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family plumber

Hi, can anyone help here, brother of a member of my friends family offered to do a paid job three years ago to put in a new bathroom etc., He only arrived on occasions, and provided a bath, toilet and washbowl, did half of it, and left them with only one shower room for the whole family, two years has passed, still not finished the job,after begging for ages for him to come and finish the job to no avail, in desperation friend got another chap to finish the job which was expensive, do all the tiling, finish the electrics etc, and all is now complete.

Family plumber now submitted an account, what do they pay for? I would assume materials supplied and limited labour, on the other hand it has cost them to pay someone else to complete, does anyone know what their rights are in such a situation, many thanks, oap

Comments

  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,857 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I think that i would pay for the materials (with the production of the invoices) and then tell him to go run up his own foul pipe for the rest.
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
    and we will never, ever return.
  • TomsMom
    TomsMom Posts: 4,251 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    oap wrote: »
    Family plumber now submitted an account, what do they pay for? I would assume materials supplied and limited labour, on the other hand it has cost them to pay someone else to complete, does anyone know what their rights are in such a situation, many thanks, oap

    It's only right they should pay for any materials used (on production of the invoices as Annie says) and labour costs for the time he was there but they can't really expect to be compensated for paying someone else to do the job.

    It was very wrong of the plumber to let them down but it happens all the time, family friend or not. So they should pay for the goods and service provided and that's it.

    Personally I would not have been chasing him for two years, two months and I would have informed him that I was getting someone else in to finish the job.
  • His breach of contract (not finishing the job) has cost you £x to remedy (other chap to finish it). You are entitled to recover this from him. And don't be mistaken: there is a contract in place, whether written terms were agreed or not.

    Work out how much you paid the other plumber, and how much it cost you by comparison to what he had quoted you to do it. Then substract his account: if the difference one way or another is minimal, suggest to him that both sides call it quits. If the difference is a big one, as in it cost you a lot of money to get the job finished, suggest that not only do you not owe him anything, he in fact owes you £x and you await his proposal for repayment. If the difference is a big one in his favour, then suggest that you'll give him 1/2 of it and keep the rest as compensation for messing you about.

    If he gets hit hard enough, maybe he'll think twice next time before messing up someone else's life.
  • oap
    oap Posts: 596 Forumite
    Yes I agree, when its family though they did not want to fall out, but that has happened anyway, he really let them down, suppose its, Oh its only them it can wait,and other jobs were taken priority. That is why they waited so long, and as their only other showeroom and wc were in Mum and Dads bedroom, all had to use that which was a real handicap.

    Is that the law then that he breached his contract? We suggested that maybe as they had had to use the money for him to pay another guy, they had not got the money now!! ( They actually do not have the money at this present time!! ) Then keep him waiting two years for it!! :confused:
    Thank you everyone for your help! Much obliged. Nice to get an opinion stepped back from the 'family'

    Regards oap
  • BlueAngelCV
    BlueAngelCV Posts: 671 Forumite
    I'd tell him that I'm not going to pay a thing. I can't believe that he's got the cheek to ask.

    If he insists I would do what others have suggested and pay for the materials (upon submission of invoices) but nothing else. I may also make a reduction for the wasted time and hassle.
    Wedding 5th September 2015
  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Bloody cheek.
  • oap
    oap Posts: 596 Forumite
    Thank you very much for replies which I shall pass on and are most helpful.
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