Builder gone AWOL

arcon5

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

I'm afraid that's exactly the OP's problem.

What do you suggest is the solution?

By the time the OP sends an LBA,for example, the builder will doubtless have returned to the job.

martinthebandit wrote: »

Seems like it is to me.


.....and remember, good trades people don't work for bad customers.

No, no it's not.
Ops obligation is to pay him on time not show concern for how much money he makes or how many customers he has. If he can't handle the workload or has over committed that's his problem, not ops! He should handle it effectively.

No reason op should give him a break at all!!!

martinthebandit

arcon5 wrote: »

No, no it's not.
Ops obligation is to pay him on time not show concern for how much money he makes or how many customers he has. If he can't handle the workload or has over committed that's his problem, not ops! He should handle it effectively.

No reason op should give him a break at all!!!

Hint, the builder is not the one with a half finished job.

Tiglath

Thanks for all the replies - I've been away so have just got back to them.

We've paid just over £17k, and the work started on 20th July. Since then we've had no bathroom door (and the bathroom leads straight into the kitchen, so health & safety issue). There's no lintel holding up the large bathroom window (ground floor extension) and the gap where a smaller bathroom window has been removed is covered by a bit of board. We have wires hanging from the ceiling where the new lighting is due to go. The replacement flat roof has not been started. We were left without a flushing loo for 9 days although that has since been sorted. The last decent day's work was 1st August when the plumber fitted the new suite. Since then his team has turned up for 2 half days and done some substandard tiling and grouting, some of which is so bad it will have to be put right. He has missed 8 appointments over the past 2 weeks with a variety of excuses. Friday's appointment was missed because his worker was on another job till midday, and he realised he'd ordered a hollow door which can't be planed down to fit. This morning's excuse for not coming tomorrow as agreed on Friday is because he'd forgotten Monday is a Bank Holiday.

I'm really worried now because we have a half-finished bathroom, a house whose structural integrity is damaged, and money in his bank account for work which he has failed to complete.

I'm taking legal advice on Tuesday.

[Deleted User]

Tiglath wrote: »

We've paid just over £17k, and the work started on 20th July. Since then we've had no bathroom door (and the bathroom leads straight into the kitchen, so health & safety issue). There's no lintel holding up the large bathroom window (ground floor extension) and the gap where a smaller bathroom window has been removed is covered by a bit of board. We have wires hanging from the ceiling where the new lighting is due to go. The replacement flat roof has not been started. We were left without a flushing loo for 9 days although that has since been sorted. The last decent day's work was 1st August when the plumber fitted the new suite. Since then his team has turned up for 2 half days and done some substandard tiling and grouting, some of which is so bad it will have to be put right. He has missed 8 appointments over the past 2 weeks with a variety of excuses. Friday's appointment was missed because his worker was on another job till midday, and he realised he'd ordered a hollow door which can't be planed down to fit. This morning's excuse for not coming tomorrow as agreed on Friday is because he'd forgotten Monday is a Bank Holiday.

That's a whole litany of delays and complaints about substandard work you have listed. If you had detailed all that in your original post, my responses would have been far different.

Tiglath

No worries - I posted originally in a hurry while preparing to go away for a bit so didn't have time to give all the details.

robatwork

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

That's a whole litany of delays and complaints about substandard work you have listed. If you had detailed all that in your original post, my responses would have been far different.

Too much slack?

[Deleted User]

robatwork wrote: »

Too much slack?

No, but the builder is obviously slack:p

unholyangel

NewUserHere wrote: »

Go easy on the builder! We're all human and we'e all just trying to make money for our families.

Maybe offer him a bonus if he turns up for x days ?

My, what inane logic you have.

Cowboy traders, scammers etc...they're all just trying to earn money so we should cut them some slack?

How about doing their job honestly & to a reasonable standard in the first place? If you're an employee and just didn't turn up for work and didn't answer your phone....what response do you think your employer would have? Most people would be lucky not to be sacked in those circumstances and no way would they be offering you a bonus to turn up to a job that you're already being paid to do.

elsien

NewUserHere wrote: »

Go easy on the builder! We're all human and we'e all just trying to make money for our families.

Maybe offer him a bonus if he turns up for x days ?

You wouldn't be the OP's builder by any chance?

Tiglath

The builder is due at 9.30 this morning for a summit to agree a way forward - I won't be surprised if he cancels yet again or just doesn't show up because he's a coward. When he turned up to meet my husband last week, he was physically shaking as he thought I'd be there. I shall sit there and make notes this morning if he does turn up, as they will form the basis of the legal discussion this afternoon.