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Very dodgy builder
Colette51
Posts: 3 Newbie
Hi
My daughter recently had some work done on her flat (plastering and repainting, and some rewiring). It wasn't perfect, but acceptable. We have paid about 2/3 of the quoted cost so far, and all the electrician's costs.
We got this guy off one of those sites where people leave references (Mr. Skill) so had no real reason to think he was dodgy! We found after the work was done that the painters had torn up a towel, teatowels and some sheets to use as paint rags, a tablelight was missing (?broken or stolen), they had taken out joining strips in the laminate flooring and not replaced them, and had obviously been putting tools on unprotected surfaces, as they were scratched. They had also been smoking in the flat after having been told not to.
It gets worse (far worse) - the builder texted my daughter and told her he'd left her a 'present' in the wardrobe. Turned out it was bondage gear and a bag of poppers (not only had she given him no reason to think this could possibly be OK, she had been very cool with him and made sure she was out of the house when they were doing the work). She was hysterical, I called the police, they gave him a warning. As the guy had keys to the flat, she got an emergency locksmith out to change the locks as she was terrified he might come round.
He's now trying to get the rest of the money out of us. I'm inclined to tell him to forget it or we'll press charges, but I don't know what our actual legal rights are?
My daughter recently had some work done on her flat (plastering and repainting, and some rewiring). It wasn't perfect, but acceptable. We have paid about 2/3 of the quoted cost so far, and all the electrician's costs.
We got this guy off one of those sites where people leave references (Mr. Skill) so had no real reason to think he was dodgy! We found after the work was done that the painters had torn up a towel, teatowels and some sheets to use as paint rags, a tablelight was missing (?broken or stolen), they had taken out joining strips in the laminate flooring and not replaced them, and had obviously been putting tools on unprotected surfaces, as they were scratched. They had also been smoking in the flat after having been told not to.
It gets worse (far worse) - the builder texted my daughter and told her he'd left her a 'present' in the wardrobe. Turned out it was bondage gear and a bag of poppers (not only had she given him no reason to think this could possibly be OK, she had been very cool with him and made sure she was out of the house when they were doing the work). She was hysterical, I called the police, they gave him a warning. As the guy had keys to the flat, she got an emergency locksmith out to change the locks as she was terrified he might come round.
He's now trying to get the rest of the money out of us. I'm inclined to tell him to forget it or we'll press charges, but I don't know what our actual legal rights are?
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Comments
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Take off the cost of the damage this guy and his employees/contracters caused from the agreed quoted cost, and pay him the difference."You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"0
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Press charges for what? He hasn't broken any laws. He left her a present - the fact that it was odd and unwanted doesn't make it illegal. It sounds like that was that, he isn't harrassing/stalking her or anything.
Deduct the cost of replacing or repairing the damaged items (and keep receipts), itemise this for him, and pay the remainder.Cash not ash from January 2nd 2011: £2565.:j
OU student: A103 , A215 , A316 all done. Currently A230 all leading to an English Literature degree.
Any advice given is as an individual, not as a representative of my firm.0 -
Maybe not anything serious, and nothing the police would probably take any interest in but they did break some laws.Press charges for what? He hasn't broken any laws
criminal damage
Possible theftthe painters had torn up a towel, teatowels and some sheets to use as paint rags
Smoking in the workplace.a tablelight was missing (?broken or stolen)They had also been smoking in the flat after having been told not to0
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