Invoice - New Build

SamOpertino

Hello Everyone,

My and my partner, we've bought a new build house from one of the "top" house building companies in the UK. We've recently complained about the issue we were having with our shower among other things. The company did send a contractor to fix the issues we've mentioned. We only lived here for about 1.5 years so the house is still under warranty.

Among 5 other issues that the contractor fixed on that day, there was an issue which took him about 30 mins to look at, he has not used any materials etc and he was not able to fix the issue, only gave us advice what to do in order for this to not happen again (which we were doing anyway).

A few weeks later we've received a letter from the company we've bought the house from, regarding recent contractor visit. The company paid an invoice to the contractor for his service and asked us to pay the part of the invoice because the issue we've complained about is not under warranty and is our fault basically (despite the fact no materials were used and only advice was given to us).

I understand why they want us to pay for it as it was not under the warranty. However, the amount to pay is about 450£ for 30 mins work without any materials being used etc. Is there anything we can do about this or do we have to pay for the service? We have not been given any estimates before the contractor visit etc.

I apologies for my English as it's not my first language, I hope what I wrote above is clear, if not please feel free to let me know and I will correct it.

Thank you.

SHAFT

Have they said what the £450 is for?

That's one hell of a day rate if it's 30 minutes labour.

Ganga

Ask them to itemise the invoice.

shaun_from_Africa

If no price for a service has been agreed beforehand then the company supplying that service are only legally entitled to charge a reasonable amount and I can't see too many people agreeing that £450 for half an hour is reasonable.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/51/enacted

51
Reasonable price to be paid for a service
(1)This section applies to a contract to supply a service if—
(a)the consumer has not paid a price or other consideration for the service,
(b)the contract does not expressly fix a price or other consideration, and does not say how it is to be fixed, and
(c)anything that is to be treated under section 50 as included in the contract does not fix a price or other consideration either.
(2)In that case the contract is to be treated as including a term that the consumer must pay a reasonable price for the service, and no more.
(3)What is a reasonable price is a question of fact.

A top lawyer may well get away with charging that sort of money but a building contractor?

Ectophile

I would say that since the building company employed the contractor, then the £450 is nothing to do with you, and you should not pay it.


You did not employ the contractor. So you have no obligation to pay their charges.

ComicGeek

Ectophile wrote: »

I would say that since the building company employed the contractor, then the £450 is nothing to do with you, and you should not pay it.


You did not employ the contractor. So you have no obligation to pay their charges.

Agreed - it was the developer's responsibility to check whether the works were covered under the warranty or not, and communicate this to their contractor. The fact that their contractor decided to proceed with work not covered by the warranty is nothing to do with you - they should have checked before proceeding. The developer isn't going to pay them, but the contractor has no contract with you.

And £450 is just taking the **** - very likely that the developer is trying to get you to cover all the work completed, and just trying their luck. Who's the developer?