Elderly relative refusing to report tradesman no-show - what should I do?

harryhoop

Looking for a bit of advice here. 

An eldery relative got chatting to a guy at an event a couple of years ago, and he mentioned he used to be a self-employed gardener but was, at the time, unemployed. She needed a couple of odd jobs done in the garden so she asked him to do them. He did a good job, they got on well and he seemed a nice guy, so over the next couple of years he did odd bits of work in her garden another few times.

The last time he was there, she mentioned in passing that she needed a new fence and he offered to do that for her. He gave her a decent price (she got a quote from a fencing company too). The gardener asked for £150 for the wood up front so he could buy it, and she'd pay the labour part once it was done. 

He bought the wood, and they arranged a date for him to do the work. On the day he was ill with a bug and arranged an alternate date, but he didn't turn up on that day. After my relative called to ask where he was, he said he still wasn't well and arranged a third date. On the third date (a week later) he didn't turn up again. My relative sent him a message asking whether he still wanted to do the work, and if not then could he refund her money. In my opinion the tone of her message was too abrupt, she was annoyed because she had cancelled plans that day and waiting in, and she sent it in the heat of the moment. He didn't reply to the message, and that (just over 2 weeks ago) was the last she heard from him.

I read through the text message exchange and then phoned him to find out what was happening. He got very aggressive as soon as he realised why I was calling, and said that my relative had sent a very cheeky message which made it clear she didn't want him to do the work any more (note: it definitely didn't, she was asking whether he still wanted to do it). I asked him whether he's going to refund my relative, and he said no - when she "cancelled" the job he took the wood to the dump, because the place he bought it wouldn't take it back. He then hung up on me and blocked my number.

My relative says she doesn't want to pursue it because she's worried about his aggressive tone and that he'll turn up at her door (she lives alone). I'm furious with the way he spoke to me on the phone and the way he blamed the whole thing on my relative. I can understand why she doesn't want to do anything, but the thought of her losing £150 to a guy like that makes me sick. 

What would you do? If she did go to the police, would they do anything or would she need to take him to a small claims court?

davidmcn

She can tell the police if she has grounds to fear him turning up (though I'm not sure why he'd bother from what you've told us), but otherwise I can't see why the police would be interested. It's a small claim if she wants the money back (assuming the guy can actually get his hands on £150).

Aylesbury_Duck

Small claims or let it go.

If it were me, I'd let it go. Not worth the hassle. 

Takmon

If he spoke to me aggressively on the phone like that after asking a perfectly reasonable request of returning the money i certainly wouldn't let the matter go. Him blocking your calls doesn't mean you can't still call him and i would be letting him know in no uncertain terms that he will be returning the money.

m0bov

If you did not get the fence delivered then you could LBA him for £150, or just leave it.

DoaM

As above ... the wood didn't belong to him so he either has to supply it or refund the £150. LBA then small claims if he doesn't do either.

hollydays

Yes, LBA is where I'd go with this