₦airaland Forum

BrabusNG:
It’s 48 hours since allegation was raised against Brabus and the simple request made was that the complainant should tell us how it happened.

I purposely asked so that I can know how to respond to the allegation.

Hmm! This is getting interesting.

Let the Oga talk his side of the story.

Nero2424:
Next time charge your client in $, its a more stable currency.

Someone gave me 5M in 3 installment because he intend to buy cars but i told him he has the option to pay me in $ to buy the cars or pay me in =N=.

He choose to pay me in naira, This was when =N= was about 350. I made him understand his money is deposited as naira and whenever he gives me a go ahead to buy the cars I will work with the current exchange rate.

I did a few project where I charged my clients in $. It was a WIN-WIN for both parties.

folmus:
Hmm! This is getting interesting.

Let the Oga talk his side of the story.

Sure.

Before we begin to cast aspersions on people, let’s always remember a story does not always start at the end.

In any conversation, I don’t just listen. I listen completely to understand. I don’t listen to reply.


__________

Let’s beat about the bush small. Maybe we will find a very good bushmeat.

In 2013, a client raised an allegation against Brabus that he defrauded him and went ahead to report the case in Special Fraud Unit, Panti, Lagos.

I was invited and like I always do, I went there confidently.

To the rudest shock of the complainant, he thought they would have killed me before he got there but lo I was found waiting for him to arrive and state exactly what happened.

Not all officers are useless. There are very intelligent people in the force and I give it to them.

They asked me “You we’re given money to do some job and you didn’t do it. You just ate the money.”

I smiled and replied “Sir, houses do not start with windows and neither do houses get built in 5 days. I was given money (in tranches) to build a house and I built it over 5 months. We only had issues with delivery of some items which were supplied by subcontractors. If he had brought in those things himself and there was an issue, will he have called it fraud?”

The officer turned to my client and asked “Sir, where’s the fraud part?”

He said “I gave him money for windows and it wasn’t complete. It remain 2.”

The officer replied “That wasn’t fraud na. If you have him money to build a house for you in Port Harcourt and you found the house in Abeokuta, we will quickly get into action because that’s fraud. But here’s a man who stayed in your family house in your hometown for 5 months to build you a house and you’re talking about 2 windows.”
The officer turned to me and asked “When can you bring the remaining windows?”

I told him “They were large windows that has to be fabricated on site. But the issue is, the client is in a rush.”

My client left in annoyance. I stood up and wanted to leave in annoyance too.

Police said “Oga you can’t go o. Is this how rich people behave? .” That was how I and Inspector Alex became friends and Oga refused to come back.

Case closed. No charge. Nothing.

But on nairaland brabus don kill his client o - bla, blah.

_______
These are verifiable facts. I deal in facts and not some emotional stories.

_______
## The brabus stories no one will tell you!

Same old stories and drama that turned this thread to a war Zone 4 years ago. I hail all my oga's in the house.

Abeg I wan ask something. Does stamped concrete has any maintenance after finishing? and how long will it take the color to fade?

agarawu23:
Same old stories and drama that turned this thread to a war Zone 4 years ago. I hail all my oga's in the house.

Abeg I wan ask something. Does stamped concrete has any maintenance after finishing? and how long will it take the color to fade?

cc: nabiz

Long time chief!

TOP OF THE MORNING TO ALL ENGINEER 'S ARCHITECT'S, SURVEYORS, REAL ESTATE AGENT'S, ARTISANS, AND ALL INTENDING HOUSE OWNERS IN THE HOUSE.



YOU CAN CONTACT US FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICES, LANDSCAPING, INSTALLATION PRODUCTION AND SUPPLIES OF INTERLOCKING STONES AND KERBS, GENERAL CLEANING , TILE'S, STAMP CONCRETE , ETC . YOU CAN REACH US OR WHAT'S APP US VIA THIS NUMBER, 09068938839.OR EMAIL US@:DANIELBABATUNDE401@G-mail.COM. THANK YOU .



NB: WE CAN WORK IN ANY PART OF NIGERIA EXCEPT BORNO STATE


GIVE US A TRIAL TODAY AND YOU WON'T REGRET IT .

BIGGIE121:
YOU CAN CONTACT US FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICES, LANDSCAPING, INSTALLATION PRODUCTION AND SUPPLIES OF INTERLOCKING STONES AND KERBS, GENERAL CLEANING , TILE'S, STAMP CONCRETE , ETC . Y .

A question on concrete stamp was asked above. Can you attend to it?

GoodFaith:
some area interlock
You will mold some interlock blocks
But driveway stamp
I was asking for N800 for sqm if I provide all materials for the stamp

QUOTATION FOR STAMPED CONCRETE FLOOR (INCRETE) ON AN AREA SPACE OF 800 SQUARE METERS
LOCAL MATERIALS 

(1)Cement × 350bags @ #3,300 each= #1,190,000

 (2)Granite stone= 30 tons × 3trips @ #180,000 per trip= #540,000

 (3)Sand= 20 tons × 8trips @ 35,000each= #280,000

 (4)8mm iron rod × 260 lengths @ #1,250 each= #338,000

 (5)1.5 by 3(1.2mm) iron range × 13 lengths @ #4,000 each= #52,000

 (6) 1.5 by 3(2.5mm) iron range × 2 lengths @ #7,500each= #15,000

 (7)Binding wire x 1 roll= #8,000

 (Black nylon water proof= 50kg x 3rolls @ #25,000 per roll=  #75,000

 (9)Diamond cutting disc × 20 blades @ #1,500each= #30,000

(10) Concrete mixer x 8days @ #15,000 per day= 120,000

(11)Acrylic roller x 7 pieces @ #700 each= #4,900

(12)Hydrochloric acid × 2 drums @ #11,000 each= #22,000

Cost of local materials= #2,674,900
------------------

IMPORTED MATERIALS 

(11)Color Hardener × 56bags @ #9,000each= #504,000

 (12)Acrylic Sealer x 229liters @ #3,350 per liter= #767,150

 (13)Antic release agent × 3buckets @ #48,000 each=  #144,000

(14)Transport & logistics= 60,000

#1,475,150
-------------------

Cost of materials= #4,150,050
------------------

(15)Labour = 800sqm × #1,500Per sqm= #1,200,000
-------------------

Total cost= #5,350,050
------------------

Note as stated above, this quotation is for 800 Sqm. I use average cost to quote the cost of granite, sand, and cement. This is because I don't know the location of the project. You can amend the price in case you confirm from your location, thanks for the opportunity

BrabusNG:
cc: nabiz

Long time chief!

. No hear sir. Yes depending of what you want. If you are such a person that always wants your floor to look shiny and glossy it means you should be applying acrylic sealer every 18months. But if you prefer a natural look(cured without glossy look, then no need of maintenance. The colour will never fade. Only the glossy out look will reduce.

I have met with many clients who will tell you, pls I don't want it glossy, just national why some want if super glossy.

To answer you question, yes you reseal every 18 months if you want it glossy but no maintenance you want it in a natural calm look. I will send you a picture of a 6 years old job and also the current look.

agarawu23:
Same old stories and drama that turned this thread to a war Zone 4 years ago. I hail all my oga's in the house.

Abeg I wan ask something. Does stamped concrete has any maintenance after finishing? and how long will it take the color to fade?

Yes depending of what you want. If you are such a person that always wants your floor to look shiny and glossy it means you should be applying acrylic sealer every 18months. But if you prefer a natural look(cured without glossy look, then no need of maintenance. The colour will never fade. Only the glossy out look will reduce.

I have met with many clients who will tell you, pls I don't want it glossy, just national why some want if super glossy.

To answer you question, yes you reseal every 18 months if you want it glossy but no maintenance you want it in a natural calm look. I will send you a picture of a 6 years old job and also the current look.

Please I need someone to tell me where red filling sand tipper loading garage is in Ogun state. I have a client that needs up to 10 tippers of red sand in Lagos and I need a good deal.

valencia2012:
As a learned, you could still communicate without using the word "idiot", at the slightest provocation because you disagree with someone. I chose my words on this forum because I could be yelling at a tout/miscreant or a professor for goodness sake!

The use of the provocative word was deliberate. He wanted to divert attention from the accusation by drawing more negative replies so he can do his wish which is to ban any contrary opinion and keep working the way he has been working. My submission was clear, and it came from my research here when I was called in last year to intervene on some tribal slurs. I looked for the mod, the brouhaha that lasted over two weeks went on without the mod doing anything. It was the politics mod who was coming here to ban.
I still maintain that something extraordinary was done to wake the mod up, and that's why I threw that red herring. His resort to throwing temper tantrums is simply regrettable.

His claim that he knew nothing about the fraud cases going on for 9 years, is a white lie. Going back to 2012 to dig.

BrabusNG:
It’s 48 hours since allegation was raised against Brabus and the simple request made was that the complainant should tell us how it happened.

I purposely asked so that I can know how to respond to the allegation.

Here’s my account (I do not have all the detailed information on the transaction here but I’ll give a brief account)

- Truly we were engaged to construct a fence in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos state.

- We moved to site immediately we were mobilized.

- On getting to the site, I realized the land has not been cleared and I requested that it should be cleared so that we can know exactly the area we are working.

- The client engaged people to do that and we commence the fence work.

- We started with the right side (when facing land). However on getting midway, we found another old fence which shows someone has done something around that area before a very long time ago. This created a very useless piece of land in between the land we are working on and the old fence found in the bush.

- When we got to the back, we found another fence.

- I informed the client and we continued our job. We proceed to the frontal part of the land.

- As we were about getting to the point we were shown the land ended, some land urchins (omo onile) came to the site and stopped the work.

- I informed the client and he told me one person will come.

- We will get back to site, the dreary guys will accost us in the bush and send us away again and again.

- This continued for a very long time.

- Accessibility was a major issue on the site as we can’t get heavy truck to get to the main site, so we drop granite some distance away from the site.

- For every time we were stopped and left the site, we will notice our materials has been stolen before we got back to site.

- I used NextHome Dump Truck for the delivery of sand which was gotten at Okun, Ibeju Lekki Lagos. I had to park down the truck for weeks awaiting a permanent resolve.

- Whenever we get to site, a faction will tell us the land is here. Another will come and tell us something different. So completing the last side became almost an impossible mission.

- At a point we started digging a place and they told us the land was beyond the line.

- Sigh!!!

- Eventually we did the blinding and raising of 3rd side and the issue wasn’t resolved. The land wasn’t fully cleared. So we left.

- Months after I got a call from someone on behalf of the client and guess what it was DSS inviting me for fraud.

- I went there and they said the client said I collected his money and didn’t do his work. I smiled.

- My client can use DSS against me but can’t provide ordinary vigilante or police to protect us when we were being disturbed in the thick forest. What an irony!
Well, we are first Nigerian before we travel go obodo oyibo land.

- That I got a contract to construct a fence, does it automatically invested power of attorney in me to act anyhow on the land?

- My question has always been “What should I have done?”

- To continue working on the land when I’m not the land owner, not the surveyor, nor member of the omo onile family?

- To stage a serious fight against the omo oniles because I want to impress my client? If I die, I’d be given a state burial abi?

- To park my granite, sand and other materials in my bag and take them to safety until all issues are resolved?

- When the client asked for refund, I asked myself. Am I supposed to tell the granite supplier that “Sorry o! we didn’t use all the granite because omo onile stopped us so the client need a refund?”

- For anyone who’s familiar with Ibeju Lekki land urchin, you’ll know how dreary they are.


Let me stop here. Let’s hear from the other side.


Can I ask my Oga if all these claims are lies?


______

While we were on this project, my client made a double payment of over a million naira to my account and I called his attention to it and transferred the money back to him.


_______

Part 2: Communication Palava

A lot of people in diaspora do one funny thing I’d like to share. They’d use a line no one can reach them on to call their contractors/family members/friends etc so anytime there’s something urgent and important you have to wait for their call.

It’s the most useless thing I’ve ever seen. Please don’t work with people you don’t trust. Work with your family members or trusted allies and make communication as easy as possible.

Life is not difficult if we chose to live simple.

Isn’t it shocking that I just got to know the userid my client after almost 5 years? In fact, the userid just followed me 2 days ago and we were working together on multi-million naira project.


More updates on this in Part 2.


_______

Part 3 - Photobomb

A lot of people in diaspora do one funny thing I’d like to share. They’d use a line no one can reach them on to call their contractors/family members/friends etc so anytime there’s something urgent and important you have to wait for their call.

It’s the most useless thing I’ve ever seen. Please don’t work with people you don’t trust. Work with your family members or trusted allies and make communication as easy as possible.

The fact that you can't reach someone that is in a different geographical time zone from yours has nothing to do with trust. Work schedule and nature of job and many other factors.
I am going to use myself as an example
If you are working with me you will have my phone number. however if you call me before 3pm Nigerian time you are most likely not going to be able to reach me. If you call me between 3 and 4 you are most likely to reach me. After that i am going to go to sleep and by the time I wake up you are already sleeping in Nigeria.

Also if you failed to call me on the number I gave you as my number and called me on the number you saw when I called you, you are not going to reach me because that number belong to the phone company that completed my call to Nigeria. This is because I called you using a calling card that charged me may be 10cents a minutes compare to AT&T $1 a minute

What I don't understand is why you couldn't give this same explanation yesterday.

nabiz:
QUOTATION FOR STAMPED CONCRETE FLOOR (INCRETE) ON AN AREA SPACE OF 800 SQUARE METERS
LOCAL MATERIALS 

(1)Cement × 350bags @ #3,300 each= #1,190,000

 (2)Granite stone= 30 tons × 3trips @ #180,000 per trip= #540,000

 (3)Sand= 20 tons × 8trips @ 35,000each= #280,000

 (4)8mm iron rod × 260 lengths @ #1,250 each= #338,000

 (5)1.5 by 3(1.2mm) iron range × 13 lengths @ #4,000 each= #52,000

 (6) 1.5 by 3(2.5mm) iron range × 2 lengths @ #7,500each= #15,000

 (7)Binding wire x 1 roll= #8,000

 (Black nylon water proof= 50kg x 3rolls @ #25,000 per roll=  #75,000

 (9)Diamond cutting disc × 20 blades @ #1,500each= #30,000

(10) Concrete mixer x 8days @ #15,000 per day= 120,000

(11)Acrylic roller x 7 pieces @ #700 each= #4,900

(12)Hydrochloric acid × 2 drums @ #11,000 each= #22,000

Cost of local materials= #2,674,900
------------------

IMPORTED MATERIALS 

(11)Color Hardener × 56bags @ #9,000each= #504,000

 (12)Acrylic Sealer x 229liters @ #3,350 per liter= #767,150

 (13)Antic release agent × 3buckets @ #48,000 each=  #144,000

(14)Transport & logistics= 60,000

#1,475,150
-------------------

Cost of materials= #4,150,050
------------------

(15)Labour = 800sqm × #1,500Per sqm= #1,200,000
-------------------

Total cost= #5,350,050
------------------

Note as stated above, this quotation is for 800 Sqm. I use average cost to quote the cost of granite, sand, and cement. This is because I don't know the location of the project. You can amend the price in case you confirm from your location, thanks for the opportunity

Is it reasonable to assume 100sqm will cost an 8th of the #5.3m? Is interlock cheaper or more expensive?

Hello,

What you described is different from the scenario at hand. He is talking about when people use call cards to make int'l call quite all right but then deliberately fail to provide their direct number, often for the sake of anonymity or security or village people or whatever reason. That way the communication can only be one way.
So now put yourself in the shoes of your contractor stuck on your project in Naija waiting for your call...

Managing geographical time difference with clients and use of int'l call cards by diasporans ain't allien to business people in Naija in the 21st century.

Dijita:
A lot of people in diaspora do one funny thing I’d like to share. They’d use a line no one can reach them on to call their contractors/family members/friends etc so anytime there’s something urgent and important you have to wait for their call.

It’s the most useless thing I’ve ever seen. Please don’t work with people you don’t trust. Work with your family members or trusted allies and make communication as easy as possible.

The fact that you can't reach someone that is in a different geographical time zone from yours has nothing to do with trust. Work schedule and nature of job and many other factors.
I am going to use myself as an example
If you are working with me you will have my phone number. however if you call me before 3pm Nigerian time you are most likely not going to be able to reach me. If you call me between 3 and 4 you are most likely to reach me. After that i am going to go to sleep and by the time I wake up you are already sleeping in Nigeria.

Also if you failed to call me on the number I gave you as my number and called me on the number you saw when I called you, you are not going to reach me because that number belong to the phone company that completed my call to Nigeria. This is because I called you using a calling card that charged me may be 10cents a minutes compare to AT&T $1 a minute

What I don't understand is why you couldn't give this same explanation yesterday.

BrabusNG:
Sure.

Before we begin to cast aspersions on people, let’s always remember a story does not always start at the end.

In any conversation, I don’t just listen. I listen completely to understand. I don’t listen to reply.


__________

Let’s beat about the bush small. Maybe we will find a very good bushmeat.

In 2013, a client raised an allegation against Brabus that he defrauded him and went ahead to report the case in Special Fraud Unit, Panti, Lagos.

I was invited and like I always do, I went there confidently.

To the rudest shock of the complainant, he thought they would have killed me before he got there but lo I was found waiting for him to arrive and state exactly what happened.

Not all officers are useless. There are very intelligent people in the force and I give it to them.

They asked me “You we’re given money to do some job and you didn’t do it. You just ate the money.”

I smiled and replied “Sir, houses do not start with windows and neither do houses get built in 5 days. I was given money (in tranches) to build a house and I built it over 5 months. We only had issues with delivery of some items which were supplied by subcontractors. If he had brought in those things himself and there was an issue, will he have called it fraud?”

The officer turned to my client and asked “Sir, where’s the fraud part?”

He said “I gave him money for windows and it wasn’t complete. It remain 2.”

The officer replied “That wasn’t fraud na. If you have him money to build a house for you in Port Harcourt and you found the house in Abeokuta, we will quickly get into action because that’s fraud. But here’s a man who stayed in your family house in your hometown for 5 months to build you a house and you’re talking about 2 windows.”
The officer turned to me and asked “When can you bring the remaining windows?”

I told him “They were large windows that has to be fabricated on site. But the issue is, the client is in a rush.”

My client left in annoyance. I stood up and wanted to leave in annoyance too.

Police said “Oga you can’t go o. Is this how rich people behave? .” That was how I and Inspector Alex became friends and Oga refused to come back.

Case closed. No charge. Nothing.

But on nairaland brabus don kill his client o - bla, blah.

_______
These are verifiable facts. I deal in facts and not some emotional stories.

_______
## The brabus stories no one will tell you!

Same reason I ask the people try to intervene with an open mind.
A client that I volunteered to give extra paint free posted here that I did a good job but he was still angry that I didn't bring his complete paint but I shouldn't worry. On advice by hajj mufutau, I quickly asked him how he meant and quickly explained I was the one that volunteered extra free to him but he couldn't wait and got the extra elsewhere.
If I just let it slide as a harmless post or nothing serious, people would read different interpretations to it and draw their own conclusion.
Although in my own case, the client most likely meant the paint I wanted to give him as the incomplete paint supplied, we have to bear in mind we have people of various characters amongst contractors and clients.

megacontrol:
Hello,

What you described is different from the scenario at hand. He is talking about when people use call cards to make int'l call quite all right but then [b]deliberately fail to provide their direct number, often for the sake of anonymity or security or village people or whatever reason. [/b]That way the communication can only be one way.
So now put yourself in the shoes of your contractor stuck on your project in Naija waiting for your call...

Managing geographical time difference with clients and use of int'l call cards by diasporans ain't allien to business people in Naija in the 21st century.

sorry my bad, my mind is not creative enough to imagine people hiding phone contact from someone working for them. I can understand you don't want every Jack and Jerry calling you but someone working on your project shouldn't be in that category

AppDevt:
Skimanski AKA Dezyns & Structures collected 3.7Million naira already for this job out of 3.8M he charged for the roofing, and i paid since last year , he said he collects 98 percent upfront and he was paid . His balance is 100k only .
This case is very different because it involves an elderly woman who was drenched in the rain because Skimanski collected money since last year and refused to pick his calls . The whole house is gone, electronics Everything . He was aware rain would fall. This job should have been completed since October according to the timelines he gave us . This is more than shocking because we got his contacts from Nairaland here and he dosent seem to care .
This is wickedness .

So sorry about this awful experience.
I have known Skimanski for long, I was his lead structural engineer before my company was floated, all through the period we worked together I don't know him as a fraudulent man!

infact I look up to him .Something went wrong here and I hope he resolves this ASAP.


@ Skimanski, Boss kindly resolve this imediately, you know the reputation you have here!!!

I thank everyone who has contributed, or still contributing to make this thread a better place where we all learn from the works and experiences of each other. I have been here for over 10 years and has come to conclude that communication is key in every business or contract. Clients and contractors should keep all communication lines open to point out differences and resolve them as soon as possible. It's better to start pointing out to the clients the difficulties we have, so that it will be resolved before it grows into a bigger problem.

The cause of many contractual problems is cost instability. If I tell you guys what happened last year in many of my sites, you will pity us contractors. I collected a lot of jobs with slim margins in the hope of completing them quickly and picking more, but a lot of building materials shot up so much that I was seeing more than 40% increase in some materials. To my shock, workers also decided to review their charges upwards around here almost same week. It was a big body blow to my entire operations and I lost heavily. I had to sacrifice the school fees, and even dip hands into other family members business funds to complete the jobs. I also went into panic buying, staking out markets for bargain buying and making sure every fund is committed to buying materials for future use.

I thank God for many of our clients, as soon as I complained after completing the jobs, so many of them offered to pick up the bills for the money I lost, I lost heavily in cement, rods, electrical equipment and many others. I was even afraid of taking up new jobs. This must have affected a lot of other builders and house owners, I pray for quick resolution of every pending matters.

One of my clients sent me the money I overspent doing his project yesterday, i was overwhelmed with joy. May God bless our clients, bless the works of our hands and make the economy better for more development to happen.

gbadexy:
Same reason I ask the people try to intervene with an open mind.
A client that I volunteered to give extra paint free posted here that I did a good job but he was still angry that I didn't bring his complete paint but I shouldn't worry. On advice by hajj mufutau, I quickly asked him how he meant and quickly explained I was the one that volunteered extra free to him but he couldn't wait and got the extra elsewhere.
If I just let it slide as a harmless post or nothing serious, people would read different interpretations to it and draw their own conclusion.
Although in my own case, the client most likely meant the paint I wanted to give him as the incomplete paint supplied, we have to bear in mind we have people of various characters amongst contractors and clients.

The Broken Shower Cubicle

Anyone who’s here in the 2011 will know about this story.

The shower cubicle in the picture below was originally purchased for a project in 2011 and the client rejected it because he/his spouse doesn’t like the flowers on it.

We took it off and replaced it with another type which has the design my client wanted unfortunately it got broken while someone we don’t know was doing fasholaholmes on the newly installed cubicle.

Well 10 years later, I found the rejected shower cubicle inside my store and installed jejely in one of my personal project.

I don’t like flowers too but for me it’s functionality over form. So far people can use it. I’d put it where those who have no choice over design on the glass stays in the building.
The shower cubicle is serving its intended purpose and it looked very nice!

It has saved me almost 50k as I got it around 20 - 21k in 2011.

I think some of us homeowners should be calming down small small. Contractors too are human being.

But does this qualify for a fraud case? If the client went to buy the cubicle and someone’s came into the house and said “I hate stripes, it makes people in cubicle look like baby Zebra.” Will it still be fraud?

______

Pic 1 - The rejected shower cubicle inside my personal project I took this picture yesterday and this was bought 10 years ago. Still look bam!
Pic 2 - The design my client wanted.

skimanski:
Chaii!! Pls ma, at least I have never defrauded anyone here ma. And never will. Please saying I defrauded you of 3.8m is incorrect and saying it like that means my name becomes labelled as such. And that becomes a problem for my business.

Please ma. I am sorry if there are delays in your project, but let’s say it the way it is. Please . This forum is where I grew up and got to where I am today. Please I haven’t and will never take any ones money. Definitely we have had challenges in projects. But never will we defraud anyone.

Although we have worked together in Benin but we never had the opportunity of meeting on site. But there's something I like about you, you are a good professional, very hardworking and honest. I know something must have happened to cause this, I also believe firmly that you can solve this and emerge from this with your reputation intact.

Do it bro!

Dijita:
Is it reasonable to assume 100sqm will cost an 8th of the #5.3m? Is interlock cheaper or more expensive?

depending on the interlocking and the quality of job you need. If you want julius berger standard which is around 8cm, it is not cheaper. But on average interlocking is cheaper

BrabusNG:
The Broken Shower Cubicle

Anyone who’s here in the 2011 will know about this story.

The shower cubicle in the picture below was originally purchased for a project in 2011 and the client rejected it because he/his spouse doesn’t like the flowers on it.

We took it off and replaced it with another type which has the design my client wanted unfortunately it got broken while someone we don’t know was doing fasholaholmes on the newly installed cubicle.

Well 10 years later, I found the rejected shower cubicle inside my store and installed jejely in one of my personal project.

I don’t like flowers too but for me it’s functionality over form. So far people can use it. I’d put it where those who have no choice over design on the glass stays in the building.
The shower cubicle is serving its intended purpose and it looked very nice!

It has saved me almost 50k as I got it around 20 - 21k in 2011.

I think some of us homeowners should be calming down small small. Contractors too are human being.



______

Pic 1 - The rejected shower cubicle.
Pic 2 - The design my client wanted.

That's good savings there. What we need to do more is to listen to them clients, do our best to satisfy them and when it doesn't work, we need to apologise and move on. We should do our best to do exactly what they want, where possible.
The place we usually have problems, is not where we think its generated from. Sometimes it's the surrounding people around the jobs that causes clients/contractors fracas.

nabiz:
depending on the interlocking and the quality of job you need. If you want julius berger standard which is around 8cm, it is not cheaper. But on average interlocking is cheaper

Thanks

spyder880:
That's good savings there. What we need to do more is to listen to them clients, do our best to satisfy them and when it doesn't work, we need to apologise and move on. We should do our best to do exactly what they want, where possible.
The place we usually have problems, is not where we think its generated from. Sometimes it's the surrounding people around the jobs that causes clients/contractors fracas.

When it comes to finishes, client determines everything.

Some few years ago, I installed the door in pic 1 (4ft Turkey Door) below in my clients house. When he came he said he does not like it and bought door in pic 2 (3ft Door) to replace it.

Guess what? I thought I don chop gbese.

He dashed me 2 of the doors I installed. Don’t ask me what I did with the doors

Most times it’s not always about cost or quality, it’s about clients choice.

Right now, I tell my client to chose whatever they like on their project, buy it and I’ll install or supervise whoever will install.

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I really thank God some of us built our houses live on this forum before building for any other person here. Otherwise, the stories won’t be funny at all!

Good day everyone… I’m a first time project supervisor and I’m working on the plan attached. I want to reduce the area of excavation since a DPC will be provided for the structure. So I want to be appropriately guided by our experienced builders here. Please highlight the most important areas of excavation and placement of columns. Thank you sirs.

vickzie:
none. but I charged based on the prevailing economic conditions at that time, this month makes it a year I'm supposed to have received payment. the suppose money can currently afford half of what it's supposed to have afforded 12 months ago. does that mean he can withhold the payment till 2050 when it's would probably be worthless and still be justified. if it was the other way around whereby I withheld his funds for the 12 months, and abandoned the project, if I request for more funds and he refuses, can he take legal action against me since no contract was signed, just gentleman agreement.

It's such a worrisome experience.
Well the value for money when it ought be 12 months ago will be somewhat lower as at now. You have exercised patience, please continue in it. Some clients are full metal characters. If it had been the reverse even your village people may hear of it. You'll just still be reminding the client anyways through the medium you usually communicate. Just be optimistic anyway when it comes irrespective of its value it will still be used to sort some personal things for yourself.

n3xt:
I agree completely. We are first human and we are prone to errors.

For the kind of job skimanski does, I would understand if he had requested for more time.

He’s everything I ever want to be

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The job (by skimanski) in the pic below is not for the regulars.

I took a second look at this job and I cannot but say this guy is fantastic.


Get back in winning ways bro!

What structure type is this? Those circular openings what are their functions

BrabusNG:
It’s 48 hours since allegation was raised against Brabus and the simple request made was that the complainant should tell us how it happened.

I purposely asked so that I can know how to respond to the allegation.

Here’s my account (I do not have all the detailed information on the transaction here but I’ll give a brief account)

- Truly we were engaged to construct a fence in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos state.

- We moved to site immediately we were mobilized.

- On getting to the site, I realized the land has not been cleared and I requested that it should be cleared so that we can know exactly the area we are working.

- The client engaged people to do that and we commence the fence work.

- We started with the right side (when facing land). However on getting midway, we found another old fence which shows someone has done something around that area before a very long time ago. This created a very useless piece of land in between the land we are working on and the old fence found in the bush.

- When we got to the back, we found another fence.

- I informed the client and we continued our job. We proceed to the frontal part of the land.

- As we were about getting to the point we were shown the land ended, some land urchins (omo onile) came to the site and stopped the work.

- I informed the client and he told me one person will come.

- We will get back to site, the dreary guys will accost us in the bush and send us away again and again.

- This continued for a very long time.

- Accessibility was a major issue on the site as we can’t get heavy truck to get to the main site, so we drop granite some distance away from the site.

- For every time we were stopped and left the site, we will notice our materials has been stolen before we got back to site.

- I used NextHome Dump Truck for the delivery of sand which was gotten at Okun, Ibeju Lekki Lagos. I had to park down the truck for weeks awaiting a permanent resolve.

- Whenever we get to site, a faction will tell us the land is here. Another will come and tell us something different. So completing the last side became almost an impossible mission.

- At a point we started digging a place and they told us the land was beyond the line.

- Sigh!!!

- Eventually we did the blinding and raising of 3rd side and the issue wasn’t resolved. The land wasn’t fully cleared. So we left.

- Months after I got a call from someone on behalf of the client and guess what it was DSS inviting me for fraud.

- I went there and they said the client said I collected his money and didn’t do his work. I smiled.

- My client can use DSS against me but can’t provide ordinary vigilante or police to protect us when we were being disturbed in the thick forest. What an irony!
Well, we are first Nigerian before we travel go obodo oyibo land.

- That I got a contract to construct a fence, does it automatically invested power of attorney in me to act anyhow on the land?

- My question has always been “What should I have done?”

- To continue working on the land when I’m not the land owner, not the surveyor, nor member of the omo onile family?

- To stage a serious fight against the omo oniles because I want to impress my client? If I die, I’d be given a state burial abi?

- To park my granite, sand and other materials in my bag and take them to safety until all issues are resolved?

- When the client asked for refund, I asked myself. Am I supposed to tell the granite supplier that “Sorry o! we didn’t use all the granite because omo onile stopped us so the client need a refund?”

- For anyone who’s familiar with Ibeju Lekki land urchin, you’ll know how dreary they are.


Let me stop here. Let’s hear from the other side.


Can I ask my Oga if all these claims are lies?


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While we were on this project, my client made a double payment of over a million naira to my account and I called his attention to it and transferred the money back to him.


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Part 2: Communication Palava

A lot of people in diaspora do one funny thing I’d like to share. They’d use a line no one can reach them on to call their contractors/family members/friends etc so anytime there’s something urgent and important you have to wait for their call.

It’s the most useless thing I’ve ever seen. Please don’t work with people you don’t trust. Work with your family members or trusted allies and make communication as easy as possible.

Life is not difficult if we chose to live simple.

Isn’t it shocking that I just got to know the userid my client after almost 5 years? In fact, the userid just followed me 2 days ago and we were working together on multi-million naira project.


More updates on this in Part 2.


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Part 3 - Photobomb

Was there no existing surveyed beacons on the land before you commenced the fencing?


There are certain projects that I expect the client or his/her representative to be available on site at least the first 7 days of project commencement.............

BrabusNG:
Sure.

Before we begin to cast aspersions on people, let’s always remember a story does not always start at the end.

In any conversation, I don’t just listen. I listen completely to understand. I don’t listen to reply.


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Let’s beat about the bush small. Maybe we will find a very good bushmeat.

In 2013, a client raised an allegation against Brabus that he defrauded him and went ahead to report the case in Special Fraud Unit, Panti, Lagos.

I was invited and like I always do, I went there confidently.

To the rudest shock of the complainant, he thought they would have killed me before he got there but lo I was found waiting for him to arrive and state exactly what happened.

Not all officers are useless. There are very intelligent people in the force and I give it to them.

They asked me “You we’re given money to do some job and you didn’t do it. You just ate the money.”

I smiled and replied “Sir, houses do not start with windows and neither do houses get built in 5 days. I was given money (in tranches) to build a house and I built it over 5 months. We only had issues with delivery of some items which were supplied by subcontractors. If he had brought in those things himself and there was an issue, will he have called it fraud?”

The officer turned to my client and asked “Sir, where’s the fraud part?”

He said “I gave him money for windows and it wasn’t complete. It remain 2.”

The officer replied “That wasn’t fraud na. If you have him money to build a house for you in Port Harcourt and you found the house in Abeokuta, we will quickly get into action because that’s fraud. But here’s a man who stayed in your family house in your hometown for 5 months to build you a house and you’re talking about 2 windows.”
The officer turned to me and asked “When can you bring the remaining windows?”

I told him “They were large windows that has to be fabricated on site. But the issue is, the client is in a rush.”

My client left in annoyance. I stood up and wanted to leave in annoyance too.

Police said “Oga you can’t go o. Is this how rich people behave? .” That was how I and Inspector Alex became friends and Oga refused to come back.

Case closed. No charge. Nothing.

But on nairaland brabus don kill his client o - bla, blah.

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These are verifiable facts. I deal in facts and not some emotional stories.

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## The brabus stories no one will tell you!

Some clients are real full metal character. We thank God for life anyways.

Apologist02:
Good day everyone… I’m a first time project supervisor and I’m working on the plan attached. I want to reduce the area of excavation since a DPC will be provided for the structure. So I want to be appropriately guided by our experienced builders here. Please highlight the most important areas of excavation and placement of columns. Thank you sirs.

extend the two windows behind the entrainment center to the extreme so you can have enough space to mount the TV and it's accompanying accessories. as for the columns, every edge should have one. excavate all foundation walls, you don't want to have cracks on any wall without a footing, though it's not a rule cast in stone.

Clothingonline9:
Who can help me with architecture plan for one unit 3 bedroom one unit 2 bedroom 3 unit 1 bed flat on a plot of land 60 by 100 Ibadan.
Was the rough estimates budget in Naira ?

I can help out. My number is in my signature.