Plasterer walked out on job

kford224 · 6 June 2011 at 11:21AM

Hello all,

We have bought our first house and due to the amount of work going on, we haven't properly moved in yet and so only stay at weekends.

A plasterer recommended to us started work on the bank holiday Saturday, PVAing a few walls and doing part of a wall and a ceiling. On the bank holiday Monday he returned at 8:00 to do another two walls (two thirds of each), a ceiling and around an archway. We had agreed to three rooms (walls) and two ceilings, but my fiance asked whether he could perhaps do the third ceiling as well for a bit extra for cash. This was lower than he had originally quoted but only by a small amount.

He said he would see what he would do (you can only ask!) and was totally fine and jovial. He said he would pop back a few evenings during the week and then finish that weekend.

On Wednesday we popped to the house and noticed that he hadn't been that evening or the evening before and thought it a bit odd, as there was still quite a bit to do and he was not a partocuarly fast worker. We went away Thursday night and got back Friday to discover that he had text my Dad and said he had walked out on the job because he was insulted at us asking him to do the third ceiling for less money.

When we returned to the house Friday he had cleared out all his things (although left mess, piles of dust, solid plaster in the outside drain...etc) but NOT left our house key.

My Dad (who has been liaising with him about the whole thing) tried calling him to apologise for insulting him, and say that he only had to say no and we would have happily paid him the full amount. He refuses to speak to anyone over the phone and has only sent my Dad a few texts to say that he wouldn't be coming back but would pop an invoice through out door to say what we owed him for what he had done (including £20 for fuel - we only live about 5miles away from his house and he has been there twice to work!?!)

My fiance tried calling him at 20:15 last night and left a message asking him to call or text about getting our key back to us but so far we have heard nothing.

Anyway, has anyone had this problem and can anyone recommend what we do with regards to getting our key back/ changing the locks and what we should and shouldn't be expected to pay him?

Thanks in advance

neas · 6 June 2011 at 11:26AM

you contracted him to do a job.. take pictures of what states he has left u in and refuse to pay any fees until the original job is finished.

pay him only the original quote of work.

What a numpty.

kford224 · 6 June 2011 at 11:29AM

Thanks for your reply.

We have said that we will pay whatever for him to finish but he has refused

One other thing is that there is a crack down one wall where a stud wall meets the main wall (my Dad said he probably didn't scrim). Will this whole area/wall need to be done again or just where the crack is? (i.e. can it be 'filled in'?)

neas · 6 June 2011 at 11:32AM

I know that when plastering you should do it all in one go, per wall. As joining up plaster can result in a crack in future. I'd take pictures and tell him no court will award him anything for leaving a job half done and half assed done. I'd get someone else into do it at some point later.

amcluesent · 6 June 2011 at 12:01PM

More likely he was on some 'skills for work' course to keep his JSA coming in!

kford224 · 6 June 2011 at 12:48PM

I know he has a 'proper' full time job and does this on the side, but we are concerned with him having our key still and his lack of communication has made everything a lot more difficult than it needs to be!

We have another plasterer coming to have a look tomorrow, but at the moment have no key to hand over to him!!

phill99 · 6 June 2011 at 1:25PM

I have no doubt you employed him because he was cheap. Probably the cheapest quote you got. there is a saying: "pay cheap and you pay twice".

I wouldn't pay him any more as he has breached his side of the contract.

Put it down to experience and get another plasterer in to finish and get your lock changed.

kford224 · 6 June 2011 at 1:31PM

phill99 wrote: »

I have no doubt you employed him because he was cheap. Probably the cheapest quote you got. there is a saying: "pay cheap and you pay twice".

I wouldn't pay him any more as he has breached his side of the contract.

Put it down to experience and get another plasterer in to finish and get your lock changed.

Yes he was the cheapest

we think that the job was bigger than he thought (he didn't inspect the rooms very well) and he didn't want to do it anymore.

So far we have not paid him any money, and whilst we don't want him left out of pocket, we are not paying for fuel and will be deducting any additional work that needs doing as a result of what he has and hasn't done (i.e. if there are mistakes or things need to be done again then we won't pay for them). We shall wait to see what he asks for!

phill99 · 6 June 2011 at 1:41PM

kford224 wrote: »

Yes he was the cheapest we think that the job was bigger than he thought (he didn't inspect the rooms very well) and he didn't want to do it anymore.

So far we have not paid him any money, and whilst we don't want him left out of pocket, we are not paying for fuel and will be deducting any additional work that needs doing as a result of what he has and hasn't done (i.e. if there are mistakes or things need to be done again then we won't pay for them). We shall wait to see what he asks for!

I would have thought he certainly needs to receive some money, even if its just for materials. I'm sure there are some parts you are happy with and that should be the basis for negotiations. If other work needs rectifying then that should come off his original quote.