One important characteristic to know about Mattioni Plumbing is their promise to grow and evolve. They pride themselves on their ability to innovate as they continue to offer customers the best and most efficient plumbing, heating, and cooling services. Mattioni Plumbing has made a promise to its customers to strive for growth and evolution as time progresses.

With this promise in mind, Mattioni Plumbing believed it was time to find a unique and inventive way to give back to the community. Shortly after learning about the Pennsylvania Sponsor A Highway Program, Mattioni Plumbing knew that funding litter-removal services along some of the busiest highways in Pennsylvania was the most innovative way to lend a hand to a broad demographic of commuters driving along the roads of Philadelphia.

According to Marketing Coordinator, Allison OShea, We chose to join the Pennsylvania Sponsor A Highway Program because we truly care about the community we serve and wanted a way to be able to give back. For this reason, the team is proud to lend a hand to the community by funding highway beautification services that keep drivers safe, while ensuring the highways continue looking pristine.

The Mattioni family started as farmers in the rural outskirts, just outside of Downington, Pennsylvania. In the mid-1900s, they began their newest family business venture known today as Mattioni plumbing. While their business model remains centered around the needs of both their customers and employees, they continue to grow and modernize to offer the best services.

For more information about Mattioni Plumbing visit: https://matplumbing.com/

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If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please contact Adopt A Highway Maintenance Corporation at 800-200-0003 or info@adoptahighway.com

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Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. and Sponsor A Highway Are Teaming Up to Keep the Highways of Pennsylvania Clean - PRUnderground

A Derbyshire man has been jailed for his part in a scam which took money off elderly residents.

John Stott, 38, of Corporation Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, was jailed for two years after he and his accomplices gloated and congratulated one another in WhatsApp group messages, which glorified their "rip-off" trickery.

Details emerged in Leicester Crown Court of how some shoddy workmanship was not completed and damage was deliberately caused to create extra work, reports LeicestershireLive.

Shocked and distressed victims were often left with inflated bills, up to 10 times the real value, that they could ill-afford to pay.

Some victims felt intimidated into handing over hundreds of thousands of pounds for simple and straightforward jobs.

Adam Pearson, prosecuting, said one customer who phoned to complain was told: "We know where you live."

The court heard that a 92-year-old woman with a leaking bath tap ended up paying out 3,245 for unnecessary work- without the problem being fixed.

It included the fitting of a new bath, which the engineer had said he had had to break in order to access pipes.

The leak was not in fact under the bath.

The parts cost less than 450."

WhatsApp conversations at the time showed members of staff found that episode amusing

One customer was charged 1,554 in April 2017, for work which wrongly included making holes in the ceiling and upstairs floor to access pipes after a leak.

Another customer was charged 1,295 for a job involving a part costing 17.47.

Other examples included a woman who found her downstairs toilet and shower room flooded and ended up paying 595 for a 30-minute job estimated by an expert at 168.

And a 74-year-old woman was charged 510 for a door lock service that involved a 21.99 part and should have cost 100,

Another householder, aged 70, was charged 250 for a minor job to fix a toilet, using a part that cost 7.29.

Mr Pearson, said: "This case relates to two separate but closely-linked companies offering so-called emergency plumbing services Faster Response Ltd and Prestige Property Solutions (Midlands) Ltd also known as Prestige Property Solutions (UK) Ltd.

"Both companies were based in Leicestershire, but operated nationwide, run dishonestly to defraud their often elderly customers.

"Prestige effectively took over the business of Faster Response, when it ceased trading having been exposed as a rogue operation by a BBC Watchdog Rogue Traders programme."

Company boss, Russell Canfield, 44, ran the fraud with employees Stott, Benjamin Molloy, 33, Richard Jones, 38, Leighton Costello, 27, and Zackary Morgan, 21.

Each admitted two charges of fraudulent trading, between 2016 and 2018.

Accountant, Stephen Rice, joined Prestige in August 2017 and was briefly finance director for the following two months.

He admitted one count of fraudulent trading.

The court heard that Canfield's business partner, Liam Cuffe, who admitted his part in the scam was killed in a car crash in December.

Canfield, Cuffe, Molloy and Stott were were said to each be closely involved in the running of the companies either as director, shadow director or senior manager at various times.

Jones, Costello and Morgan were employed as plumbers and or engineers, for both firms, attending the homes of consumers and carrying out works of those that were defrauded.

Leicestershire County Council trading standards department, which prosecuted the fraudsters, received more than 150 complaints from customers during their inquiry.

From the evidence obtained from consumers, certain common themes emerged.

The complainants in this case were often, but not exclusively, elderly people seeking plumbing or locksmiths services.

Despite being based in Leicestershire, the companies advertised in editions of the Yellow Pages for many areas of the UK, and obtained local telephone numbers which gave the impression that they were based in that area.

Typically, after having carried out the work, the engineer would make a telephone call, usually out of earshot of the consumer, before returning with an inflated price.

The consumer is therefore confronted with a fait accompli, feeling that they are left with no option but to pay the price.

On occasions where a challenge was made to the price, the engineer refused to leave until payment was made.

Extracts of group WhatsApp conversations between various of the defendants were recovered from mobile devices seized during searches.

Mr Pearson said: "The tenor of the messages shows a marked contempt for consumers, and an awareness of the nature of the business they were carrying out.

"They were bragging about what they charged for work carried out."

Some plumbers or engineers asked to do sub-contract work wanted no part of the scam.

One contractor told to charge a customer 1,000 said he no longer wanted to be associated with the company.

He told the "stressed" customer, who became so unwell he went to hospital, that he was being "robbed" by Prestige.

A text message from another sub-contractor to Cuffe set out his view clearly: Just go away I will never work for you again ... ripping old people off.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "Canfield and Cuffe are at the top of the level of culpability, relative to the others.

He said: "The customers who contacted the company were provided with a service of sorts, usually resulting in them being charged very significantly over the odds for very modest work.

"They were charged about 10 times what would otherwise be the going rate.

"Customers weren't told in advance of the work being done or the cost, even if they asked they weren't told.

"Work was sometimes carried out unsuccessfully and other work created.

The judge said during the offending period there was a turnover in excess of one million pounds, of which at least 750,000 was fraudulent.

He estimated that only about 100,000 of the income related to legitimate work.

The judge said: "A large number of individuals were defrauded out of sums they could ill afford.

"Faster Response activities were featured in a television programme which would have alerted the defendants to the extent of their improper actions.

"But they continued to do it with some degree of relish and enthusiasm."

Judge Dean said Canfield played "a leading role" and accepted he was "at the top of the tree."

He added: "There's evidence he was bullying towards one or more of the employees, mainly regarding Molloy.

He said that along with now deceased Cuffe, Canfield was a "controlling influence" and the "instigator" of the fraud.

The judge said Molloy had been groomed and bullied to an extent and may have been "psychologically vulnerable."

He added: "But it doesn't explain why he didn't desist."

The judge said Stott played a similar role to Molloy, on a lesser basis.

Jones, Costello and Morgan were said to have been complicit "with some degree of relish" in "ripping off customers," but it was mainly done under instruction from Canfield, Molloy and Stott, said the judge.

Rice was briefly finance director of Prestige Property Solutions and played "a limited role."

The judge said: "Most of the defendants are of previous good character and to some extent it was an aberration albeit prolonged.

What was said in mitigation?

Defence counsel said some of the defendants were under financial pressure as sole providers for their families and all now regretted their actions.

Most had no previous convictions and had been carrying out orders under Cuffe and Canfield's directions.

Canfield accepted he had been motivated by "greed."

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Morgan, the youngest, had been in an apprenticeship at the time and was "naive."

It was "a shock" when he was featured on television.

It was pointed out that despite many complaints, clients of all ages responded to a trading standards survey saying they were happy with the work.

The prosecution did not dispute there were some satisfied customers.

Canfield of Groby, Leicestershire, was jailed three years and four months.

He was banned from holding a company directorship for seven years and now faces a proceeds of crime hearing where he could have any assets confiscated.

Molloy, of Laxton Close, Melton, was jailed for two years and three months.

Rice, of William Street, Nottingham, was given a 15 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Jones, of Glen Park Avenue, Glenfield, Morgan, of Borrowcup Close, Countesthorpe, Leicestershire, and Costello, of Cort Crescent, Braunstone, Leicester, each received 15 month jail sentences, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Gary Connors, head of the county council's regulatory services, said afterwards: "These defendants all had their part to play in an emergency call out business which was set up from the outset to extract substantial sums of money, primarily from the elderly and vulnerable.

"A widespread and despicable fraud perpetrated across the country, despite previous undertakings given to trading standards to trade fairly and a subsequent expose on BBC Watchdog.

"The top down culture was about exploiting the 'call out' scenario to extract the maximum payment from victims, regardless of the true cost or necessity for a repair.

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Plumbers conned the elderly out of money and bragged about it on WhatsApp - Derbyshire Live

TEMPE, Ariz., March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --A new study from the market research team at Zion & Zion, a top-ranked, full-service, national marketing agency, investigates how a consumer's age and income affect their satisfaction with plumbing service-arrival window lengthsi.e., having been quoted a one-hour window for arrival of a plumber vs. a two-hour window, three-hour window or four-hour window.

The Zion & Zion study reveals important findings for plumbing companies and home-service companies in general:

The full research report is available here: How Plumbing Service Wait-Time Satisfaction is Affected by Age and Income

This Zion & Zion research study was based on a nationwide survey of 1,044 adult homeowners ages 25 and older. Authors of the study are Aric Zion, MS; Nicole Ellis; and Thomas Hollmann, MBA, PhD.

About Zion & ZionBased in Tempe, Ariz., Zion & Zion is a full-service national marketing firm specializing in marketing strategy, advertising, public relations, social media and interactive services. The work of the Zion & Zion team includes local, national and international brands, including Aristocrat Technologies, ARS/Rescue Rooter, Bank 34, Barro's Pizza, BD (Becton Dickinson), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Casino Del Sol, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix Suns, Sun Health, University of Arizona and Walmart. Learn more at http://www.zionandzion.com, follow @ZIONandZION on Twitter, follow Zion & Zion on LinkedIn, and like ZIONandZIONAgencyon Facebook.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zion--zion-study-investigates-how-plumbing-service-wait-time-satisfaction-is-affected-by-age-and-income-301016120.html

SOURCE Zion & Zion

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Zion & Zion Study Investigates How Plumbing Service Wait-Time Satisfaction is Affected by Age and Income - Benzinga

Written by Pratap Bhanu Mehta | Updated: March 10, 2020 9:18:15 am The anti-CAA movement was poignant in its use of a new constitutional language to resist the evisceration of citizenship.

Analytically, we have to admit that the anti-CAA protests have, for the moment, reached a strategic dead end. Many protestors, especially in Shaheen Bagh, have displayed the Gandhian virtues of courage and steadfastness. The protests politicised new constituencies, including women and students, and provided the glimmer that the republic would not topple over. But the protests risked running up against three dominant narratives of our contemporary moment: Communalism, authoritarianism and elite cohesion. These narratives have, for now, trapped the movement into being a curiosity at best, a pretext at worst. The movement revealed more about contemporary India, than it has succeeded at resistance.

The anti-CAA movement was poignant in its use of a new constitutional language to resist the evisceration of citizenship. It held on to that language despite grave provocation from the state, and a despairing lack of support from independent institutions. But the ruling dispensation was keen to portray it as a communal movement. It portrayed it as a velvet glove in which the iron fist of jihad was cloaked. If one moves out of our echo chambers, it must be admitted that this narrative succeeded to a shocking degree. The ruling dispensation will accelerate this narrative in coming days. The second was the violence in Delhi, which, even more than the violence in UP, allowed the communal shadow to hang over the movement.

For the ruling dispensation, the movement, and the riots that accompanied Donald Trumps visit, were part of a single plot to defame India. People often wonder why the rioting took place to coincide with Trumps visit. Was it an accident? Whose political purposes did it serve? We can speculate on that question. But, for the ruling party and its affiliates, the timing of the riots served as exactly the grist they needed for their propaganda mills. Judging by the tone of publications like Organiser, and sections of the Hindi media, the riots served the function of delegitimising the movement as a force that will stop at nothing, including embarrassing India. The violence allowed them to claim that all constitutional protest ends in a communal dnouement.

Opinion | Harsh Mander writes: Protests are not just against the CAA-NRIC-NPR trinity, but have already succeeded in numerous ways

There are reasons why the foisting of the communal narrative around the anti-CAA protests has gained the upper hand. Communal propaganda now so seamlessly works within democratic institutions, mass media and social media. It has become so second nature and ubiquitous, disseminated through so many respectable channels of information, that they have become almost normal political reactions. In this new information order, the asymmetry between truth and doubt works against any movement of resistance, since all you have to do is cast doubt on it. The constitutional subjectivity that is being formed in the protest is running up against our diminishing ability to think from the standpoint of someone else, particularly those who might be made vulnerable.

Orwell once said, one defeats the fanatic precisely by not being a fanatic oneself. This was sage advice. But it underestimated the fact that under certain conditions, the success of communal propaganda is that it is already overdetermined who is a fanatic: The minority and the civic resister were already constructed as such. Under such circumstances, some citizens struggle to claim the civic standing to be heard, even when they are making demands that can easily be addressed.

Editorial |It is not the protests that threaten to divide, their demonisation does that

If the movement became an occasion to deepen communalism, it also becomes the pretext for deepening authoritarianism. For those whom the government could not tar with the brush of communalism, it took out the card of anarchism. In some ways, the fact that someone like Harsh Mander has to be in the dock for advocating constitutional protest is the ultimate parody of Indian democracy. The idea of peaceful political and civic mobilisation has become anathema to the new dispensation. If equal citizenship is communalism in disguise, sparks of peaceful mobilisation are anarchism in disguise.

The authoritarian repression of anarchism will come in three different forms. It has become the pretext for the kind of indiscriminate repression being unleashed in states like UP. It is also increasingly manifest in the Supreme Courts approach to governance. The Court has become the custodian of the rule by law, not the rule of law. The third form in which repression will come is the ruling partys core constituencys demand: That one of the reasons India is not doing well is that the government has been too soft on its critics. The fact of visible resistance or criticism of government is taken as a sign of weakness, not of the strength of Indian democracy. The political climate has now been created for further crackdown on dissent and Indian democracy will have to brace itself. Resistance, in the short run, becomes the pretext for repression.

Opinion | Meghnad Desai writes: PM Modi sees anti-CAA protests as an opportunity to attack Opposition

Well entrenched states are not easy to move, especially if there is elite cohesion. The BJP might like to present itself as a victimised outsider, but the fact is that it is now the state and the establishment, with a firm grip on all tentacles of power. It is difficult to come to the conclusion that, at this moment, the anti-CAA protests have led to any defections or even softening in the establishment. No movement can succeed without some cracks in the establishment. In fact, we are seeing an authoritarian consolidation for two reasons. One, the political opposition to the government has not come up with an even minimal show of political or organisational strength. The conduct of the AAP, both in its abdication in the face of riots, and its imprimatur on authoritarian governance tactics in the aftermath, has convinced most people that there is no effective political cover for taking on the government. The Congress may have taken a stand, but it has not displayed the minimal organisational strength to be even a mild counterweight. So the self-fulfilling dynamic of authoritarianism continues, it is becoming our default condition. Every challenge seems to reveal its power, instead of shaking it.

Finally, if the exaggerated spectres of anarchism and communalism have worked, it is because it is convenient for us to believe in their power. It simplifies our political life by blaming Indias weaknesses at the door of these internal enemies. As the economic crisis deepens, the calls for order will only grow. The anti-CAA protests gave us the poetry to resist. But the hard plumbing of an alternative politics is yet to be worked out.

This article first appeared in the print edition on March 10, 2020 under the title Politics after the poetry. The writer is contributing editor, The Indian Express.

The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Opinion News, download Indian Express App.

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Anti-CAA protests gave us poetry to resist, but hard plumbing of alternative politics yet to be worked out - The Indian Express

CT-N

Peter Lewandowski of the Office of State Ethics reading testimony that lawmakers have heard before.

Civics teachers, try asking this on your next pop quiz: What parts of the state ethics code stop Connecticuts part-time lawmakers from voting for legislation or otherwise acting in a way that provides a financial benefit to their private employers?

OK, its a trick question. There is no such prohibition.

The code currently bars legislators from voting on matters that uniquely provide a monetary gain to them. There is no conflict unless the gain is greater for them than is realized by any other member of the same profession, occupation, or group.

In other words, a plumber could vote to exempt plumbing supplies from the sales tax, something that would benefit every plumber. He could even vote for a tax break that only would benefit his plumbing company, so long as he did not have an ownership interest.

The Office of State Ethics is proposing a modest change: Lawmakers still could act on matters uniquely benefitting a company that provides them or their spouse with a paycheck, but they would have to disclose the conflict and declare in writing why it was in the public interest for them to vote on the matter.

The purpose of this requirement is to create transparency in the process, said Peter Lewandowski, the executive director of the Office of State Ethics. It does not further limit the actions of the elected official.

To whom, you might ask, are they proposing this?

That would be the Connecticut General Assembly. The Office of State Ethics is responsible for enforcing the ethics rules, not writing them. Ethics rules affecting legislators are written by legislators and set in state law.

The ethics proposal was the subject of a brief public hearing Friday before the legislatures Government Administration and Elections Committee, where some version of the measure has been pitched for the past decade. It cleared the committee on a unanimous vote last year.

Versions were passed unanimously by the Senate in 2017 and 2019, only to languish on the House calendar without a vote.

Weve been gaining traction, said Lewandowski, who was named director last year after 13 years as a staff attorney.

Lewandowski made his pitch Friday, reading testimony little changed from previous years.

No one asked a question.

The standard for conflicts of interest has remained unchanged for more than a decade, at least as it applies to rank-and-file lawmakers.

About two-thirds of state lawmakers typically hold jobs outside the State Capitol. Legislative salaries range from $28,000 for the rank-and-file to $38,689 for the leaders, plus an expense stipend of $4,500 for House members and $5,500 for senators.

Recusals by lawmakers are rare. When they occur, they usually are voluntary, an effort to avoid the appearance of a conflict, not an actual one as defined by state law.

John Kissel of Enfield and Kevin Witkos of Canton, two Republican senators employed by the power company, Eversource, recuse themselves from energy bills, though they are not required to do so.

In 2017, a state representative, Melissa H. Ziobron, lobbied her colleagues to support a bill crucial to the survival of her husbands employer, the Millstone nuclear power station. A lobbyist publicly objected, but she was doing nothing wrong under the ethics code.

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, is employed by Council 4 of AFSCME, a major public-employees union. But the code does not bar him from voting on contracts negotiated by AFSCME or bills favored by the union, as the office advised him in December 2016 before he became speaker.

In sum, there is simply nothing in the Code nor in the more than thirty-five years of precedent interpreting it that would bar Representative Aresimowicz from serving as Speaker while engaging in his pre-existing employment relationship with the union, or from taking official action on union matters in the absence of a direct financial impact on himself or his family members, he was told in a written opinion.

Lawyers are the leaders of the other three legislative caucuses: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven; Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven; and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby. All have private practices, and Looney also teaches college part-time.

House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, also is a lawyer. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, is a Realtor.

Link:
A tighter ethics code? Maybe third time is the charm. - The CT Mirror

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Media ContactCompany Name: Gilpin Roofing and Siding IncContact Person: Steve GilpinEmail: Send EmailPhone: (757) 363-8802Address:5051 Euclid Rd City: Virginia BeachState: VA 23462Country: United StatesWebsite: http://www.gilpinroofinginc.com

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Gilpin Roofing and Siding Inc: Difference Between Roof Plumber, Roofer and Roof Contractor - Press Release - Digital Journal

One would expect, when hiring a plumber, that the plumber will not cause a fire when using a blowtorch and solder. If a fire breaks out shortly after the plumber used a blowtorch and solder, in the vicinity of his/her work area, one might assume that the fire was caused by the plumbers work. However, this assumption alone will not suffice to establish negligence.

In Metropolitan Toronto Condominium Corporation No. 1100 v. A. & G. Shanks Plumbing & Heating Limited (MTCC 1100),[i] a fire destroyed a historic mansion, which was part of a condominium development. The fire was detected shortly after a plumber employed by A. & G. Shanks Plumbing & Heating Limited (Shanks) had repaired a leaking pipe in the basement ceiling, using a blowtorch and solder. The plumber finished his work at around 2:45 p.m., conducted a fire watch until 3:15 p.m., and then left at 3:20 p.m. Half an hour later, at 3:51 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was made reporting a fire at the mansion. It was determined that the fire originated in the ceiling, near the location of the plumbers work. The condominium corporation (MTCC 1100) sued Shanks in negligence for close to $5.5 million in damages.

MTCC 1100 adduced expert evidence that the fire was caused by the flame of the plumbers torch coming into contact with combustible materials in the work area a fairly confined space between the basement ceiling and the floor above, where the leaking pipe was located. The trial judge had some difficulty with this expert evidence. One of MTCC 1100s experts opined that the combustible materials located above the work area must have been ignited by an open flame directed upwards. However, the parties had admitted, in an agreed statement of facts, that the plumber pointed his blowtorch downwards towards the ground when he was doing the soldering work. Hence, the factual foundation for the expert opinion (an upward open flame) was contradicted by the evidence (a downward open flame). MTCC 1100 unsuccessfully argued that there was no other explanation for the fire. The trial judge wrote:

While the evidence is somewhat problematic, in that [the plumber] was the only one working in the immediate vicinity of the location where the fire originated, and in that soon after his work a fire started, there was no evidence that anything he did caused the fire.[ii]

The trial judge also took issue with the lack of evidence on the applicable standard of care. At the commencement of trial, MTCC 1100s counsel stated that no expert on a plumbers standard of care would give evidence as it was obvious that [the plumbers conduct] fell below the necessary standard of care.[iii] MTCC 1100 argued that the plumbers conduct was egregious, such that expert evidence on the standard of care was not necessary. MTCC 1100 relied on 495793 Ontario Ltd. (Central Auto Parts) v. Barclay,[iv] in which the Court of Appeal discussed two exceptions to the general rule that it is not possible to determine professional negligence without the benefit of expert evidence:[v]

The trial judge disagreed that the plumbers conduct was egregious. The plumber testified at trial about the numerous precautions he had taken while doing his work. He also testified that he pointed the flame of the blowtorch in a downward direction and away from the wood structures above him. The trial judge found his testimony credible.

MTCC 1100 suggested that the plumber could have used a rigid fire shield or a heat barrier spray. The difficulty, however, is that no expert testified that the plumber should indeed have taken such precautions. MTCC 1100 tendered some evidence on the standard of care by reference to the National Fire Code of Canada 2005 and the Fire Code, O. Reg. 213/07. The trial judge refused to consider the National Fire Code of Canada 2005, as there was no expert evidence that it formed part of the standard of care applicable to plumbers in Ontario in 2009. As for the Fire Code, O. Reg. 213/07, it did not include soldering as part of its Hot Works regulations at the time of the fire, and was therefore inapplicable. The trial judge held:

There was a debate not only as to what regulatory standards applied in 2009 but also as to how those standards should have been applied by [the plumber]. In my view it was incumbent upon the plaintiffs to lead expert evidence to establish the appropriate standard of care in order for the court to find that it had been breached. They did not do so and because of this their claims must be dismissed.[vii]

MTCC 1100 appealed from the decision, and argued that the trial judge should have drawn inferences of a breach of the standard of care and of causation based on the circumstantial evidence, namely, that a fire occurred under the plumbers watch, with no alternate explanation for how the fire occurred.[viii] While the Court of Appeal agreed that such inferences could be drawn, it noted that they can also be rebutted by the defendant, including by pointing out to other non-negligent causes of the fire or adducing evidence that supports the exercise of reasonable care. The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge was entitled to conclude that, considering all the direct and circumstantial evidence, [MTCC 1100] had failed to discharge their burden of proving a breach of the standard of care.[ix]

Whether a plumber should use a rigid fire shield or a heat barrier spray is technical in nature and not within the knowledge of the ordinary person. Thus, this called for expert evidence. Also, it does not appear that the conduct of the plumber was egregious in any way. As noted by the Court of Appeal in Barclay: Dictionary definitions of egregious include synonyms such as shocking, appalling, terrible, awful, horrendous, frightful, atrocious, abominable, abhorrent, and outrageous.[x] Absent any negligent conduct that clearly falls within that definition, a plaintiff should consider adducing expert opinion on the applicable standard of care of a tradesperson or professional. Otherwise, the Court may not be able to determine whether the conduct was negligent under the circumstances.

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Appeal Dismissed: There Was No Other Explanation for the Fire, but There Was Also No Expert Evidence - Lexology

Pappu and Feku went to a condolence assembly someday after an aged particular person died.

After going to the condolence assembly, a lady got here to Pappu and hugged him and began crying.

Feku saved watching this incident for some time.

Then later, after calling the woman close to by gesture, he stated that these aged folks appeared to be the identical to me as Pappu.

Boy: What do you want the most effective in me?

Girl: People change over time however you don't change.

Boy: How's that?

Girl: When I met you have been nonetheless unemployed and nonetheless unemployed.

Half the lifetime of clever ladies is that of husband

In 'search'

And half life ..

Husband's 'search' seems

Plumber: Sir, the faucet is fastened

Labor cost elevated to 800 rupees ..

Engineer: Hey, I don't even have this 1 hour charge!

Plumber: Sir, after I was an engineer, I didn't both!

Continued here:
Dangerous jokes: Plumber: Sir, the faucet obtained fastened, the labor cost went as much as Rs 800. Engineer: Hey, I don't even have that a lot charge...

By: Mary Schuermann Kuhlman, Public News Service IN

INDIANAPOLIS Next time you turn on the faucet for a drink of water, researchers suggest letting the water run for a bit before filling the glass.

A year-longinvestigationfound the water quality in homes can differ in each room and change between seasons.

Researcher Andrew Whelton, an associate professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University, explains that the study was conducted at a three-bedroom house in West Lafayette, with a condensed plumbing system much like those in other single family homes across the country.

The chemical levels, such as levels of lead, changed pretty significantly, he relates. The water as it entered from the utility also changed within the plumbing. The pH increased from about 7.8 to about 9.2, which is a drastic increase.

Whelton says the findings question the notion that the water in a public water system is the same as the water that passes through a buildings plumbing at any time of the year.

The research was supported by the Environmental Protection Agency and conducted by Purdue, as well as the University of Memphis and Michigan State University.

Whelton says it was quite an undertaking, with more than 222,000 hours logged and 2.4 billion records collected.

We sampled that building 58 times by physically going in and collecting water from multiple locations, hot and cold water systems, and then taking that back across the street to the university and analyzing its characteristics, he states.

The study noted that different plumbing materials, a varying number of occupants and other factors could affect the water quality of a home.

And Whelton says much more research is to come.

If we are trying to predict what the risk is for exposure, we need to understand how variable buildings are so that people can design sampling approaches to go in and test building water, he points out.

Whelton recommends flushing a faucet before taking a drink to help to clear out older water that is more likely to have contaminants.

And when building a home, plumbing designs should be selected that minimize the amount of water and time that the water sits.

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Water Quality Differs Drastically in the Same Home - The Southern Maryland Chronicle

Owning a home is a great experience for many people, myself included, but homes almost always come with expensive surprises over time. Trust me: I've owned three homes so far.

Today, we take a look back at seven times I had to pay for emergency home services, or at least float the cost temporarily before getting reimbursed.

As a homeowner, I have both a sizeable emergency fund and a plan to cover some home costs in my monthly budget. With my emergency fund in a high-yield savings account at a favorite bank, I'm earning top interest rates while hoping I never need to tap into those funds in the future. But a few times, I have needed to pay for a big emergency right away. And thank goodness I had my savings ready when I did.

People tell you about your mortgage and insurance costs. They might mention landscaping and garbage-pickup costs. But how about last-minute wax ring replacement and servicing your hard water softener? Here are seven times repair and maintenance costs completely took me by surprise.

When you own a condo, you are typically responsible for repairs related specifically to your unit while the building's homeowner's association pays for shared costs. A problem with your toilet generally falls squarely into the "your problem" category.

I had old, low-quality toilets in both bathrooms when I moved into my condo. When one of them started leaking on the floor out of the base, I figured it was as good of a time as any to upgrade. I took advantage of a program from Denver Water to buy two new low-flow toilets at a discounted rate. My overall outlay for the project was $418 for two toilets, two wax rings, and other supplies.

While replacing the toilets, I found the root of the problem was a bad wax ring, a part that costs less than $10 at the local hardware store. I did the work myself, so I only had to pay for parts. However, according to Angie's List, a plumber usually charges around $125 to $260 per toilet for this kind of job.

That condo was a great place to live, but it sure had its share of plumbing problems. One day that same toilet started to gurgle when the other was flushed. I quickly realized there was some kind of block in the drain for my unit, as water that went in one drain came out another.

I called up an emergency plumber who charged $100 to show up and diagnose the problem. Ultimately, it was determined to be a building issue and not a repair I had to pay out of pocket. However, I had to float the cost of the diagnosis until the HOA reimbursed me the following month.

My house in California is far from brand new, and its age shows itself from time to time. One place that had been neglected for a while when we moved in was the water softener. After figuring out that it was hardly working at all, we had to hire a company to come out and service the unit.

It cost about $150 to have the water softener fixed. From then on, we also saw our cost of adding the specialized salt to the unit increase, as it wasn't really working before. If you've ever lived with hard water, you know just how important a working water softener is for your shower, dishwasher, and laundry to all work as expected.

In the peak of summer last year, our air conditioner started to run all day without making the house cooler. It only took a couple of days for us to make a call to a local HVAC repair company for a diagnosis.

Including parts, the worn part cost about $400 to replace. That's my biggest surprise home expense ever. Thankfully, the repair worker said the rest of our A/C is in good shape and shouldn't need work for years to come. I hope he's right!

The inspection report when we bought this home noted a few issues with the chimney. It turns out, however, that the issues he found were not the whole story. To ensure birds and raccoons didn't make their way down our chimney and into the house, we needed to make a few upgrades.

The all-in cost was around $200 for a new chimney crown and resealing the concrete block at the top of the chimney. After a brief scare about having to completely replace that concrete block, we were happy to hear they were able to keep what was there. The cost could have easily been quite a bit higher.

It wasn't long after moving into our house that the hose in the front yard started running. We hoped that the repair would be covered by our homeowner warranty we picked up when buying the house, but apparently our policy, like many, didn't cover many common situations including a leaking hose spigot attached to the house.

We ended up paying about $100 for the repair, which took the plumber less than 10 minutes. The exact same thing happened on the same spigot about a year later. That time, I watched the plumber make the repair so I would know how to do it myself in the future.

I'm very glad I did, as it only cost me about $9 for a replacement part when it broke for the third time instead of another $100 plumber bill.

Another issue that reared its ugly head shortly after moving into our current home was not so pleasant to deal with. We had rats in the attic and I happily paid an exterminator to get rid of those pests so I didn't have to.

The exterminator trapped and removed the rats, sealed up holes so they couldn't get in again, and suggested some landscaping changes to avoid future problems. We paid bills for both pest control and tree trimming that totaled a few hundred dollars. The house has been rat-free ever since.

If you rent your home, your landlord should cover regular maintenance and repairs. In fact, every single item on this list should be covered by a landlord, not you, when you rent. Homeowners, on the other hand, have to pay their own way when it comes to maintenance and repairs.

Homes are expensive. Home maintenance and repairs are expensive. That's why it's a good idea for homeowners to keep an emergency fund ready and budget for home repairs. I was able to pay for most of these expenses without touching the emergency fund, but more than once I was glad to have savings on standby.

If you own a home, always be ready for unexpected repairs. From your furnace to your dishwasher to your plumbing, things inevitably go wrong on occasion. While rats and repairs are always a hassle, with savings and a home maintenance budget on standby, you can get through those repairs without the financial stress of figuring out how to pay.

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7 surprise costs of owning a home that made me glad I'd been saving money - Business Insider