What documentation defends you against an MHIC complaint?
Short answer. A signed contract, permits and inspection records, progress photos, a walkthrough signed by the homeowner, and payment receipts. With them a complaint can be resolved in one meeting; without them it is your word against theirs.
Work it through
You're the contractor. Pick what you'd do, then see how each choice plays out.
Commissioner Davis
MHIC investigator who reviews complaints and conducts hearings
A homeowner files an MHIC complaint claiming you never finished their deck and disappeared with $8,000. The MHIC investigator asks for your documentation.
You pull out: the signed contract, permit copies, inspection sign-offs for footings and framing, progress photos with timestamps, the homeowner's signed completion walkthrough, and the final payment receipt.
The investigator reviews everything.
- This is why you document everything
The complaint is dismissed. Your signed contract shows the scope. The permits and inspections prove code compliance. The progress photos show the work. The completion walkthrough was signed by the homeowner. The payment receipt shows full payment was made and accepted. Without this documentation, it would be your word against the homeowner's. With it, the complaint is resolved in one meeting. EVERY job should have this level of documentation.
All 15 complaints, warranties & the guaranty fund questions
- What is the MHIC Guaranty Fund?
- What happens if you ignore an MHIC complaint letter?
- Can a homeowner file an MHIC complaint after your warranty ends?
- Is a two-day delay grounds for an MHIC complaint?
- How should you prepare for an MHIC disciplinary hearing?
- What counts as project abandonment?
- How do you respond to an MHIC abandonment complaint?
- What documentation defends you against an MHIC complaint?
- How should you handle a warranty callback?
- Does your warranty cover damage the homeowner caused?
- What do you owe a client in an after-hours warranty emergency?
- How do you run a final walkthrough and punch list?
- What should a project completion package include?
- How do you handle a client disappointed with finished work?
- Who is liable when a flip buyer finds unpermitted work?