Cowboy builders - help

Ragen

Long story, very short - employed builder back in Aug 2013 to extend and convert bungalow, should have been finished in Feb, still not done. We're living without heating, lights, plumbing, etc...

Considering taking builder to court but can't find any details on him. I have an old address for him but I know he's moved since. Can't find anything else online for him. Any ideas if I can file a court claim against this address, if I know he's moved?

Business Name: CCG Building Contractors

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

He's not limited so finding info is proving difficult...

Thanks

InsideInsurance

If he isnt a Ltd then posting a trading name is fairly useless as its the builder himself that you'd be pursuing

bris

Send the papers to his last known address and you will win by default, getting a judgement is one thing getting paid is another.


If you do go ahead and win, then appoint bailiffs to find him for recovery, chances are they still wont recover anything and he can get the ruling set aside as he hadn't been informed of the case, this option is open to him if he knows about it.


If it's a lot of money then I would take the chance, it always easier to get money from a sole trader, who could very well have assets, than it is from a ltd co who tend to just liquidate and move on, but you should only go to court knowing there is a good chance you wont recover anything.

Ragen

Thanks for the reply's

His name is Paul Sims (time to name and shame!!) and he's a serial lair!

He's got until the end of the month, we issued a "time is of the essence" letter giving him until the end of the month to finish. After which.....:wave:!

He's not disappeared, but doesn't seem that bothered. I know he's been threatened with court action before, but has managed to worm out of it by completing the promised work (very very late!)

I know he doesn't own his own home, opting to rent, but does have a large, fairly new, landrover, worth about £13k.

The work left on our house comes to about £30k, but we're considering just going after £10k in the small claims (we can't afford a solicitor) and cutting our losses. Getting done what we can with the £10k (assuming we get it!) and going from there.

My issue is making sure he gets the small claim papers, but maybe I don't need to worry about that

Send the papers to his last known address and you will win by default

I've got the registered address, and one he gave when he started the job, on his latter headed paper. I know he's moved since then, so which one should I use? The registered address or the address on the letter heads?

arcon5

Get quotes from other companies to complete the work. Tell him of your intentions.
This will also give you an idea of how much to sue for, rather than a speculative amount based on nothing more than keeping under the threshold.

Millie_Hill

We have a similar story to yours with CCG Contractors Paul Sims in Dorset & took him to court and he owes a substantial sum of money. Where did you get to with yours? How can we personal message each other?

Dorset_projects

Hi all had the same problems with CCG Contractors The name is Paul Sims the address he uses for all paper work is (text removed by MSE Forum Team)
He is a complete liar DO NOT TRUST HIM .
I know he has since moved to sandbanks to his new partners house but unsure of where that is. Will update if I find out! You will definitely be able to reach him at though. Hope this helps.

keyser666

Thats the only current home address I have on him

pendragon_arther

Good luck in pursuing your very short employed builder but don't hold your breath in hoping any money from him will be coming your way.

Why aren't cases like these considered to be fraudulent and therefore a police matter?

arcon5

pendragon_arther wrote: »

Good luck in pursuing your very short employed builder but don't hold your breath in hoping any money from him will be coming your way.

Why aren't cases like these considered to be fraudulent and therefore a police matter?

Because at this point there is no suggestion he committed fraud making it a police matter. And if it was, next time I buy a pint and the pub give me a quarter glass of head instead of beer i'm phoning them.

pendragon_arther

arcon5 wrote: »

Because at this point there is no suggestion he committed fraud making it a police matter. And if it was, next time I buy a pint and the pub give me a quarter glass of head instead of beer i'm phoning them.

Getting back to planet earth there's a small difference between a couple of quid and £30 thousand pounds and bad workmanship.