Dispute over gardening work 'done' - HELP!

Equaliser123

Emmylou wrote: »

Firstly, I'd find out if he's a member of any trade organisations (such as the Federation of Master Builders) - look on his van/website - and contact them to see what they say.

Then I'd contact Trading Standards.

Next port of call would be the local paper, they love a good "pensioner scam" story. Especially if you've got a photo of the tree before, maybe with kids playing underneath, and then contrast with one of your mum looking sad under the hacked to bits tree.

And now for the last bit. I'd report him to HMRC. He was probably doing the job "cash in hand" - off the books and therefore no tax to pay.

It may not get your mum her money back but would definitely cost him some - either in terms of lost jobs from the negative publicity, or time & stress dealing with "the Revenue".

I wouldn't do any of that....

Trade associations very rarely have a truly independent dispute resolution scheme.

Trading Standards won't be at all interested.

Local paper will just antagonise the situation.

As for HMRC - where is the evidence? That is, again, pure speculative, antagonistic rubbish that won't help the OP one bit.

Even if he is not paying tax, what benefit will a report to HMRC attract for the OP - other than, perhaps, revenge?

As others have said, pay him nothing and consider taking action against him in Court.

Gothicfairy

I have read the op and the replies an while I agree to morally not paying this person legally might be slightly different..If there was nothing in writing about the work requested and amount due then it could be seem that this person did what they were asked to do and that they took the logs as part of the whole package and through selling them they made up the extra they would have got had they charged her full price.

As for the verbal abuse..again as unpleasant as it is if he has not been paid then a court might see it in his favour and clearly the police are not that interested.

I don't think this is quite as simple as the replies make it sound as the neighbour might be thinking about court to make your mother pay..it could be a miscommunication or at least that is what a court might see as unless there is something in writing I am not sure how you can PROVE your mother only agreed to xx work and did not allow him permission to take the logs, as for the damage, well again with not contract did he say he would clear up or was it just a neighbour helping a neighbour for beer money ??

Do you see what I mean ?

If I were you I would speak to this man and agree to call it even as he probably does not want the courts or police involved and this way it would at least be over for both parties.

Auntie-Dolly

While I don't condone the abuse, try to look at it from his point of view. He offered to do the work for a lower price, cleared away the logs (how do you know he sold them?) and now the woman is refusing to pay him. If you look up pruning willow tress it says: Virtually to the stump. Willow trees respond well to a hard pruning, the technical term for this is pollarding. & Best down to about six feet. It will regrow, cut them back to about one foot.(it's called pollarding uk) then you will have twisty stumps and hollows that are ideal for wild life. It doesn't sound as if he's done anything wrong & she should pay him what was agreed.

mo786uk

In terms of paying him - he has not done what was agreed so you are within your rights not to pay

With regards to tree - he has probably commited the offence of criminal damage.


I would report it to Trading Standards - they may be able to provide advice and they may also be able to put soem pressure on getting the guy to back off by explaining that he has probably broken the law. The Police should be able to do this as well.