 'Grand Opening'.... this is a seasonal business and they close from about November until April. They still do business over the winter, but they always have a 'Grand Opening', so this has been their location for some 30 years or more.

After two more stops for me, I got into the shop and proceeded to call this place. I explained what repairs need to be done and we could come out next week after things settle down from the 'Grand Opening' and here's their answer.....

Well, maybe it's a good thing this is happening. Maybe it will fall down and we can get a new one through our insurance. We wanted to put new faces in because these are becoming outdated.

I simply said, what if it falls on someone ?? Will your insurance company be happy when I told you to fix it and you said you wanted to wait for it to fall to collect insurance ?? Let alone fall on someone. In the back of my mind was that sign at the airport that landed on a family and killed the little boy.

Luckily, what I did had nothing to do with what needs work. She said she'll talk it over with the others and maybe we'll meet next week about a whole new sign and just get it over with.

Yeah, let's let if fall down and we'll collect...................
​

 

[Tim Aucoin]

Unbelievable! What are people thinking these days? Risking injuring or killing someone just because they're too bloody cheap to fork out for a new sign!!!

 

[signage]

I was out repairing an electric sign this morning which had some missing parts.

We got the replacement parts and because this place was having their 'Grand Opening' tomorrow, I finished this sign in the rain just this morning. I was one wet sucka.

Anyway, we were contracted to fix certain things on the sign and when I got there, there was no one to talk to or anyone answering phone calls about further problems with their sign. The sign's integrity isn't in question, but the cosmetics are in bad shape as far as things falling off or being very loose. Now, it looks like someone already knows this, cause when I got up there, I found these huge tech screws... and I mean HUGE...... everywhere. I couldn't turn them in or out cause everyone of them was stripped beyond belief. In the rain, I was not about to do them a favor without any written authority explicitly telling me to do more than what I was contracted to do. So, I finished what I was working on and put one extra screw down in a bad spot.

Although it's a 'Grand Opening'.... this is a seasonal business and they close from about November until April. They still do business over the winter, but they always have a 'Grand Opening', so this has been their location for some 30 years or more.

After two more stops for me, I got into the shop and proceeded to call this place. I explained what repairs need to be done and we could come out next week after things settle down from the 'Grand Opening' and here's their answer.....

Well, maybe it's a good thing this is happening. Maybe it will fall down and we can get a new one through our insurance. We wanted to put new faces in because these are becoming outdated.

I simply said, what if it falls on someone ?? Will your insurance company be happy when I told you to fix it and you said you wanted to wait for it to fall to collect insurance ?? Let alone fall on someone. In the back of my mind was that sign at the airport that landed on a family and killed the little boy.

Luckily, what I did had nothing to do with what needs work. She said she'll talk it over with the others and maybe we'll meet next week about a whole new sign and just get it over with.

Yeah, let's let if fall down and we'll collect...................
​

As you always say you were the last one to work on it and you are professional and you repaired it so they could continue using it. I hope nothing goes wrong because you may be brought into the issue being you repaired it knowing thing weren't correct! Just saying what you always say. You should have just walked away without touching it, now you have taken partial responsibility.

Just repeating what you have said in the past.

 

[Gino]

As you always say you were the last one to work on it and you are professional and you repaired it so they could continue using it. I hope nothing goes wrong because you may be brought into the issue being you repaired it knowing thing weren't correct! Just saying what you always say. You should have just walked away without touching it, now you have taken partial responsibility.

Just repeating what you have said in the past.

Phfft..................

 

[signage]

I'm just replying to your thread title!

 

[Gino]

I'm just replying to your thread title!

No, you're not.

Brian, you can go on making fun of me or taking my replies/posts or threads in any direction you want, but you might try not making things up.

The title explicitly says..... Get a load of this thinking.................
Now, I don't care which direction you take it, but don't throw sh!t back in my face when I pointed out to these people what needs to be done to make their sign safe[r]. What I was doing earlier had nothing at all to do with the other problems, which I stated completely and made sure for your sake.

What you're paraphrasing is when someone does work on something, knows something is wrong and doesn't do anything about it. That's irresponsible. I reported immediately and did my due diligence. They decided against what was already bad to be fixed.

The lady I talked to said she might wait til if falls and collect on the insurance. My response was, what if it falls on someone ?? However.... again, as I stated, that is not going to happen. It's quite obvious the things wrong are cosmetic, but the first thing out of people's mouths today is..... I'll collect from my insurance. That's what I'm referring to.

She probably doesn't even realize her insurance won't cover a sign this old. It's natural wear 'n tear. Their responsibility to keep an old sign in good repair. I was working on something else and noticed this but did not have permission to work on it.

Believe me, the sign is not gonna fall and is not gonna hurt anyone, it's all about the mindset of people today wanting not to take responsibility for their actions or lack of. In my case, I couldn't work on something I was not asked to do in the first place. Besides, it was raining, I was thoroughly wet and I didn't feel like waiting around til somebody got there to tell me to finish the job.


Now ya cabish ??

 

[ProWraps]

wow. from a 1-10 in 3 posts.....

glad i didnt touch that sign.

 

[signage]

Gino that is exactly what I did, I read your title and all I could think of is all your posts about being the last one to work on a sign and being held responsible if something went wrong! You have been preaching this for a couple of year now, but when it is you that does it, it somehow is a different way!

And your Get a load of this thinking..... Is exactly what I did. When it you, the (your) thinking goes a different way! If you didn't have 23,000 post I would look them up and quote them, but I have money making thing to do!

Gino you did not do you due diligence, you repaired the sign so they could to keep using it. You should hae red tagged it and reported it to the local Zoning officer. All areas I work in have a section in the ordinance that if the sign is in disrepair it is to be repaired or removed! Not made to illuminate and tell them it is ready to fall a part! These are your word "but the cosmetics are in bad shape as far as things falling off or being very loose". So say what you want but you left a sign that you thought was unsafe, and now you say it is alright because you told them.

 

[synergy_jim]

just did one of these.... got a call from a national service co... They had me go look at a verizon sign that has some issues. I get there, and the sign has been hit so hard it shattered the bulbs and spun the sign on the rectangular post it was mounted on. At some point, someone tried to "patch" the problems. I looked at it for 15 mins and called the service co. and told them they needed a new box.... I also offered to reinforce the existing unit so it would not fall and hurt anyone......

The reply...... Let it fall.... not in the budget..... let the Ins. co. deal with it....


People are nuts.

 

[signage]

synergy jim the difference is you didn't put lamps in it then tell them they needed a new box, or did you?

 

[synergy_jim]

we did not put lamps in, because I went to see what lamps it needed and it was hit so bad the faces could not be removed. I pryed one out and saw all the bulbs exploded...

 

[Tdewitt]

Don't know what City your in and don't really care but most municipalities have a sign code that prohibits dilapidated signs especially signs that have or could have parts falling off causing injury to the public.

But you being a Professional Sign guy, you knew that and ignored that? Tell them since you have worked on it and put your insurance at risk that you are required to let your local sign/building inspector aware of the situation. Just my .02

 

[BobM]

I had a similar job last spring. After removing on 5' X 6' face and seeing the condition of the box and rusted supports I stopped and gave the customer a quote to replace the box citing the danger of the sign falling apart.
Indignant, he told me he found someone else who would "fix" it for $200 and he wasn't paying the $100 invoice I attached. Lots of discussion, no money and not worth the aggrivation I issued a credit.
He called again this week, his sign broke up in the wind and would I come and repair it this weekend as he was opening Monday. "Sorry, I fired you as a customer last year when I told you it would fall apart".
I hope someone else comes in and bends him over big time.

 

[skyhigh]

I feel your frustration Gino. Cover your a$$ on the invoice, and state the other problems that needed addressed (that the customer refused to perform).
I've been in this very situation where your hands are tied.

Here are some "Wise" words to live by.....

This is a very short and sweet start, but by no means the final testing. When something doesn't work properly and then you get it working, you still need to check everything, in case something else is also wrong.

Do it right and don't be the final person working on an electrical sign. Should something else go wrong, you'll be 100% blame, if you were the last person that had that can open.

These people depend on you and your knowledge to do a complete and thorough job, not some half-assed... Hey, lookie what I did, I got the lights to go on again. :Oops:
​

 

[skyhigh]

I simply said, what if it falls on someone ?? Will your insurance company be happy when I told you to fix it and you said you wanted to wait for it to fall to collect insurance ?? Let alone fall on someone.

Kudos to you for letting her "have it".

Luckily, what I did had nothing to do with what needs work.

This is what will bite you in the arse, if you don't CYA. Even if you do state in her invoice your recommendations for repair, you WERE the last one to open that can. I think this is what some are referring to. Your fault or not.....you will be in the courtroom being questioned, should something happen.

 

[fmg]

iNTERESTING POST VERY VERY INTERESTING

 

[rydods]

It's not only the larger jobs or the ones that come down to safety issues. It's everywhere! Sometimes I think I'm crazy or too "soft" to run a business but I do a lot of work for body shops and I ALWAYS get the same..."We need a quote for the insurance company so don't be afraid to quote high."
Isn't this part of why this country is so far in dept and why no one can afford insurance of any kind really. I know...I'm in business to make money and support my family but I just know I'll feel the revolving door slamming me in the a** by doing it. I charge $100 and they, in turn charge the customer $800. Yet then again...It's much easier to blame the ones in charge of America for our dept problems.

 

[Gino]

Perhaps many of you have misunderstood... or I wasn't clear. Let me try this again.

There are three signs connected to this job. We did the original two signs back in 1995.

The sign's integrity is not in question at all. So, we can put to rest someone getting hurt. Some retainers had blown off some time ago and we were contracted a few days before their Grand Opening to repair the broken off parts. Upon fixing the parts I had to deal with, I found quite a few very large tech screws holding much of the retainers in place.... not what we did originally. I believe when their electrician did work up there, he replaced with larger and larger screws instead of using the screws in there from the start. After 18 years, I suppose the screws got too rusty to turn in & out and the guy must've stripped them in servicing the sign.

As I mentioned, only cosmetic things are in question, which when she said something about her sign falling, I just made the comment what if it falls on someone ?? This will and cannot happen.... anyway, not at this time. Her answer about collecting insurance for something is what floored me. That's the mindset I was referring to all along. If you noticed, I did say I put a screw in at a rather questionable place, but all this talk about being called in on a lawsuit.... again, only if I was working on something that was questionable as to the stability of the sign, the wiring, the fatigue of posts or other dangerous things is what I'm always referring to. The things in question are cosmetic only. The ugly screws, how mnay ugly screws, the stripped screws, the bent lips and cracked vinyl on another sign. It's very dirty and the whole thing needs to be cleaned.

These are not life threatening problems.... in fact, I highly doubt anyone will get hurt in anything related to any of this. It's all about cosmetics, as I've been saying all along. The only lip in question, I did put a screw in to hold in place. I guess I did just what many of you are saying. I made it totally safe. It just doesn't look purtty.



Again, she jumped to conclusions when I said her stuff was in need of repairs. She thought it might fall and get reimbursed by her insurance company and collect enough money to replace it. That was all I was referring to..... nothng more, nothing less.

 

[signage]

I guess the first post was by the Adetchie worm

I was out repairing an electric sign this morning which had some missing parts.

We got the replacement parts and because this place was having their 'Grand Opening' tomorrow, I finished this sign in the rain just this morning. I was one wet sucka.

Anyway, we were contracted to fix certain things on the sign and when I got there, there was no one to talk to or anyone answering phone calls about further problems with their sign. The sign's integrity isn't in question, but the cosmetics are in bad shape as far as things falling off or being very loose. Now, it looks like someone already knows this, cause when I got up there, I found these huge tech screws... and I mean HUGE...... everywhere. I couldn't turn them in or out cause everyone of them was stripped beyond belief. In the rain, I was not about to do them a favor without any written authority explicitly telling me to do more than what I was contracted to do. So, I finished what I was working on and put one extra screw down in a bad spot.

Although it's a 'Grand Opening'.... this is a seasonal business and they close from about November until April. They still do business over the winter, but they always have a 'Grand Opening', so this has been their location for some 30 years or more.

After two more stops for me, I got into the shop and proceeded to call this place. I explained what repairs need to be done and we could come out next week after things settle down from the 'Grand Opening' and here's their answer.....

Well, maybe it's a good thing this is happening. Maybe it will fall down and we can get a new one through our insurance. We wanted to put new faces in because these are becoming outdated.

I simply said, what if it falls on someone ?? Will your insurance company be happy when I told you to fix it and you said you wanted to wait for it to fall to collect insurance ?? Let alone fall on someone. In the back of my mind was that sign at the airport that landed on a family and killed the little boy.

Luckily, what I did had nothing to do with what needs work. She said she'll talk it over with the others and maybe we'll meet next week about a whole new sign and just get it over with.

Yeah, let's let if fall down and we'll collect...................
​

Or are we just back pedaling?

 

[SignManiac]

I run into the rusty stripped out screws almost all the time down here. I just replace them all and don't even bother telling the owner. It's just an easy inexpensive fix.