Persimmon contractor – vandalism of property

housestar

Copy of part of a letter we will be sending to the Managing Director and Divisional Chief Executive at Persimmon House next week –

Dear Persimmon,

We are absolutely sick of these problems. It has come to a point where we have now had to call the police to report one of Persimmon's contractors for vandalism, destruction of property and theft.

On Sunday 21st July, we discovered that one of Persimmon's contractors – who is also a new resident on the estate – returned from town with their friends in the night and decided it would be fun to rip trees out from the ground of our side garden. We have spoken with Persimmon time and time again to find out why our boundary is open when it clearly states in our documentation that 'Boundary to public areas to be wall or 1.8m close boarded as on site layout'.

Your contractor and their friends then left a trail of mud and tree bits all along the road, and actually to their front door. We have enclosed photos of one of the small trees that we discovered in their garden. Just prior to the police arriving, your contractor drove off in their van, left their friends a few streets away, then came back and told the police that it was not the best idea that his friends repair the damage since he wouldn't 'trust them with a spoon'.

What kind of people are you employing? People that enjoy vandalising and destroying their neighbour's property.

We have spent a great deal of time and money trying to create a boundary at the side of our house where people constantly walk, trample and even skateboard through our drive, over our garden, and on to the public footpath due to the layout here at this end.

This latest incident illustrates how this has now gone too far.

It is highly distressing. It is upsetting. It is time consuming and costly. It is made all the worse by the fact that this is one of your employees!

We have been trying to avoid such a thing from happening by repeatedly asking that a fence is put up by Persimmon.

This is unacceptable. How does this reflect on Persimmon? Your Sales Manager was even showing properties to an elderly couple as we were taking the police to the contractor's house.

anselld

Criminal damage is a matter for the Police, not Persimmon. He may be their employee, but he was not acting in that capacity at the time the offence was committed.

You should probably focus your complaint more on why Persimmon have not completed the build of your property to the specification you expected and how/when you expect them to rectify that.

housestar

Thank you. Will focus the letters on this then.

makeyourdaddyproud

Open plan newbuild drives. Aren't they just great?

Whatever happened to the double skin brick walls developers used to build?

Guest101

If persimmon have failed to complete contracted work, ie this fence, you could take them to court.

But this is clearly vandalism, and the police will deal with it.

If he's a neighbour, this could leave an offical dispute on your house too

housestar

What makes me sick is that these people are supposed to be the face of Persimmon. They represent their company. They come into our homes on a regular basis. We have had remedial work going on for over one and a half years. We treat everyone with respect and now how can we trust these people? What kind of hiring policy do Persimmon have in place?

moneyistooshorttomention

housestar wrote: »

What makes me sick is that these people are supposed to be the face of Persimmon. They represent their company. They come into our homes on a regular basis. We have had remedial work going on for over one and a half years. We treat everyone with respect and now how can we trust these people? What kind of hiring policy do Persimmon have in place?

Wouldn't it be worth finding out just what the hiring policy is for this firm?

I can't help feeling that I would have been sacked by the employer I had for some time prior to retirement if I had got up to things like that and wouldn't have been surprised if most of my employers had also done so.

They wouldn't have wanted to employ someone like that and I would have agreed with them.

I was only surprised twice by people that my employer had chosen not to sack (when I would have done so in their position) and I am guessing its because they didn't have any proof of the misdemeanours in question.

anselld

housestar wrote: »

What makes me sick is that these people are supposed to be the face of Persimmon. They represent their company. They come into our homes on a regular basis. We have had remedial work going on for over one and a half years. We treat everyone with respect and now how can we trust these people? What kind of hiring policy do Persimmon have in place?

They are only the face of Persimmon ( for what thats worth! ) when they are working. The rest of the time they are just another private individual.

Persimmon would find themselves at a tribunal PDQ if they dismissed based on the evidence of a third party about an offence outside and unconnected with work.

Tancred

housestar wrote: »

Copy of part of a letter we will be sending to the Managing Director and Divisional Chief Executive at Persimmon House next week –

Dear Persimmon,

We are absolutely sick of these problems. It has come to a point where we have now had to call the police to report one of Persimmon's contractors for vandalism, destruction of property and theft.

On Sunday 21st July, we discovered that one of Persimmon's contractors – who is also a new resident on the estate – returned from town with their friends in the night and decided it would be fun to rip trees out from the ground of our side garden. We have spoken with Persimmon time and time again to find out why our boundary is open when it clearly states in our documentation that 'Boundary to public areas to be wall or 1.8m close boarded as on site layout'.

Your contractor and their friends then left a trail of mud and tree bits all along the road, and actually to their front door. We have enclosed photos of one of the small trees that we discovered in their garden. Just prior to the police arriving, your contractor drove off in their van, left their friends a few streets away, then came back and told the police that it was not the best idea that his friends repair the damage since he wouldn't 'trust them with a spoon'.

What kind of people are you employing? People that enjoy vandalising and destroying their neighbour's property.

We have spent a great deal of time and money trying to create a boundary at the side of our house where people constantly walk, trample and even skateboard through our drive, over our garden, and on to the public footpath due to the layout here at this end.

This latest incident illustrates how this has now gone too far.

It is highly distressing. It is upsetting. It is time consuming and costly. It is made all the worse by the fact that this is one of your employees!

We have been trying to avoid such a thing from happening by repeatedly asking that a fence is put up by Persimmon.

This is unacceptable. How does this reflect on Persimmon? Your Sales Manager was even showing properties to an elderly couple as we were taking the police to the contractor's house.

Which housing estate is this happening in?

housestar

Tancred wrote: »

Which housing estate is this happening in?

Just out of interest... why?

moneyistooshorttomention

There's that catch-all phrase "bringing into disrepute" that an employer could surely use there.

If employers even manage to sack people just because they don't like/approve of them and don't get put through Tribunals for it, then I wouldn't think its beyond their capabilities to sack ones who have actually done something wrong.

Of course, there is always the point that characters like this employee of theirs might take advantage of their proximity to OP to try and wreak vengeance for this so perhaps it might be best for OP to focus on getting their property put to the standard they had expected and find some other way to deal with the miscreant.