Failed & mismanaged Extension

DavidD1991

Hi,

We recently had an extension built to our property and used the services of an Architect for Project Management and builders whom he recommended. Both of these have turned out to be awful and have lead to the project running very much over budget, by nearly 50% and the works have been completed to a terrible standard.

We have 100's of issues which I could describe in terms of the troubles we've had, the money we've been charged the quality of the work and the emotional stress involved, but it would extend far beyond what I can write here.

I notified them of our affordability to completion in terms of labour and material several times and with plenty of notice, and they have now invoiced amounts well in excess of this whilst also having removed materials which we have paid for from site, and charged us for items which arent even for our project. Where do we stand in terms of having to pay this? It seems ridiculous that anyone can do that, but it's difficult being in this position where we dont know what may be coming.

Also, what are the rights in terms of reaching out to the local community and ensuring no one else gets conned by these cowboys (I have since found out this has happened many, many times by this person. Unfortunately too late for us).

Is there any law preventing me from publicily shaming his company so to speak?

Thanks

System

What form of contract are you using?
Was the project tendered on the open market to a few contractors or was it just negotiated with a single contractor?
Is your architect registered with the ARB?

DavidD1991

It was a letter regarding projected budget, working within the parameters of building control regulations, ensuring contractors act as required, nothing too big or an industry recognised format. In hindsight it's an area which I wish I'd been more careful and certainly less trusting.

We didnt really negotiate with a contractor, it was all facilitated via the project manager.

He is not registered with ARB.

Thanks

System

DavidD1991 wrote: »

It was a letter regarding projected budget, working within the parameters of building control regulations, ensuring contractors act as required, nothing too big or an industry recognised format. In hindsight it's an area which I wish I'd been more careful and certainly less trusting.

We didnt really negotiate with a contractor, it was all facilitated via the project manager.

He is not registered with ARB.

Thanks

Sorry to say, it sounds like an awful situation, if the "project manager" or "architect" isn't a member of any professional bodies you're reduced to legal action or small courts.
Similarly of the project is not being run with any contract terms and no formal contract documents and/or specifications it's going to be a real tough slog to sort out, you're going to have to put some money into finally getting some professionals involved in your project to establish the issues with what is on site and the value of those works before getting legal advice on how to reach a settlement.
Has it at least been inspected by building control during the works and/or singed off by them?

ComicGeek

DavidD1991 wrote: »

He is not registered with ARB.

So he's not an Architect then, and can't call himself such.

Was the contractor his mate then?

DavidD1991

they failed nearly all elements of building control, which required remediation - all of which we were expected to pay for of course. There are a handful of items remaining to get sign off for the build, fortunately nothing structural.

I can deal without recovering money, I just dont want to have to pay them any more money!

They are both absolute cowboys, and I would like to see if even more people have had experience with them in the village, or thinking of using them, but am I allowed to do this?

DavidD1991

I believe he is financially gaining from the builders. He has been taken to court numerous times before. He advised they could do more or less everyhting, but they clearly couldnt do alot of it, so it was definitely in his interest to keep advising using them

System

Why exactly have you employed someone that's been in court several times?
Due diligence is absolutely key when you're handing over money, with any project we always recommend a client visits a recently completed project by the contractor (even if they are well known to us)
Be very careful about putting anything in the public domain naming and shaming them at this stage as they seem to have been well ahead of you so far, the last thing you want to do is give them opportunity to stitch you up further...
Legal advice is the next step

onomatopoeia99

the_r_sole wrote: »

Be very careful about putting anything in the public domain naming and shaming them at this stage as they seem to have been well ahead of you so far, the last thing you want to do is give them opportunity to stitch you up further...
Legal advice is the next step

Thanks in part to the effects of the Singh case, defamation law was reformed in 2013 and both truth and honest opinion are now defences to defamation. Doesn't stop court cases from being very expensive though!

Furts

OP is wasting their time and effort thinking about naming and shaming because it will be ineffective. A brutal reality check should kick in. For a cowboy builder to succeed there has to be a plentiful supply of cowboy clients. These clients vastly out number the cowboy builders. OP is one of these countless clients.

This reasoning matters because there will have been countless clients conned before OP was conned, and these consumers have not bothered with campaigning. But even if they had, OP did not bother researching this before engaging the "architect" and builder.

In turn there will be plenty of other consumers that the "architect" and builders can con this week, next week, and the week after. All this because consumers cannot be bothered to follow simple, well established, common sense procedures.

All this means that even if OP campaigns it will make no difference because consumers will not listen, they will not research, and they do not care until they have become victims. Then, just as in the case of OP it is too late to do much about matters.

teneighty

DavidD1991 wrote: »

It was a letter regarding projected budget, working within the parameters of building control regulations, ensuring contractors act as required, nothing too big or an industry recognised format. In hindsight it's an area which I wish I'd been more careful and certainly less trusting.

We didnt really negotiate with a contractor, it was all facilitated via the project manager.

He is not registered with ARB.

Thanks

I do not understand what this means but just because you do not have a formal contract does not mean a contractual relationship does not exist.

The "architect" may not be a registered architect and may not belong to any professional institution but he still has a duty of care to perform his duties in a diligent and competent manner.

Likewise the builder has a duty of care.

Rather than naming and shaming you would be better off pursuing a legal claim against the pair and certainly complaining to Trading Standards.

I take Furts point that it is better to avoid these cowboys in the first place but once you have been sucked in the only way they can be stopped is if people take them to task.