Do we have to pay

Hashtag22

Advice please! My elderly parent was asked by neighbours if she wanted a new roof as they were doing theirs as part of loft conversion. She agreed but didn't receive any paperwork, t&Cs from builder. When she went to bank to pay before work started bank refused as couldn't verify builders acc.I step in as didn't feel my mum (82) had fully understood arrangements as she does get confused. Builder is now insisting on £2900 as payment for scaffolding & tiles even though he hasn't begun work on property & I asked for work not to be done. Do we need to pay? He said she didn't have paperwork as couldn't provide email address I gave him mine 2wks ago and didn't send until I sent a letter saying I would seek advice. My father (86) is very ill and they don't need the stress

TELLIT01

I think the builder would have great difficulty if this went to court.  There is no evidence of any contract between him and your parents, plus he hasn't started the work.  Given the way material costs are increasing, he would probably make a profit on the materials if he sold them on.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

OP Did the builder leave a quote and your mum agreed later or did she agree there and then? 

Hashtag22

She's not had anything in writing and agreed with the neighbour not the builder. She didn't have any company details or anything from him as he was a friend of the neighbour they dealt with it, without consulting any other of my parents family members first

Manxman_in_exile

I don't think much of your parents' neighbour...

Olinda99

Hashtag22 said:

She's not had anything in writing and agreed with the neighbour not the builder. She didn't have any company details or anything from him as he was a friend of the neighbour they dealt with it, without consulting any other of my parents family members first

no, she doesn't have to pay. If she agred anything, it was with her neighbour and not the builder

easy

Well I wouldn't be paying anything. 
I'm very wary of paying for any work up-front in any case -  I want to see the work completed and to a satisfactory standard before anyone gets money for it -  But in this case with no paperwork you have no idea what the £2900 is for ...  is it the full amount that will be payable, is it 50% of the total,  or just a 10% deposit? -  You/your parents need to be certain exactly what total outlay is involved,  paying this initial figure could commit them to anything.

In your shoes I would go round to the neighbour and tell them - very politely - that your parents don't want this work done - it seems to me they are just trying to reduce their costs at your parents' expense. 
If they complain, explain that when the time comes you will engage someone to do the job,  a tradesman who has a professional way of doing business, who can provide proper estimates,  and who doesn't harass elderly vulnerable people. 

shiraz99

easy said:

Well I wouldn't be paying anything. 
I'm very wary of paying for any work up-front in any case -  I want to see the work completed and to a satisfactory standard before anyone gets money for it -  But in this case with no paperwork you have no idea what the £2900 is for ...  is it the full amount that will be payable, is it 50% of the total,  or just a 10% deposit? -  You/your parents need to be certain exactly what total outlay is involved,  paying this initial figure could commit them to anything.

In your shoes I would go round to the neighbour and tell them - very politely - that your parents don't want this work done - it seems to me they are just trying to reduce their costs at your parents' expense. 
If they complain, explain that when the time comes you will engage someone to do the job,  a tradesman who has a professional way of doing business, who can provide proper estimates,  and who doesn't harass elderly vulnerable people. 

The OP was clear in their post, the £2900 was for the scaffolding and materials (roof tiles).

easy

shiraz99 said:

easy said:

Well I wouldn't be paying anything. 
I'm very wary of paying for any work up-front in any case -  I want to see the work completed and to a satisfactory standard before anyone gets money for it -  But in this case with no paperwork you have no idea what the £2900 is for ...  is it the full amount that will be payable, is it 50% of the total,  or just a 10% deposit? -  You/your parents need to be certain exactly what total outlay is involved,  paying this initial figure could commit them to anything.

In your shoes I would go round to the neighbour and tell them - very politely - that your parents don't want this work done - it seems to me they are just trying to reduce their costs at your parents' expense. 
If they complain, explain that when the time comes you will engage someone to do the job,  a tradesman who has a professional way of doing business, who can provide proper estimates,  and who doesn't harass elderly vulnerable people. 

The OP was clear in their post, the £2900 was for the scaffolding and materials (roof tiles).

So there would be more cost for the labour of re-tiling ...   I would want a quotation for that before agreeing to anything or parting with any money.

user1977

Hashtag22 said:

She's not had anything in writing and agreed with the neighbour not the builder.

What exactly did she think she had agreed with the neighbour?

lincroft1710

Hashtag22 said:

She's not had anything in writing and agreed with the neighbour not the builder. She didn't have any company details or anything from him as he was a friend of the neighbour they dealt with it, without consulting any other of my parents family members first

Did the neighbours know they were supposed to contact your parents' relatives about any decisions your parents may have made.