My joiner is taking the mickey - any advice appreciated

plodder73

I am having new hardwood windows and a new hardwood front door and frame fitted. I have paid £3000 for the materials and they have all arrived apart from the glass.

My joiner is driving me insane, he took 4 months to deliver the windows. In 3 weeks he has half fitted 3 windows, ie he has foamed them in and put the glass in, his workmanship is poor, he has damaged mywindow sills damaged my wooden floor in the kitchen where he has put the windows down carelessly. I have a kitchen full of windows on the floor getting in the way. He turns up for a couple of hours occasionally and disappears.

I have even found out that he has been using my home phone for personal calls!!. I want to sack him the problem is that I have paid him £3000 for the materials andalready £200 labour. I will owe him £300 when he has completed the job.

My question is what to do, I want to sack him but he still has all the glass panels and I am worried that he may not hand them over if I sack him. I also need to find a joiner to finish the job how much is it likely to cost to fit 3 medium sized windows and 1 small window and a door frame and door. they will also have to supply the lock and door furniture. Any advice about what to very gratefully received. Is it leikely to cost me much more than £300 to finish the job off, is it wise to sack him, could I force him to hand ovr the window panes for which i have paid. Thanks all.

atticgirl2003

I would guess a lot more.
I paid my joiner £210 to hang one external wooden door.
I supplied all that was required for the job.
It was one full day for him to do the job, maybe a couple of hours over if I remember right.

missile

He has you over a barrel and would probably be very pleased if you did sack him.

misgrace

Its a catch 22 situation here as such, if you get someone else in to finish the job they can charge you a lot more as they are coming in to redo someone else's work.

Get the receipt or some documention off him to show that you have paid the £3000 for the windows etc, as they are yours, but without proof that you have paid for them, he can turn round and say, that you never paid for them.
Take photos of the sills and your kitchen floor, keep your telephone bill, and dont say a word to him as yet.

Perhaps you can suggest that he brings everything to your place, I know your in a mess now, but at least you have all your windows and materials in the one place, your home, just incase things do come to a head.

Try and get him to give you a finish date,if he asks you for a sub/advance dont give it, and if and when the job is finished, refuse to pay the balance, show him the pics, show him the tel bill, and tell him you will go to the offices of fair trading, or even a word with the VAT man.

If you could find out where or who is next couple of jobs are, you could always threaten to contact them and tell them of his shoddy workmanship, and his unrealibilty.

When someone tried to turn me over a few years ago,( too long to go into, but its a cracker) lol I gave him a couple of chances to put it right, I then threatened to get some flyers printed, (which I would have done), and post them through all his neighbours houses, and his nearest roads.

I would never treat anyone like that, and I expect the same courtesey, and if and when they try and stitch me up, I then let them have it.:D

I hope you get this matter sorted out, as I really feel for you, it might be an idea for you to get some legal advice and see where you stand, but you must have receipt and proof of what you have paid out.

Good luck, and come back and keep us updated.