Customer demanding receipts

DE_612183

If your hubby doesn't want to return to site - does he know anyone else who would return and finish the job for him?

Would mean the customer has no loss, and he doesn't have to worry about going back and her making jibes at him.

Surely you or hubby know another builder?

liberty_lily

GDB2222 said:

Does he have insurance? If so, that would hopefully at least cover any rectification costs on work that the customer is alleging is unsatisfactory. 

Also, I take it that DH worked as self employed, and he didn’t have a limited company?

GDB2222, sadly no insurance unfortunately. We belatedly looked into public liability and professional indemnity insurance but whilst you can get retroactive cover going back to when he started his business, it wouldn't cover him (obviously) for issues where the complaint had already been raised...such as this.

Not a limited company, no.

liberty_lily

DE_612183 said:

If your hubby doesn't want to return to site - does he know anyone else who would return and finish the job for him?

Would mean the customer has no loss, and he doesn't have to worry about going back and her making jibes at him.

Surely you or hubby know another builder?

Thanks for your response, but as per my - admittedly lengthy - reply this morning, unfortunately there is no-one he could trust to do the work. 

He does know quite a few tradespeople, although we only moved to this part of the UK in 2018.

But he's had so many issues either with poor workmanship, disappearing trades or having to take on jobs where tradespeople have let customers down/made massive mistakes, that he really has nobody reliable/good enough on his radar that could be asked to complete the job. 

silvercar

If he can't find anyone to do the job and his mental health isn't up to finishing himself, then he needs to negotiate an amount to the customer to cover finishing the job. It is well known that one builder won't like finishing another's work as they don't want to be responsible for the work partly completed, so he is going to have to stomach the idea that he won't be fully paid for all the work he has done.

Ganga

Due to his health issues if nothing else can he not stop working and go bankrupt so the customer has no come back on him.

GDB2222

Ganga said:

Due to his health issues if nothing else can he not stop working and go bankrupt so the customer has no come back on him.

It depends - do the OP and her hubby own a house? 

Just to be clear. You can't go bankrupt if you have enough assets to cover the debts.  
The customer is claiming £20k. That sounds quite exaggerated, and it might be possible to negotiate a fraction of that, as @silvercar suggested. Hubby would not be bankrupt if his equity in the family home would cover that (and any other debts). 

Risteard

liberty_lily said:

GDB2222 said:

Does he have insurance? If so, that would hopefully at least cover any rectification costs on work that the customer is alleging is unsatisfactory. 

Also, I take it that DH worked as self employed, and he didn’t have a limited company?

GDB2222, sadly no insurance unfortunately. We belatedly looked into public liability and professional indemnity insurance but whilst you can get retroactive cover going back to when he started his business, it wouldn't cover him (obviously) for issues where the complaint had already been raised...such as this.

Not a limited company, no.

How can he possibly have been self-employed without at least Public Liability Insurance?

liberty_lily

GDB2222 said:

Ganga said:

Due to his health issues if nothing else can he not stop working and go bankrupt so the customer has no come back on him.

It depends - do the OP and her hubby own a house? 

Just to be clear. You can't go bankrupt if you have enough assets to cover the debts.  
The customer is claiming £20k. That sounds quite exaggerated, and it might be possible to negotiate a fraction of that, as @silvercar suggested. Hubby would not be bankrupt if his equity in the family home would cover that (and any other debts). 

We do, yes....outright with no mortgage. 

liberty_lily

Risteard said:

liberty_lily said:

GDB2222 said:

Does he have insurance? If so, that would hopefully at least cover any rectification costs on work that the customer is alleging is unsatisfactory. 

Also, I take it that DH worked as self employed, and he didn’t have a limited company?

GDB2222, sadly no insurance unfortunately. We belatedly looked into public liability and professional indemnity insurance but whilst you can get retroactive cover going back to when he started his business, it wouldn't cover him (obviously) for issues where the complaint had already been raised...such as this.

Not a limited company, no.

How can he possibly have been self-employed without at least Public Liability Insurance?

Because as far as we were aware, there is no legal requirement to have it. This is obviously foolish and we hugely regret it now...but it is what it is, unfortunately. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

liberty_lily said:

Risteard said:

liberty_lily said:

GDB2222 said:

Does he have insurance? If so, that would hopefully at least cover any rectification costs on work that the customer is alleging is unsatisfactory. 

Also, I take it that DH worked as self employed, and he didn’t have a limited company?

GDB2222, sadly no insurance unfortunately. We belatedly looked into public liability and professional indemnity insurance but whilst you can get retroactive cover going back to when he started his business, it wouldn't cover him (obviously) for issues where the complaint had already been raised...such as this.

Not a limited company, no.

How can he possibly have been self-employed without at least Public Liability Insurance?

Because as far as we were aware, there is no legal requirement to have it. This is obviously foolish and we hugely regret it now...but it is what it is, unfortunately. 

If it's any consolation I don't think Public Liability Insurance would cover this, it's more for someone tripping over a wire or something falling off scaffolding, there is Product Liability Insurance but I don't think that applies either and there is insurance to cover lost wages for the self employed if ill.

I'd imagine some of these things come with legal cover (or have it as an add on) which would obviously be of help if the customer ends up going down the legal route. 

Sorry if it's been missed but has the customer been asked if they would like DH to finish the job? Clarifying this in a way that encourages them to say yes might be a good step forward