# Five Bros-HUD Connection



## JFMURFY (Sep 16, 2012)

Recently bid a mold project for the Brothers here in CT, basement full of the black gold. Approx 30x30 basement, Wood paneling up 1/2 way on walls, Ceilings have two layers of 1/2" drywall. It's a townhouse condo an ya need to walk out the front door, around the condo, around the garages to the parking lot to where you could set a roll-off.
Submitted a bid for a few grand. A week later they whacked the bid by 70% an issued our company an WO. Naturally I declined it, but they indicated HUD reduced the bid.
It is a US Bank Home Mortgage property. What I wonder is how 5 Bros says HUD reduced the bid if US Bank is their client. Does 5 Bros have direct access to the "all knowing" HUD estimators.


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## Wannabe (Oct 1, 2012)

Another ploy to try to get contractors to accept a lower price. Ask for a copy of this HUD estimate? We all know the answer...


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## Click1764 (Oct 5, 2012)

I just really don't get where hey get their pricing from. Even being relitively new to this whole industry most their profit structures don't make sense


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

JFMURFY said:


> Recently bid a mold project for the Brothers here in CT, basement full of the black gold. Approx 30x30 basement, Wood paneling up 1/2 way on walls, Ceilings have two layers of 1/2" drywall. It's a townhouse condo an ya need to walk out the front door, around the condo, around the garages to the parking lot to where you could set a roll-off.
> Submitted a bid for a few grand. A week later they whacked the bid by 70% an issued our company an WO. Naturally I declined it, but they indicated HUD reduced the bid.
> It is a US Bank Home Mortgage property. What I wonder is how 5 Bros says HUD reduced the bid if US Bank is their client. Does 5 Bros have direct access to
> 
> ...


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## Splinterpicker (Apr 18, 2012)

Their answer BLAH BLAH BLAH its a national cost estimating software program or it is their in house price list. 

FIRST AND FOREMOST CHECK YOUR GL COVERAGE
again
FIRST AND FOREMOST CHECK YOUR GL COVERAGE

I have been in business for 17 years and I have NO spots onmy insurance NOT 1 claim. My insurance WILL NOT allow me to hire a mold remediation company to do the work. !!! BE cautious if you are NOT scrubbing the studs ( BLEACH DOES NOT COUNT bleach is mostly water which you are trying to erridicate ) and then spraying them with a killing agent, you are wide open for liability. also visable mold only or surface mold only in your bid put that wording in !!! Then once it is opened up and you find more if you take t he job you have an additional bid to make more with. 

These nationals are playing semantics with your livelyhood and insurance by calling it discoloration don't be sucked in. WALK


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## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

Roofs, mold, major build back/repairs.................... I told all of them that my expertise is NOT in those areas, my insurance and workers comp does not cover me doing that and that THEY must find a licensed specialty contractor. NOT ME.

They all hated it, but probably found a hack that would do what they were told.
Probably part of why I don't do much bank work any more either.


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## JFMURFY (Sep 16, 2012)

Funny! I am a direct government contractor. I bid on small federal jobs on occasion. Did a lot more before core logic took over USDA owned homes. The funny thing is if my bId is too high I don't get the job. There is no email back saying the government cut my bid. This whole bid adjusting thing is a servicing company racket.[/QUOTE]

Thanks mtmtnman... That's what I thought... Waiting to hear back on my FOIA bid debriefing request... I think I'll be waiting a good long time.


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## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

JFMURFY said:


> ... Waiting to hear back on my FOIA bid debriefing request... I think I'll be waiting a good long time.









Oh yeah, myself and others have been told when asked for proof........... "NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Its proprietary info and we are not and will not be sharing it".



Basically their way of trying to dance out of being caught in a big fat lie. 
Stick to your guns and don't accept the w/o.


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## BRADSConst (Oct 2, 2012)

JFMURFY said:


> Recently bid a mold project for the Brothers here in CT, basement full of the black gold. Approx 30x30 basement, Wood paneling up 1/2 way on walls, Ceilings have two layers of 1/2" drywall. It's a townhouse condo an ya need to walk out the front door, around the condo, around the garages to the parking lot to where you could set a roll-off.
> Submitted a bid for a few grand. A week later they whacked the bid by 70% an issued our company an WO. Naturally I declined it, but they indicated HUD reduced the bid.
> It is a US Bank Home Mortgage property. What I wonder is how 5 Bros says HUD reduced the bid if US Bank is their client. Does 5 Bros have direct access to the "all knowing" HUD estimators.


Check out the link below. This is bid fraud if it is HUD. There is a phone number in the link to contact the HUD inspector general for specifics. Good luck and let us know how it turns out :thumbsup:

http://sofi.typepad.com/sofi-inspec...ot-cut-bids-this-is-a-story-of-bid-fraud.html


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## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

Thanks Brad, I had forgotten about that article.


JF you should call the brothers in and see how bad it gets their stuff in a wringer.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Seems like they like to pay about a buck a foot for their scrub and cleans.


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## STARBABY (Apr 12, 2012)

I been getting same crap from them.I also getting e-mails asking if darks colors is discoloration. Most the time it`s just lent from dryer. they seem to be really hung up try to caught me on not reporting something. Got order(no charge) the other day to go back to property and clean mold in bathroom vanity, problem is there is no mold. I explain this in an e-mail and now I`ll have to back to property spray bleach on nothing and wipe nothing. If In do nnot this they will send a hack to do it.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

With those boneheads, if you find nothing, you should photo, clean the area and bill them.


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## STARBABY (Apr 12, 2012)

GTX63 said:


> With those boneheads, if you find nothing, you should photo, clean the area and bill them.


ya but they wouldn`t pay. I think they r getting more people just to look at photos and try to find thing to send no charge orders.


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

STARBABY said:


> I been getting same crap from them.I also getting e-mails asking if darks colors is discoloration. Most the time it`s just lent from dryer. they seem to be really hung up try to caught me on not reporting something. Got order(no charge) the other day to go back to property and clean mold in bathroom vanity, problem is there is no mold. I explain this in an e-mail and now I`ll have to back to property spray bleach on nothing and wipe nothing. If In do nnot this they will send a hack to do it.



The lint crap is driving me nuts lately!!!!


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

And i just opened a bid approval they sent on Friday. They cut it in half!!! Just sent another FLAMING letter to the bastards...................


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## Wannabe (Oct 1, 2012)

I wouldnt spray any bleach on "no mold" because when/if it shows up at a later time YOU will be responsible. NOTE: 1/2 the time mold is not visible except by testing WHICH most new mortgage loan inspections are now requiring and ALL these service companies KNOW this and are looking for the scapegoat...

You nor I WANNABE scapegoats.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

STARBABY said:


> ya but they wouldn`t pay. I think they r getting more people just to look at photos and try to find thing to send no charge orders.


I understand. Just depended where your bs level is. Back when I finally had a gut full my mind snapped and I realized how nuts all of this was. Who in their right mind would I get to go do a job for nothing FOR ME, that was not their fault? No one! So, I began to stand my ground, and yes, I did bill them for stupid crap because I decided I no longer wanted to do business with fools that expected me to do freebies. Another example was dirty toilets. Broker, sub, etc, anyone, craps in the toilet between your reoccurring orders and your liable for the cleanup. Typically I billed, they declined, I escalated it, and they either declined and we quit or they paid and we quit.


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