Extension really badly finished - builder threatening court action

dirtyepic

Hello all,

Well what an eventful day - for bad news anyway!

I can now say that we have been in contact with Trading Standards for a few weeks now.

I have had an appointment and they have all my paperwork. I have been forwarding to them all the quotations I have received for the work that needs rectifying or finishing.

The builder threatened to start court proceedings if we didn't pay in full, today, the (ever increasing) outstanding balance

Today, Trading Standards contacted the builder. They explained that we were still awaiting one more quote which we should be receiving at the end of this week and to hold on with any legal proceedings.

The builder then called the Trading Standards gentleman who is dealing with our situation. Needless to say he wasn't that pleased and said he is suing us. On Friday.

We are meeting with him tomorrow, Trading Standards not the builder!

I wish we had never started the whole thing. We'd still have our life savings! We'd have a small kitchen and a downstairs bathroom but everything would be working.

It looks like, if we do get taken to court, it'll be well after Christmas before we have any kind of solution. It looks like we'll be well out of pocket because currently the money that we owe the builder will cover the costs of labour to get the work done and a minimal amount of materials.

If we hadn't have stuck our necks out and complained about the shoddy work, we still would've been out of pocket with paying for the repair work to be done.

For the power of seeing into the future eh? I'm sure we have all wished for that!!! Me probably more than others.

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!!!

Good night all.
Dirtyepic

Canucklehead

Hi

Hope it goes well for you.Fingers crossed.

Corgi Guy.

dirtyepic

Well

Here I am, very down about the whole situation, still.

Our meeting with Trading Standards (TS) went as well as could be expected.

We have been advised to give the builder another £5,000 today. I delivered the cheque reluctantly, by hand, about 2 hours ago.

Now here we will get very confusing, but try to stay with us cos you might learn something here!!!

When we decided to go with this builder he gave us a price, explained what was included and what was excluded. This price was exclusive of VAT.

When we discussed this further he said he would ask for payment approx every four weeks. He would accept either cash or cheque.

We paid him, immediately, every time he submitted his invoice. In fact on one occassion I had to leave work and walk into the centre of Newcastle to meet him outside of his bank to hand over a bankers draft!!!!!

On completion of the job, he submitted his final bill. The bill was the quoted cost, minus any interim payments plus any agreed additional work.

When we checked the additional work we noticed a few discrepancies. He had charged us for things we hadn't even discussed never mind agreed on. He had charged us more for items that we had agreed. He charged us for stuff that he hadn't even finished.

We created our snag list on inspection of the jobs and met up with him to discuss this and the final bill.

He was extremely unhappy and on leaving he said he would resubmit the final bill.

Which he did. The original outstanding figure was approx £8,500. The new outstanding figure was £12,000.

This new outstanding figure now includes even more items, even more bumped up costs for additional works and, as the TS guy last night worked out, VAT on all of the work that he had done. Surely the original final bill should have included the VAT.

Yeah, we were silly in trusting this guy, he has been intimidating, rude, left the house unsecure on numerous occassions, left a stanley knife blade in an item hanging over the bannister, left the bathroom unfinished, the kitchen unusable, the list could go on.

He is getting away with everything. We stuck our neck out cos we weren't happy with the finishing and he comes back to us with a revised bill £3,500 more than we originally agreed on.

Sooo........ we have now paid up another £5,000 today, we are awaiting one last quote to submit to TS. TS will then take the matter further, which obviously I can't discuss here yet until it has been done. Just in case darling builder is reading! Although to tell you truth with his interpersonal skills I doubt reading has featured much in his nasty life!!!

This morning, because our shower leaks, I was sitting in my bath that isn't fixed to the floor or wall, listening to the badly fitted basin dripping, before heading off to work when I wondered if there was a website where people could, with evidence, show the work of their builder/contractor.

I am thinking this because, although my builder claimed to be a member of two official bodies/schemes, on researching this further he isnt a member of one but is a member of the other. So as far as I can see these governing bodies aren't worth the ink they are printed with. Do builders not pay to be able to be use the logo etc? Therefore these schemes are not worth anything really are they?

So if I go to this scheme/body and ask if my builder is registered with them and they say yeah, he'll be a good builder. Which they did! It's all just a load of rubbish cos he's not, I know, I have proof.

I know I can't mention who it is just yet, but when it's all over and done with and all the dust has settled, which I know will be a long time yet, how can I let people know about my situation? With proof. I am planning on videoing the work done and showing the good points and also the bad points. I have numerous reports and quotes and photographs indicating the bad workmanship but I also have the building inspectors report indicating the good points.

Anyway, signing out for now and will let you know the next exciting installment as and when it happens.

Have a good weekend y'all and lets all believe in miracles happening!

Mr and Mrs Dirtyepic

Canucklehead

Hi

Do you think it would make good viewing?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=553986

Corgi Guy
P.S. I'm not trying to make light of your problems!

dirtyepic

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi

Do you think it would make good viewing?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=553986

Corgi Guy
P.S. I'm not trying to make light of your problems!

I read that message when it first appeared but it wouldn't appeal to me, too shy to appear on tv.

On reading it again, it requests problems occurring in London, being in Newcastle may just be a little too far!!!

I wish there was a website to highlight bad builders, companies who have been proven, in court and also with photographic and video evidence, to have done a bad job, have bad reputation etc. A bit like Rogue Traders only online.

It would save people a lot of grief, money and time to be able to check the reliability and reputation of any potential builder/tradesperson.

Oh well, the saga continues.

Cheers!!!

Dirtyepic

CharleneUK

I'm sorry you're under so much stress, but there will be light at the end of the tunnel! Keep us posted.

x

misgrace

dirtyepic wrote: »

Well

Here I am, very down about the whole situation, still.

Our meeting with Trading Standards (TS) went as well as could be expected.

We have been advised to give the builder another £5,000 today. I delivered the cheque reluctantly, by hand, about 2 hours ago.

I cant undersatnd why TS advised you to pay another £5,000 when you are so unsatisfied with his work, did they explain why you have to pay this sum?

dirtyepic

Hi, back again.

Not good news I am afraid.

After following advice from South Tyneside Trading Standards Department to the last detail, last week I spoke to them with regards another threat of legal action and demand for full and final payment by 12 October.

This demand was after we offered the builder the difference between the outstanding monies owed and the lowest cost for labour only for the rectifying works to be done. He refused this payment and then offered us £700 to put right everything, our lowest quote came to around £3,500 plus the money that he over charged us for additional works not quoted and additional works quoted for then charged even more!!!!

You still with me??!!

We were not confident at the advice the TS guy gave us last Wednesday and made the earliest appointment possible to see a solicitor we have used previously for minor issues (not related to building works!!). My husband and I both took Monday 15 October as holiday (our last available day before Christmas - oh joy!) to meet up with the solicitor.

His advice was to give the builder yet another chance, the third, to come in and rectify all problems to a standard that all parties were satisfied with, to ensure that the house would be left secure at all times and to employ a building surveyor (probably cost £300-£400) to give an independent report and costings of the work that needs doing.

Yesterday I was in the process of drafting out the letter and I spoke to a Surveyor who is going to call back to arrange a time to inspect the work. I have been trying to contact TS to inform them of the situation and the advice I have been given, to keep him in the picture.

Last night, I got in late from work and got round to opening my post at about 9.30pm. We have received a court summons from the builder. We are being sued for £6060 plus interest. We owe him less than £5000. The summons is titled as Northampton County Court. We live near Newcastle.

I am so upset by the whole situation. We were advised by TS that the figure of less than £5000 would take the case to the Small Claims Court, now the figure is well over that amount we have to go to the county court and employ a solicitor, the letter was postmarked from Newcastle, I live just outside of Newcastle and the builders registered office is in Newcastle city centre. Why are we being summoned to Northampton?

I have taken the correct steps for advice, I have done exactly what I was advised, this wouldn't have all happened if we let the builder walk all over us after bullying us and put up with the shoddy workmanship.

I am now unable to sleep, I have been up since 4.15am after going to bed for midnight. I am under so much stress its affecting my health (IBS and excema) I feel sick, have a permanent headache, I am full of anger and hate, not like me at all.

I am so worried now, my next steps this morning, from work (I'm glad they are so understanding - so far!) call our insurance company and see if this will be covered under the legal cover included in our policy, phone trading standards to let them know and ask them how this has happened, phone the surveyor to arrange an appointment as soon as possible, phone solicitor and cry over the phone because at that point I will be so frustrated I will be a stuttering wreck down the phone.

Yours, depressed

dirtyepic
x

jockettuk

Mabey its in northampton as theres less chance of it being in the local newspapers were you live so people dont get to see how and why someone would not want to employ him again in the future..

if it goes to court in northampton ring your local paper and invite them down to watch and do a story on him.. that would shock him ha ha

mioliere

I'm so sorry to hear this. It lets down all good builders - like my DH. He is so thorough and conscientious in his work - why can't they all be like that? He agrees a written quote, submits a schedule of works, asks for a deposit, then staged payments to be made when the customer is happy with each stage of the work, with the final payment once the customer has had a proper chance to live with the work, check it over and has signed a satisfaction note. Any additional work that crops up is itemised and a price agreed. Everyone knows where they stand and he has never left a customer high and dry and will always go back if they are unhappy about anything. I just wanted to fly the flag for all good builders - they do exist. I feel so sorry for anyone who has had a bad experience with them.