Interesting thread. before I started using proprty management services for all our properties, I tried to recoup losses from damaged finishes and usually judges tend to rule on the side of the renter if there is any unanswerable questions or a lack of paperwork for the purchase of those items. Flooring, especially vinyl or carpet that is 23 years old, in a rental property has seen its full life and you will not get reimbursed. Thats part of the cost of doing business. A vinyl floor that old will become brittle, scratch very easy, tend to want to curl, lift seams and edges, and will even gouge, rip, and tear easier. Of course you can always keep their security deposit as compensation but be prepared to defend yourself in court, and lose usually. There has also been cases where rental property owner violated law is keeping security deposits for replacements of interior finishes that were very old, but its rare. Usually its a civil matter, but more and more renter protection legislation is being penned-in all the time, so check with you local municipality and state - best to consult an attorney too. On a final note, you must assume that everyone is going to beat up your properties and abuse them. Thats why I recommend no one use anything better than spec house low end flooring that you know will need to be replaced every 2-5 years. Then HOPE it last longer. Flooring, painting, caulking, hvac cleaning and filtration, chimney sweeping, and many other items should be placed in your maintenance schedule and future cost projections for all rental properties. That way you are never suprised, and if replacement time comes around and its in good shape, then you SAVED money. These items and others should be checked at your scheduled yearly property inspections. If you arent preparing for the future and inspecting your properties, you should let someone else handle your properties for you.

"The trench would be about 7 feet deep and 1 foot wide, thus, the average depth of the coil would be about 5 feet." This tells me that they would install a vertical Slinky, probably with a backhoe. A chain trencher, 'Witch Ditch' would probably be narrower than 1 foot wide and would be a faster install, unless soil conditions do not permit this technique. Avg. depth of 5 feet could mean that the loops are 4 feet in diameter meaning the top of the loop may be only 3 feet below the surface. If this is so, then this may not ideal. Top of the loop should be at least 4 feet deep (minimum) or deeper. Digging should be contracted to someone with the right equipment (chain trencher, 'Witch Ditch'). Even then this may be less than ideal in that it's harder to flush a vertical slinky (standing up) than a horizontal slinky (laying flat) in that any trapped air will reside at the tops of these vertical loops. This trapped air could be a serious impediment to liquid flow as it may form an air lock thus shortening or short-circuiting the entire loop. Bottom line in plain English, it will work - if properly designed, installed, purged and FLUSHED! SR

@ Sophie The entire reason that cost plus contracts were born was to remove contractors from quality decisions. For example, when NASA wants to build a rocket, they want to ensure quality rather than that it can be done under budget. This is done by control of the bidding process from all subcontractors. This idea of quality control and it's side effect of cost control was perfect for capital investments by businesses and so shortly after WW2 they stole it. When used well, by parties who understand the ideas, it works well for home construction also. However, too many contractors want to use it as if it is essentially a fixed price contract without any risk to them. If you want to ensure quality, or protect supply house relationships, then use a fixed price bid. However, if you want to be largely indemnified from any loss by using a cost plus contract then you give up all rights to dictate quality. There are many far less complimentary words to call someone who takes advantage of the lack of knowledge and experience of their customers. I went with lazy, because I believe the reason most contractors do this is because they simply don't want to go through the effort of producing a fixed price bid, when they can do a serious bid for their money and rough estimates for everything else. @ Joseph Nothing in the original post makes me think they agreed at any time to use his recommended supplier. They even call it a recommended supplier rather than a required supplier. Just because they are agree to a standard cost plus (contractor's net cost, plus contractor's set fee) doesn't mean he gets to decide where his costs come from. That is the consumer's purview in a cost plus contract.

lolauren, your law enforcement contacts said exactly what I was trying to say, and the term "false sense of security' is at the core of my message. My experience was such an eye-opener to me. Up until that time, as a young woman living in a city, I'd collected tips and techniques to be used in the event I found myself in a dire situation. I walked away from that horrible time thinking, "Yeah, none of that would have worked," That's when I came up with my polar bear analogy because I think it's a good visual for people. Just ask yourself how effective a particular technique would be against a polar bear, and that's probably close to the truth. I use the polar bear as my visual not only to depict strength but also because there was absolutely ZERO human connection between my assailant and me. Our eye-to-eye contact was like NOTHING I had ever, or have since, experienced. It wasn't actually like looking into the eyes of an animal, as my analogy suggests because I always see truth, empathy, a desire to understand, and to be understood when I look into the eyes of animals. It was more like a robot, I suppose, or an alien maybe. I have always found it difficult to describe, but I recognized instantly that it was something I'd never seen. My absolute takeaway was the realization that the only real defense is to prevent the situation. We cannot prevent every situation, of course. But we can prevent more than we think. A quick trip to the ATM at 9pm can probably be squeezed in on the way to work. Going out on a date with a fellow, even though we feel a 'little weird' about something, can be canceled. Etc. In this case, I do think the fact that the young man seems to have been warned off by the police is very good news. And it sounds like Lynn's daughter is staying vigilant, which is excellent.