Physically, Mentally, Emotionally Surviving Being Scammed (3)

Previous Post (Part 2): Physically, Mentally, Emotionally Surviving Being Scammed (2)

So the week continues for the construction of the foundation.

I had to insist on a crawl space access, especially since there were no vents cut out in the forms. So he reluctantly (and almost angrily) left an opening in the form. Months later I realized that his reluctance had made no sense. How was there to be any ventilation if he didn’t have an opening? And how was he going to put in the insulation?

Finally the concrete was poured after waiting for several days for a sunny day forecast.

Then he placed the black plastic down that is supposed to keep condensation and mold from forming in the crawl space. Unfortunately the rains continued off and on for a couple of weeks so that the rain pooled on top of the black plastic. During the sunny days he began installing the joists, and then he installed the subflooring, the latter requiring me to take several trips for subflooring adhesive. Did I mention that he used a lot of glue?  Then I was surprised when he started on the framing. I asked him if he would like to use my shop vac to remove the water that had pooled in the crawl space, but he said that it would be faster for him to siphon it out than it would be for me to bring it out and set up the shop vac. So I let it go, although I worried about mold forming. I had bought all the denim insulation that would be needed for crawl space, walls, and the attic, so I was surprised that he started on the framing without finishing the foundation. I was concerned about the water remaining in the crawl space. And without a door for the access, I was concerned that the crickets, mice and other critters would go into the crawl space which in turn would lure their predators. Larger critters, like the snakes. I love the snakes and welcome them (even the rattlers like the one in the photo taken in my carport), because they help keep down the population of the so destructive mice. But I really don’t want them nesting under my house. So. No insulation, no crawl space access door, no pristine crawl space. I was still oblivious to what this all meant…

So a couple more weeks go by with very slow progress. I am gone many of the days to purchase and pick up the construction supplies. Racking up the credit cards. When I was home I was busy working at selling all the stock that I had. Wasn’t all that much, but it would give me cash to pay for the labor. I had enough in savings to pay for 9 weeks of labor, but I knew, as the weeks progressed that I was going to need more cash.

In July the construction of the roof finally begins. Progress! Well, just barely. I would come back from getting more supplies (his list was never complete, always something more was needed), and he would sadly say he could not work that fast on a roof in the heat. Coming back in the middle of many an afternoon, I found him in his truck/van because it was too hot.  However I still had to pay his weekly labor. Otherwise he would have to find another job to do so that he could pay his bills. I started to realize that I am placed in a position where I have no choice. So from then on,  when he arrived I kept the animals from him, so that his mornings could just focus on setting up and working (and his coffee and pie break), thus getting more done before the heat of the afternoon. It meant watching the cat every moment. It meant walking the dog as soon as his truck/van pulled into my “yard”, even though I live in the country and the dog is quite capable of walking on his own.  I let my garden go. My weekend’s were a mad rush to catch up on making tinctures and fulfilling orders. Near the end of July, the roof is not half done. He tells me that he can get a professional roofer to finish the roof in one day what will take him yet a week to do. It is now in the middle of the 9th week. I know this roofer and this young man would be more than happy to be paid in cryptocurrency. What little I had, had grown enough in value such that I could pay him. So I agreed. Amazingly the young man finished the roof in four hours.

To be continued…