Q: Are contractors for services required to tell subcontractors that they have entered into subcontractor work?
I was contacted by a person who asked for cleaning services at an address. When I arrived, I discovered the person was not the homeowner. The homeowner didn’t know who I was because they contacted another company for the work. The original point of contact did not inform me that they were contacted by the homeowner and were subcontracting me for the work. It did not seem right to me as the original person didn’t disclose the subcontracting relationship to me or the homeowner. It is certainly not an honest business practice but is it legal?
I do not think there will be any issues with payment as the original person was paid in advance. I have not been paid but expect that to be smooth. However I don’t want to be associated with the overcharged price and don’t feel right not being told up front.
And I was not aware that the original person was not the owner. The person represented himself as the owner or at most a proxy for the owner.
A: You knew that the person with whom you contracted was not the owner. Thus, obviously, you were a subcontractor (or in theory you could have had a contract with a non-owner). Since you are going to be paid, I don't see a problem. In the future, get the arrangement in writing.
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