Getting money back from cowboy builders

gallygirl

Tigger1000 wrote: »

The law is when it comes to builders is ridiculous. There's an article in the Daily Mail today of a woman who took her builder to court for £5,000 - and got judgement - but the builder only has to pay at £15 a week. (Sorry, apparently I'm too new to post a link, I might be a spammer(!)). If it helps to find the article, her name is Lynn Brookes

The judge appears to have just taken the builder's word for what he could pay.

Well done to the woman for actually getting judgement, though!

HERE we go

Merrywidow

Butti wrote: »

I wanted to know what happened to Julia's wall? Was it rebuilt or just decked over?

I've watched the show for the 4th time so far ( I love looking at myself !!!) and can't get over that bit where the grumpy plumber is wandering round an overcrowded kitchen going on about it being 'His room' and the look the painter gives him while she swerves to avoid him. Makes me laugh every time.

B

Hi Butti - to start with 7 HOURS LEFT ON I-PLAYER FOR DIY SOS
secondly I guess time was short and the plan was shelved and it was decked over. It was such mahem on that last Thursday it was difficult to follow everything.

Do you remember all of us discussing how come the BBC gave Mike so little warning for start of the build . Nick mentioned that the build they were due on was postponed as the man had died. That must be the one they are showing tonight, will watch and see

janet:cool:x

Butti

Merrywidow wrote: »

Hi Butti - to start with 7 HOURS LEFT ON I-PLAYER FOR DIY SOS
secondly I guess time was short and the plan was shelved and it was decked over. It was such mahem on that last Thursday it was difficult to follow everything.

Do you remember all of us discussing how come the BBC gave Mike so little warning for start of the build . Nick mentioned that the build they were due on was postponed as the man had died. That must be the one they are showing tonight, will watch and see

janet:cool:x

I remember them finding out that Mike's bed was too big for Mike's bedroom. I thought 'you ARE kidding'.

I shall watch tonight but not cry so much. Have you got yourself a copy sorted Janet. Did you manage to download it?

B

norfythenorf

Mike,
I came across your original thread only yesterday when I got my weekly newsletter email from MSE.

Don’t tell my boss, but I spent most of my day reading it, and finished all 226 pages last night, only to find that it stops at the completed renovation stage, and there’s a new thread with 85 pages – aaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhhh!

Anyway, firstly I was absolutely captivated by your story and unable to tear myself away from it. I was sitting at home last night thinking that I must contact you and wishing I had noted your email address as I had trawled through. I am relieved that this thread is open as I think I would have gone mad going through all those pages again looking for your email address.

I like so many of “Mike’s Mob” noticed the change in the mood of your posts and some of the humour from you and the mob was simply priceless and had me laughing aloud at times. I have had a bit of a tough time myself over the last 10 years for different reasons to your own but with our old friend depression in the background, and I found so much of your story in my life too, like for example needing to make important calls but not able to do it until a couple of days after it needed to be made. I know only too well how difficult it can be to get motivated, how the mood swings affect those around us etc. My issues are quite minor though in comparison (actually, on reflection, not minor, just different), and I admire you for what you have achieved. It’s also confirmed something that I had come to realise fairly recently, that generally things only change if we do something about it. Moping in corners is the easy bit and ultimately gets us nowhere. I, like you, am up off my bum and dealing with stuff I should have sorted out years ago, and boy do I feel better for doing it too! My glass is now half full, and I am hopeful that sometime soon I will be getting a top up too.

I haven’t watched the show yet, it was too late last night after I had downloaded it, and I had wanted to read through before watching it. Something to look forward to tonight!

Having pitched in at the end of this thread (must do some work today after all!) I see you haven’t nailed Mr Nasty yet, I will try to go back to the beginning though to pick up on the details.

Fantastic news regarding the renovation, so much support from all those strangers, old news now I know but as I said I only found the story yesterday. You couldn’t make it up!

I wish you luck with whatever you are doing to get your money back, and one day, perhaps this time next year Rodney, we’ll be millionaires.

lisawaters

mariemcg wrote: »

Hi I watched the show on iplayer after reading this week's MSE email. I have been trying to catch up with your story over the last 2 days but work seems to keep getting in the way! (???!!) I just wanted to say, the house looks fab - no-one deserves it more than you. Your boys are a credit to you - you should be so proud of them. Best of luck getting justice from the dodgy builder.

PS Which of you was the girl from Glasgow making the tea???? (I'm from just outside Glasgow myself!)

Thanks. I don't know why so many people from Scotland are on this money saving site... it's a mystery isn't it?


x

lisawaters

QPR_Boy wrote: »

Those two young men were a credit to their father and to this Country.The younger generation are always getting knocked,but I do voluntary work for Guide Dogs for the Blind and nearly 70% of the staff are youngish and boy are they committed and helpful. And the Guiders (Blind People) always say its the young people who are so helpful to them as they go about their lives.
Good Luck to you Mike and to the Boys in the future.
God Bless,Del Boy.

Thanks. I am sure we all did idiotic things when we were kids but in the background we knew it wasn't a great idea. Most young people are thoroughly OK but there's a glamour about acting like a pillock, and the Pareto analysis applies here as everywhere.

m

lisawaters

Tigger1000 wrote: »

The law is when it comes to builders is ridiculous. There's an article in the Daily Mail today of a woman who took her builder to court for £5,000 - and got judgement - but the builder only has to pay at £15 a week. (Sorry, apparently I'm too new to post a link, I might be a spammer(!)). If it helps to find the article, her name is Lynn Brookes

The judge appears to have just taken the builder's word for what he could pay.

Well done to the woman for actually getting judgement, though!

The world favours those in debt at the moment, rather than those who are cheated by them. Good if you're in debt (as most of us on here are) but the basic sense of fairness has been lost. It works both ways.

I could have been offered a settlement of £1 a week which would have satisfied the court, if not me. The only advantage is that if the debtor then fails to pay, that allows further legals. Which is probably why he didn't even do that to get me off his back...

Utterly mad.

x

lisawaters

Butti wrote: »

I wanted to know what happened to Julia's wall? Was it rebuilt or just decked over?

I've watched the show for the 4th time so far ( I love looking at myself !!!) and can't get over that bit where the grumpy plumber is wandering round an overcrowded kitchen going on about it being 'His room' and the look the painter gives him while she swerves to avoid him. Makes me laugh every time.

B

The wall was rebuilt in blocks further forward, as were the big square planters. They were then plastered and painted.

x

Merrywidow

Butti wrote: »

I remember them finding out that Mike's bed was too big for Mike's bedroom. I thought 'you ARE kidding'.

I shall watch tonight but not cry so much. Have you got yourself a copy sorted Janet. Did you manage to download it?

B

:eek: Yes Butti I remember the bed saga, didn't they have to go to the shop and get the right lats for it? The bed didn't fit because of that beam they had to insert in the outer wall to prop the house up. They covered it in the lounge with the wood and lights. I think it looks good.

I have downloaded the program but can't find any blank DVD's at the moment. I know I have a stack, but am on a New Year de-clutter and I seem to make a bigger mess than when I started. Sigh...:rotfl:Did you make me a copy?
janet:cool:x

lisawaters

gallygirl wrote: »

HERE we go

You can request an Order in Questionning and get the debtor into court to answer set and extra questions about his finances under oath. I did this with Paul Bridle but the court made a pig's ear of it and much of the information I wanted was missing or incorrect. He claimed under oath that he had one other CCJ (from my memory) and it later transpired that he had six. I told the judge and he said that it wouldn't have made my position stronger even if he had told the truth. The implication was that if I wanted to bring a separate case against him for lying under oath, I could do that at my expense. The court was satisfied that he had made a statement. They are not there to verify what he says.

The legal system is there to process paperwork. They don't make judgements on matters of this kind. If it went to a High Court there may be a jury.

But basically he had no assets (at least that anyone could find) so he couldn't pay me anything. I do not believe this is true. The only person likely to know where all the money went from the seven frauds he did that year, is his tax adviser. She cannot be forced to give that information.

All tied up tight as a tick.

x

The above are my thoughts and are not meant to suggest that he is guilty of any deception or wrongdoing.