Should I pay?

smileigh

I’ll try to keep this brief! I’m looking for some advice on whether I should pay my freeholder some money. 

- I live in the ground floor flat of a converted house.  He owns the upstairs flat and rents it out. 

- I pay ground rent and buildings insurance directly to him, and have just paid this in the last month. 

- he caught me as I came home from work a week ago and said that 3 tiles had slipped on the roof and he was having a roofer round to sort it.  He said as it was ‘a small job’, he’d be paying cash and there’d be no invoice.  I didn’t really pay a lot of attention to be honest and didn’t realise what he was implying. 

- he has now texted me to ask me to put half of the cost (£80) for ‘work and materials’ through the letterbox of the upstairs flat - currently empty - and has added a note that there is no charge for his time. 

I feel annoyed that I’m having to pay without any receipt or invoice, having just paid buildings insurance as well.  I don’t know if I am being unreasonable about this as it’s the first property I have owned.  I don’t want to set a precedent that whenever a ‘small job’ needs doing, he can just get a mate round and I’ll pay in cash. 

Should I pay but make it clear that in future I won’t without an invoice? Or is he being cheeky just asking for it?

Any thoughts would be very appreciated!

GDB2222

The alternative is that next time he’ll do it properly, and you’ll get a bill for £800, not £80. I’d have a friendly chat about it, but pay.

AdrianC

The comment about buildings insurance suggests you think minor maintenance like this would be claimable? It wouldn't.

Yes, this is basic service charge stuff. If there was a sinking fund, it'd have come out of that. £160 cash for a roofer to come and sort a few tiles? It's not bargain-basement, but it's certainly not OTT. It's a HECK of a lot cheaper than not fixing them - so be glad he's being proactive.

If you really prefer work to be done with a papertrail, will you be paying his half of the extra cost, too?

smileigh

Thanks both. As I said, this is all new to me so I wanted to check with people who know what they’re talking about! 

blue_max_3

The slipped tiles should be visible. If you owned the house, you'd be paying the whole amount. £70 doesn't go far in home maintenance.

AdrianC

blue_max_3 said:

£70 doesn't go far in home maintenance.

Ain't that the truth...

If I get out of the local builders' merchant with a bill that's only that size, I celebrate.

greatcrested

What would you have done if you owned the house and had some slipped tiles?

1) pay a roofer who is a member of the NFRC maybe £500 (maybe + VAT), and get a receipt?

2) pay an odd job man with a ladder £160 cash?

I'm not saying there is a right answer- just asking.

If your answer i 1) above, then have a chat with your freeholder and say that in future you'd prefer things like this done formally.

If your answer is 2) just pay and be glad the job was not more expesive.

NameUnavailable

If you create a fuss he might just hand the maintenance over to a managment company. You'll be paying them about £500 a year just for their time plus a whole raft of other charges for sundry items before you spend a penny on any actual maintenance. For fixing the roof they'd employ a building firm and add 15% to the bill.

I'd be grateful that your freeholder has found someone to do the job for a reasonable price - OK a 'cash' deal may be a bit iffy but it's the builders responsibility to declare their earnings, not yours.