jimnyc
02-22-2011, 06:16 AM
In our home there is a bathroom upstairs and a bathroom downstairs just below the other. We had a pretty good water leak that we couldn't fix. The ceiling in the downstairs bathroom would drip often and several plumbers later, a toilet upstairs and caulking of the tub - the leak still existed. We decided to kill 2 birds... and get the entire bathroom renovated downstairs and the leak fixed in the process.
Our contractor first ordered a 20yd dumpster to be placed in our driveway. The weight limitation on this dumpster is 7 tons. I was like "Damn, do they think my bathroom is built out of steel?"
They demolished the downstairs bathroom. Ceiling, all 4 walls and the floor. They find a metal pipe that had a slice in it, so water from where the shower/tub drained upstairs slowly allowed a little water to leak onto the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom. Problem solved, now just rebuild the bathroom to the wifey's specs, as that one is hers and the upstairs is mine.
Ok, now try to grasp how much the weight of this was... The room is tiny, about 5'-6' wide and about 8'-9' long, with a typical height. So they placed all the drywall in the dumpster. Only the ceiling was wet, but lets assume it was ALL wet:
Drywall - MAXIMUM of about 800lbs (and probably MUCH less)
Wood beams, even though most stayed, we had a few weak ones replaced. Probably about 100lbs, but lets be fair and state 500lbs.
Cast iron tub. They are generally 300-500lbs, but lets just say 1000lbs. The sink is less than 100lbs but we'll stick with that number. Hell, lets just add on another 2000lbs for the little things, like nails, small supplies, empty containers.... I just want to ensure I am WAY over with my estimate.
So that's about 4300lbs (but was probably about 2000). While the dumpster was here I tossed a few regular kitchen garbage bags in there as well as some recyclables. Probably less than 100lbs worth of personal stuff, but lets exaggerate and say 1000lbs. That brings us to 5300lbs.
Let's also exaggerate and assume I'm forgetting something and add another 2000lbs just for shits and giggles. That would bring us to 7300lbs. We should be fine, right? I mean, there is a 7 ton limit that should be 14,000lbs. I added THOUSANDS of pounds just for the hell of it, to show my point on the weight we are dealing with here.
So the company came and picked up the dumpster last Thursday. They called me yesterday to not only state that I went over the 7 ton limit (14,000lbs) - but that I was over by 7 more tons! In other words, my tiny bathroom renovation, a bunch of kitchen garbage bags and typical recyclables (small cans and plastics) - and they are stating that this all came to about 28,000lbs!!! ARE THEY FUCKING NUTS?????
They went to an "independent weigh station" after leaving here and had the truck weighed on the way in, and again after unloading the container - and that's how they calculate the net weight of the contents. So I have no choice but to pay as I cannot argue with a scale....
BUT....
I notice the form from the weigh station was only signed by the driver, and not by the official known as the "weighmaster" who certifies the accuracy. Section 16, part 195, #3 of New York State law states:
3. Each weight ticket issued by a weighmaster shall contain the date,
full signature and license number of the weighmaster.
Well, the paperwork I was given has no signature and no license number. I'm of the belief that these crooks either outright printed this false paperwork at their offices, or have a friend at the weigh station that helped them "up the ante" a bit.
So they have my money, but some serious complaints will be filed with the state today and I hope to get an investigation started. It's not even the money, it's the principle that they would think I would believe that my tiny bathroom walls and parts would weigh 14 f-ing tons.
Our contractor first ordered a 20yd dumpster to be placed in our driveway. The weight limitation on this dumpster is 7 tons. I was like "Damn, do they think my bathroom is built out of steel?"
They demolished the downstairs bathroom. Ceiling, all 4 walls and the floor. They find a metal pipe that had a slice in it, so water from where the shower/tub drained upstairs slowly allowed a little water to leak onto the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom. Problem solved, now just rebuild the bathroom to the wifey's specs, as that one is hers and the upstairs is mine.
Ok, now try to grasp how much the weight of this was... The room is tiny, about 5'-6' wide and about 8'-9' long, with a typical height. So they placed all the drywall in the dumpster. Only the ceiling was wet, but lets assume it was ALL wet:
Drywall - MAXIMUM of about 800lbs (and probably MUCH less)
Wood beams, even though most stayed, we had a few weak ones replaced. Probably about 100lbs, but lets be fair and state 500lbs.
Cast iron tub. They are generally 300-500lbs, but lets just say 1000lbs. The sink is less than 100lbs but we'll stick with that number. Hell, lets just add on another 2000lbs for the little things, like nails, small supplies, empty containers.... I just want to ensure I am WAY over with my estimate.
So that's about 4300lbs (but was probably about 2000). While the dumpster was here I tossed a few regular kitchen garbage bags in there as well as some recyclables. Probably less than 100lbs worth of personal stuff, but lets exaggerate and say 1000lbs. That brings us to 5300lbs.
Let's also exaggerate and assume I'm forgetting something and add another 2000lbs just for shits and giggles. That would bring us to 7300lbs. We should be fine, right? I mean, there is a 7 ton limit that should be 14,000lbs. I added THOUSANDS of pounds just for the hell of it, to show my point on the weight we are dealing with here.
So the company came and picked up the dumpster last Thursday. They called me yesterday to not only state that I went over the 7 ton limit (14,000lbs) - but that I was over by 7 more tons! In other words, my tiny bathroom renovation, a bunch of kitchen garbage bags and typical recyclables (small cans and plastics) - and they are stating that this all came to about 28,000lbs!!! ARE THEY FUCKING NUTS?????
They went to an "independent weigh station" after leaving here and had the truck weighed on the way in, and again after unloading the container - and that's how they calculate the net weight of the contents. So I have no choice but to pay as I cannot argue with a scale....
BUT....
I notice the form from the weigh station was only signed by the driver, and not by the official known as the "weighmaster" who certifies the accuracy. Section 16, part 195, #3 of New York State law states:
3. Each weight ticket issued by a weighmaster shall contain the date,
full signature and license number of the weighmaster.
Well, the paperwork I was given has no signature and no license number. I'm of the belief that these crooks either outright printed this false paperwork at their offices, or have a friend at the weigh station that helped them "up the ante" a bit.
So they have my money, but some serious complaints will be filed with the state today and I hope to get an investigation started. It's not even the money, it's the principle that they would think I would believe that my tiny bathroom walls and parts would weigh 14 f-ing tons.