Construction ponce scheme?
I am getting a feeling that I am in a middle of some kind of a ponce scheme. I signed a contract with what appears to be a large company advertised on line and based on the # of jobs that this company appears to be doing. However, it is very clear that the owner of the company is NOT the one whose license is associated with the company.
What we found out about the company is that they have sales people, about 7 of them, that call themselves project managers. They have what they call foreman, but it turns out that these foreman are licensed contractors who normally would act like a subcontractor, except for the fact that they do only verbal subcontract and gets paid by the company intermittently. This virtual 'subcontractor' proceeds to pull the permit, orders cement, etc. under his name. The company proceeds to do everything they can to be ahead approx. $15-$20,000 from the owners. Potentially, if they take off, the owner is potentially left with cost of cement, portable potty, etc.
The check is written to the company's name and based on what the 'subcontractor' tells us that he can't work anymore because the company is not paying him. The project manager, whom we signed the contract with, keeps telling us, workers will be there tomorrow, tomorrow, etc... but the workers do not show up. But technically, the project manager has no liability if things go wrong... the project manager does not seem to have ordered any windows, or tiles...
I am confused and nervous. Please advise. I am already $15-20K overpaid and feel very stuck and at the mercy of this scheme.