Update

This morning I called the general contractor to find out whether the condo manager ("Janet") had called them to have their license and insurance info faxed to her. I'd been afraid Janet wouldn't write the permission letter without seeing these documents first, and yesterday afternoon I faxed Janet the GC's phone number and the name of the contact person ("Valerie," if I haven't named her already) so Janet could call Valerie herself and request she fax the documents to her if necessary.

Valerie said Janet hadn't called. I then asked her to fax the documents anyway, saying Janet would most likely request them (as she had for the electrical contractor) and that I wouldn't call Janet about the status of the permission letter until she had received and had time to review the documents. I also asked Valerie to please call me after she faxed the documents. Valerie said she would but asked me to give her a few minutes.

After waiting quite a while and not hearing back from Valerie, I called and asked her whether she'd faxed the documents. She said she hadn't, that she'd been "busy." (Yeah? She's supposed to be busy making sure this kitchen gets done.) I asked Valerie again whether this letter was holding up the work. She again said no.

Toward the end of the day, Valerie called me back and said she'd faxed the documents to Janet. I immediately called Janet and told her the documents had just been faxed to her office, in case she needed to review them before writing her letter. She made a liar out of me and told me she'd already prepared the letter and had it waiting for me at the security desk. (I guess she trusts me now. Yesterday we had a talk about this project.) Sure enough, I got the letter and it contained all the information the GC requested.

First thing tomorrow I'll call Valerie up to tell her I have the letter. (I'll also fax it to her.) If she sends a courier to my office to pick it up, we'll know that it was holding up the work. (I certainly hope it's not.) But as you can see, I don't trust these people to tell it to me straight.