Trick to Get Free Repair Work Done on House, Could This Work

[Pal Joey]

My question involves a consumer law issue in the State of: Virginia


The benefits of owning a home, which I just bought my first starter home, outweighs any small benefit of renting.

But one benefit of renting is you don't have to pay for repairs, your landlord does.

For example, imagine you just bought a new house, but instead of selling your old one, you rent it out. When your tenants water heater leaks and needs to be replaced, it's not your tenant who hires a plumber and pays them. You send out the plumber to do the work, and they bill you.

Also, for every contractor and service I have ever heard of, you pay AFTER the work is done, not before.

Well say I pretended to be a tenant renting the house.

I have a friend call a plumbing company from a prepaid burner phone, hard to trace. My friend says they are the landlord, and I am their tenant. My friend gives them a fake name and address to bill him, and sends the plumber out to my house to replace my water heater.

Afterwards, the plumber sends the bill to my "landlord," and never hears from him again and cannot find him.

But I have no liability to pay the bill, because I am the "tenant."

Even if the landlord screws the plumber over, that doesn't make the tenant accountable for the bill, because at no point did the plumber make a deal with the tenant, they made a deal with the landlord, so their beef is with them, and the company knows they have no case to sue me.

Because they think I'm the tenant, a third party, so why would they bother?

And that's just for routine maintenance, but it doesn't have to end there. Maybe I decide my deck is worn, and I want a new, better one. So my "landlord" again makes a phone call, to a carpenter this time, saying he wants to increase the value of his investment property, and, well, you know how the story ends.


In exchange for my buddies services, I can occasionally be HIS "landlord."

Could this work?

[free9man]

This is not the "how to commit a crime" forum.

[adjusterjack]

Criminal Fraud - Go to Jail, go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

[Harold99]

Are you sitting around thinking of ways to get something for free? Pretty soon Biden will take office and he will give you all sorts of free stuff. Probably a free life on the backs of the poor slobs who still pay taxes. Oh, that's right, people won't pay those taxes, evil corporations will.

As to your scheme, it is not hard to learn who owns a property. Not only will the owner get a bill for your misdeeds, but you'll likely get evicted.

[Zigner]

Are you sitting around thinking of ways to get something for free? Pretty soon Biden will take office and he will give you all sorts of stuff for free. Probably a free life ont he backs of the poor slobs who still pay taxes. Oh, that's right, people won't pay those taxes, evil corporations will.

As to your scheme, it is not hard to learn who owns a property. Not only will the owner get a bill for your misdeeds, but you'll likely get evicted.

You are misunderstanding his scheme. He IS the owner but wants to pretend to not be.

[Pal Joey]

Criminal Fraud - Go to Jail, go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

Proof?

[Harold99]

You are misunderstanding his scheme. He IS the owner but wants to pretend to not be.

He would be pretending to a judge if he did it to me. And yes, I am a licensed general contractor who has sued three scumbag homeowners. Won ever time.

Like I said, wait for Biden - he'll take care of you. He might even give you a new water heater.

[Mark47n]

He would be pretending to a judge if he did it to me. And yes, I am a licensed general contractor who has sued three scumbag homeowners. Won ever time.

Like I said, wait for Biden - he'll take care of you. He might even give you a new water heater.

You are going ever deeper into the rabbit hole, aren't you?

[Taxing Matters]

Could this work?

No. First, what you propose to do is criminal fraud. You and your friend both risk criminal prosecution, conviction and possible jail time going this route. Second, the contractor can put a mechanics lien on the home for the work done and sue you as the owner for the value of the work done either as breach of contract or unjust enrichment. You won't escape paying for it through this attempt at fraud.

You got the money to buy a home. Do the smart thing and pay for the work the home needs if you want to keep it.

[Harold99]

You are going ever deeper into the rabbit hole, aren't you?

No rabbit hole. It's going to be a wonderful, socialist empire where everyone gets to live for free.