Plumbing bill sent 15 months after the work was done

timmeh500

Hello.

In January/February 2014 I had work done on an electric boiler that I had (the heating wasn't working anymore). When the work was done I expected to receive a bill. It was a couple of months (around April 2014) before it occurred to me that I had never received a bill. I sent a text to the plumber saying I was sorry but I never received a bill but if he would send it I would pay it ASAP. He replied saying he had just realised he had never billed me when received the invoice for the parts himself. He told me who drop it off the following day. He didn't. A week later I texted him again because we were thinking about getting gas connected to the house so I wondered if he could drop off the bill and also give us a quote for new boiler and work associated etc. We went through a couple of attempts of agreeing a date and time for him to come but he never did. Still never received a bill. I eventually went with another plumber and got quotes for new boiler etc. In July 2014 I received another text from the plumber asking about another date for him to come give the quote. I had replied saying I was sorry but I was keen to get the work done so I had accepted a quote from another plumber but if would send the invoice I'd get it paid. Still never heard anything.

We actually sold the house in April 2015 and just so happened this week the new owner contacted me to say there was a large pile of mail for me so I could come pick it up. In amongst the mail was this bill for £400 from the plumber for the work carried out in Jan/Feb 2014. I'm not sure when he actually sent it as the invoice date is January 2014.

At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to get out of it, guess I am, is this plumber not taking the mick? 15 months after the work has been done I get the bill? Should I ignore or should I just pay up? What gets me is that I was forward in trying to get the bill paid and the guy is seemingly known for doing substandard work.

NeverInDebt

Plumber can claim the money up to 6 years I think Statute barred debt

Snakey

I'm not sure how I feel about you trying to get out of paying him - you don't seem to be suggesting that there was anything wrong with the work or that £400 is too much - but from a practical perspective since it seems you haven't left a forwarding address with the new owner you could ignore it and see what happens. Unless he's far more diligent with chasing up invoices than he is about issuing them, he may not take it any further.

But no, as far as I'm aware there would be no legal basis for you refusing to pay. There isn't any rule that I know of that says you cannot invoice after a certain amount of time has passed (there might be one involving six years, not sure, but that's not the case here). You would just be a person who's decided not to pay what they owe, without a leg to stand on.

Le_Kirk

Tell him you'll pay in about .............. 15 months!!


Seriously, as advised, work was done, you should pay.

stator

You have to pay despite his silly behaviour

katipip

Why suddenly mention that he's known for substandard work?

You were happy to employ him and, if he'd been available, would no doubt have employed him again. Obviously you were happy with his work.

You have a moral duty to pay.

andyhop

Pay the man. You had work done and no quibbs at the time

I sometimes think that the public must think trades sit at home twiddling there thumbs waiting for the phone to ring. Most are extremely busy and something's can be forgotten about !

Biggles

Sounds as though he's done a good job with your boiler but he's been a bit lax on his bookkeeping. That doesn't matter, he's entitled to be paid.

It's a bit sneaky to look for ways out of paying, though I realise you may well have forgotten to earmark those funds by this time.

Pay him.

phill99

Just because his admin is not up to scratch, it doesn't mean you don't have to pay him. He did the work which you were happy with and you are liable to pay him.

If your employer opted not to pay you a weeks wages for 15 months, you would soon beon his caes.

Annie1960

Pay up. Nothing more to say.

Davesnave

Where I am, bills are often many months 'late.' In fact I'm still waiting for one relating to some fencing done in December 2013.

We have an expression in these parts: "I'll get onto that dreckly." It doesn't mean what some people think, but rather "I'll do that at some unspecified time in the future."

Similarly, we have a word, "backalong," meaning some unspecified time in the past, which could be 3 months ago, 3 years, or indeed, 30 years.

Time here is somewhat elastic.

But whenever a bill arrives, it's paid. OK, you have a month or two leeway, but you pay it.

That's if you want any more work done by anyone from round here.