The DYOJO Podcast introduced a series of episodes covering the lawsuit between Robert Jordan (RJ) Construction and the Arlington Independent School District (AISD). According to RJC they brought suit for underpayment of a 2021 emergency response at Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas following the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri. We are diving into the court documents and internet content to draw out the lessons contractors can learn from this unfortunate experience. Is this an example of a contractor behaving badly? 

Whether contractors "chase storms" by responding to national catastrophes such as the devastation left by Hurricane Ian, or provide aid during a regional events such as the one we are talking about in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri (2021), or are simply working on projects where there are multiple representatives involved in the decision-making matrix, there are lessons to be learned from this unfortunate story. The DYOJO team has poured over the available court documents and a key component of this case centers around what constitutes a contractual agreement. 

As our guest Bebo Crain puts it, "It's hard to drive from the backseat after the ride is over." With the benefit of hindsight, many contractors listening to the show will likely conclude that there are several ways in which this situation could have been avoided or better resolved, yet, we don't have all the facts and we weren't there when they were unfolding in real time. As a twenty-plus year skilled trades professional, I have to admit, there are many of the mistakes made in this story that I have committed myself. Two of the key ones being what Mr. Jordan says, "I thought (enter client name) could be trusted." as well as believing that a series of emails would hold up as confirmation of an agreement. 

Robert Jordan says that his company sprung into action, received letters of thanks for their services, but have yet to be paid for their work. According to RJC the school district is using sovereign immunity to say, "Screw you, we don't owe you a penny because we are the government." Many in our audience will resonate with the frustration of having performed the scope of work agreed-upon for the price agreed-upon only to find they are in some level of negotiation with a client, third-party consultants, insurance representatives, or another person in a position of authority, after the work has been completed. 

I had a lot of fun discussing my journey in the skilled trades with the fine gentlemen who constitute the tripart of the Sweat and Grime Podcast. These boys like to have fun but they also share a wealth of knowledge and experiences from the trenches. They too aim to inform whilst they also entertain (INFOtainment), "Sweat & Grime is a podcast that focuses on the skilled trades while keeping a fun atmosphere."

• In 2020, the first year of SOCKTember, four teams in Washington State raised over 5,500 pairs of socks and donated them to local charities. 
• In 2021, the second year of SOCKTember, 39 teams in 2 countries raised over 66,000 pairs of socks and donated them to local charities. 
• In 2021, On Side Restoration joined the competition to expand The DYOJO Podcast annual SOCKTember to an international event. 

Next year our goals are to:

• Expand this event to Europe and Australia to increase our competitors at the international level
• Increase the regional level competition - East, Mid, and West
• Double the state-by-state competition by bringing back and adding several states 
• Increase the team-by-team levels with local offices, franchises, and national organizations 

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SOCKTember fits well into the fall plans for those participating in Restoring Kindness as a means of team building as well as community involvement. Keep your eyes and ears open as The DYOJO and C&R Magazine will continue to share the plans for SOCKTember 2023. 

In our third year of competitive sock-raising the leader board for most socks raised in a single season by a single team looks like this:

1. On Side Restoration - Laval - 11,160 (2022)  
2. Sisters for Socks - 8,506 (2021) 
3. The Best DANG Sock-Raising Team in Pierce County - 8,502 (2021) 
4. On Side Restoration - Red Deer - 8,144 (2022) 
5. Sock Unicorns - 7,012 (2022) 
6. Sock Unicorns - 5,974 (2021)
7. The Best DANG Sock-Raising Team in Pierce County - 4,968 (2022) 
8. Sisters for Socks - 4,666 (2021)
   
9. On Side Restoration - Red Deer - 4,532 (2021)
10. On Side Restoration - Edmonton - 4,520 (2021) 

An unexpected winter vortex rips through Arlington, Texas in February 2021 causing incredible damage throughout the South. Contractor Erick Hernandez who works in the Houston area notes that in the days prior everything seemed normal. Like many Texans, Erick was scrambling to save his home from the effects of freezing conditions and widespread lack of power. ​

RJC has sued the Arlington Independent School District (AISD). So, I invited Bebo Crain (Jonesboro, AR) to review the court documents with me so that we can extract as many lessons to help contractors shorten their DANG learning curve as possible. As Bebo says, "It's hard to drive from the backseat after the ride is over," but we will do our best to share the many lessons that can be learned from this case.

​This upcoming series of episodes on The DYOJO Podcast will reveal information that will help contractors respond to everyday insurance claims, regional damage events (such as Winter Storm Uri from 2021), and catastrophe responses (such as Hurricane Ian in 2022). ​

IN THIS EPISODE: 
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0:00 Episode 92 
1:50 Customer used contractors estimate to hire someone cheaper 
3:20 A new series - RJC vs. AISD 
5:55 RJC's YouTube video received over 33,000 views 
9:06 Winter Storm Uri timeline 
12:04 Input from Houston contractor Erick Hernandez 
15:13 "It's hard to drive from the backseat after the ride is over" - Bebo Crain 
18:05 Breaking down the response with Bebo 
22:51 Questions about insurance coverage during storm response

​Thursdays are for The DYOJO Podcast - helping contractors shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. ​

If you are one of the 33,000 plus viewers of a video from a contractor in Arlington Texas released in September of 2021, you may already have an opinion about the situation we are going to discuss in this article and upcoming episodes of The DYOJO Podcast. We would like to invite you to dig into a water damage emergency project that descended to litigation to unearth lessons that will help contractors shorten their DANG learning curve.

READ MORE in the Cleaning and Restoration Magazine (C&R) Article 

Subscribe and listen to upcoming episodes of The DYOJO Podcast on lessons learned from RJC vs. AISD following a 2021 winter storm response at Sam Houston High School.