Ripped off By Builder

JohnnyJet

lisawaters wrote: »

Have you spoken to the council and social services? They probably wouldn't be happy with young children living under those conditions. Local paper?

Have you heard from Cowboy Builders or chased them?
Mike

I am worried what the council will say, don't want anything to happen to my children. After all I got us into this situation. Not sure what they would do.

I have heard from DIY SOS and they may be interested as part of their next series. I have also contacted 2 other programmes including Cowboy Builders, but think they want properties that haven't been partially repaired by another builder. I will also contact the local paper tomorrow if I get the time as I have now written a template letter explaining what has happened.

SouthernBellE*

JohnnyJet wrote: »

I am worried what the council will say, don't want anything to happen to my children. After all I got us into this situation. Not sure what they would do.

I have heard from DIY SOS and they may be interested as part of their next series. I have also contacted 2 other programmes including Cowboy Builders, but think they want properties that haven't been partially repaired by another builder. I will also contact the local paper tomorrow if I get the time as I have now written a template letter explaining what has happened.

Well done on keeping up with enquiries, I'll try to pop in again tomorrow with some other suggestions for TV programmes that were posted on Mikes thread, lots of other resources that I'll find there too, I know it takes a long time to read and time is not something you can spare so I'll help where I can!


You have not done this to your children, the builder has left you in this mess, you are the victim of a conman so stop blaming yourself or assuming Social Services will seize your children as though you were a bad parent! Lay the blame where it belongs, the builder!

I know you said your wife has a disability. Some grants are available to homeowners towards home improvements. not sure if this applies for your wifes disability but working or owning a home does not automatically exclude you, you may still be entitled to some help.

Local authorities I believe have a duty to house a person with children who are in need of adequate housing, surely if yours is unsafe and has no facilities, it needs to be looked into to see what assistance can be offered? Never assume anything, make enquiries to every organisation you can think of.

Contact your MP for help and inform him you're taking your story to the media!

Brainstorming is giving me brain ache, back later!

Stay strong!

SB
X

SouthernBellE*

Hi JJ

Been having problems with computer, internet keeps crashing and not been able to keep up with things.

I've seen you were on line earlier this evening. Please post and let me know how you're doing.

I haven't forgotton you, I'll research some info from Mikes thread tonight, not sure how much sense it will make to you but I hope to find something that might be useful to you all.

'Stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, it's when things seem worst that YOU MUST NOT QUIT!'

Stay strong honey & please keep posting.

SB
X

25rts

Can I advise people not to pay cash so you have a paper trail and encourage anybody who has been conned by a cowboy builder to report it via ripofftipoff

Butti

I think an article in the local paper would work well for you. If you can work out what you could have done with the money you still have and what the bare essential are that you need. I am wondering whether you will be able to get kitchen units and a sink from either;
- freecycle
- gumtree
- ebay
- or even from a local kitchen firm taking pity on you (bit of good publicity for them)

I'm actually more worried for you than I was for Mike.

On the other hand don't worry about the Local Authority taking your children away. We've come a long way from Kathy Come Home.

B

psychopathbabble

Butti had a good idea regarding freecycle. I think you usually have to post a wanted ad first, but if you email your local group and explain then they might be willing to help.

Is there a way your wife could get some sort of emergency housing with the kids? This may involve leaving you in the house for a bit, but possibly safer for the kids.

I know it can't help you but I'm sending you positive vibes and really hoping something comes through for you, as it did with Mike right at the last minute xx

SouthernBellE*

25rts wrote: »

Can I advise people not to pay cash so you have a paper trail and encourage anybody who has been conned by a cowboy builder to report it via ripofftipoff

Never heard of it before. Wouldn't there be a risk to anyone posting being accused of slander?

All major improvements need some amount of money handed over to cover the cost of materials and labour. No builder I'm aware of invoices at the end of a job for full payment. There are also honest builders who have posted that they have been ripped off by unpaying customers.

What is totally wrong is a legal system that allows these conmen to transfer money into other accounts, remain in their homes even after CCJ's are obtained after destroying other peoples homes, they get away with stealing vast sums of money from hardworking people and the law allows them more protection than those they've stolen from.

It pi55es me off! :mad:

Sorry, don't mean to be rude!

SouthernBellE*

A few of the suggestions that were put forward on Mikes thread,

Page 6 # 106 is a link to builders/snagging

Can you trade your skills for labour on your house

Don't just try local papers, also try to sell your story to magazines (cash to be made and papers could lead to donated materials)

List what needs to be done in order of importance

Keep a running ad out for free/cheap materials you need

Post on the DIY forum for advice on tackling some of the jobs yourself

Elfin Safety was mentioned in applying to colleges but still worth a go, as is Chamber of Commerce. For students to practice various trades

Support page on facebook

Did you get round to doing a search to Registry Trust & on the Land Registry to look for outstanding CCJ's & Charging Orders against the builder, has he ever been declared Bankrupt & if so, how long ago? It's against the law to set up another company within a certain number of years. Anything you can discover about the builders history could get more interest from some of the TV programmes.

There is a website to check you are getting any benefits you may be able to claim. Entitledto.com (I think?) WTC etc, Disability & Carers Allowance. I have some leaflets here somewhere about grants available for home improvements when someone has disabilities, I'll look them out tomorrow.

Can your wife, family or friends offer any assistance to you. Be it help at the house, childcare, leftover materials? Not sure how much of this you are doing alone and what hours you work and what time you have to invest in work on the house?

The storage fees, anything in storage that could be sold or got rid of? Weigh up the value of what's there to the amount it's costing you per month. Even if the amount of things you have stored can be reduced, maybe people you know could help store the items you can not let go of. At £200 per month, how many months are you likely to be looking at?

Any video or pictures that you could provide a link to?

If there is anything specific you'd like help with looking into, PM me & I'll see the message sooner and try to assist where I can.

Post as often as possible to keep your thread bumped, it takes no time at all to roll back a few pages. For ongoing support, you need to be found near to the front page to let people know you still need help and/or support.

Good luck & keep your chin up!

niccatw

JohnnyJet wrote: »

I am worried what the council will say, don't want anything to happen to my children. After all I got us into this situation. Not sure what they would do.

You absolutely did not get yourself into this situation. You acted in good faith.

The fear of contacting social services for anxiety of what may happen to the children is common. However that comes from a lack of objective information on the Child Protection process and sensationalist media portrayal.

I can only comment on the Scottish system, though I imagine any difference in the law covering England and Wales are fairly minimal.

In Scotland a child can be placed on the child protection register to highlight that a child has been assessed as being at risk from their environment or another person. They are on the register to ensure a legal process kicks in, i.e. social services then have a duty of care to ensure those risks are minimised to the best of their abilityd monitor rhe situation.They cannot remove children without valid reason or without going through the courts.

There is not a category on the register that covers the situation you and your family are in - because you have not put your children at risk You have in no way caused your children harm and there is no way social services would think that you have. It is the builder who has caused untold grief, not you!

Social services are however an invaluable source of information. If you don't feel comfortable telling them of your situation, call them anonymously and ask what advice they would give some-one in this situation. Specifically with regards to housing.

If your wife accesses services, do the same for them. Do not be fobbed off. The public sector is having to make huge and major cutbacks and the implications of these cutbacks on frontline services cannot be under-estimated. If you do not shout loud and long, you will not be heard. Councils don't have the money are will put the onus back onto people where they can. No, cutbacks should not affect quality care or entitlement to those in need - but the reality is, there is no money. So be prepared to put your case forward and make your voice heard.

Perhaps if there are any social workers currently working in England, who are reading this thread, they could offer advice. I have many social worker friends and am more than happy to ask their advice, bearing in mind the answers will be with regards to the Scottish system.

My post isn't meant to come across as negative as it perhaps sounds. I just wanted to clarify the system for you ad let you know that one wee phone call for advice may not get you the info. you need. Generally social services work duty system and all the answer you receive may be dependent on the experience and confidence of the individual who answered your call.

That's pretty much the only practical advice I can offer, I'm afraid. I'll now haw to join Southernbelle* on the teas and coffees roata if that's ok?

Big hugges to you and your family! Do try to[STRIKE] find[/STRIKE] make time to take care of you too. You need to stay strongonly for the sake of your family but for the sake of your sanity - make sure you take time when you need it. That's where we can all help. We're always here to listen, cry, shout, laugh, scream and everything in between, whenever you need us.

Big hugges x

miggy

Bump!

JJ, this is a rubbish situation and it's unbeleiveable that someone should be allowed to get away with doing this to you.

SB and nicca are wise and I love the advice they have given. Hoping that a well-placed bump or so will bring it to the attention of others who can also help you move the situation on.

Well done on getting in there yourself and starting on the clear-up. It shows there are practical things you can do that make a positive difference, and who knows, you may well come out of this with some new skills that will be of life-long use.

I get the feeling from your posts (I may be wrong & if so please ignoe me) that you are perhaps a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. I would be - in fact I'm facing a situation in my own life where I would love to bury my head in the sand, and what is helping is to get things down in a list. Once they are written down and quantified, prioritise. If whatever is prioritised is too big, break it down into micro tasks, tick them off when done and never forget to give yourself credit for what you acheive! I often get to the end of the day feeling 'what did I actually do today?', but then I tell myself what got done, maybe look at a list with 'DONE' written large and red against a few items, and I know I have made progress. (If someone else does a job for you, you can still mark it 'DONE').

There are a few of us on here who read the website of an American woman known as 'Flylady' - she advocates having a file or notebook where you can keep essential info together, which is what I'm doing in my situation. Everything from 'case history' to contact numbers in one place, and of course your list (which will inevitably become lists, plural) go there too. You are then in control - if it's too overwhelming, just plough on with the next thing on the list.

By the way - how long is the skip there for? If no actual building is going on right now, can you not send it away, save on skip hire and use the space for a caravan?

And you and your wife need to keep encouraging each other, don't let this drive a wedge between you, keep communicating. Having little kids is wearing enough without everything else, but give yourselves family time when you can, they matter more than bricks & mortar (though that matters too!) Hugs to you all

Okay, enough from me. Best of luck, I'll pop back and bump the thread for you again!