Max Timeframe for Invoicing

GoldenArbs

Hi there, I was wondering how long an organisation is allowed wait to send an invoice after a service has been provided? 

Council cleared a shared drain between my privately owned and their council owned house. That was in March 2024 and they've just sent me my half of the bill today.

No probs in paying... just seems a bit detached and was wondering what the law says.

Side note: they didn't provide proof of the original bill that they paid and state on my invoice that the amount is for half. But how am I to know that for certain? I'll ask them for the original plumber's invoice.

MattMattMattUK

GoldenArbs said:

Hi there, I was wondering how long an organisation is allowed wait to send an invoice after a service has been provided? 

Council cleared a shared drain between my privately owned and their council owned house. That was in March 2024 and they've just sent me my half of the bill today.

No probs in paying... just seems a bit detached and was wondering what the law says.

Six years

GoldenArbs said:

Side note: they didn't provide proof of the original bill that they paid and state on my invoice that the amount is for half. But how am I to know that for certain? I'll ask them for the original plumber's invoice.

They do not need to provide a copy normally, the specifics would depend on the clauses that make you liable, though it would make things easier for them if they do when asked. Not really sure what the point of asking is though.

born_again

Ask who was paying the other half?

GoldenArbs

MattMattMattUK said:

GoldenArbs said:

Hi there, I was wondering how long an organisation is allowed wait to send an invoice after a service has been provided? 

Council cleared a shared drain between my privately owned and their council owned house. That was in March 2024 and they've just sent me my half of the bill today.

No probs in paying... just seems a bit detached and was wondering what the law says.

Six years

GoldenArbs said:

Side note: they didn't provide proof of the original bill that they paid and state on my invoice that the amount is for half. But how am I to know that for certain? I'll ask them for the original plumber's invoice.

They do not need to provide a copy normally, the specifics would depend on the clauses that make you liable, though it would make things easier for them if they do when asked. Not really sure what the point of asking is though.

6 years, surprising! thanks for letting me know.

The point in asking to see the original plumber's invoice would be to double check I'm paying the correct amount. For all I know they've just made up a number and put it on a bill. I wouldnt have paid a plumber £350 for a 10 minute job - but they apparently have.

Actually, hypothetically - I wonder what the law says about this? For example - say they paid the plumber 1 million pounds - surely I am not expected to pay half of that?

Looking back at my communications with them. I asked them to unblock the drain. They emailed back saying they're sending out a plumber and that "This call out may have a shared cost.". But I never actually agreed to anything.

GoldenArbs

born_again said:

Ask who was paying the other half?

They (the council) would have paid the other half as the adjoining property is owned by them.

msa1204

If it was a shared drain it’s often the water companies responsibility to clear. Would have a look at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/water/sewerage/who-is-responsible-for-repairing-drains-and-sewers/
so council should not be asking you to pay as they should have know how is responsible.

p00hsticks

GoldenArbs said:

MattMattMattUK said:

GoldenArbs said:

Hi there, I was wondering how long an organisation is allowed wait to send an invoice after a service has been provided? 

Council cleared a shared drain between my privately owned and their council owned house. That was in March 2024 and they've just sent me my half of the bill today.

No probs in paying... just seems a bit detached and was wondering what the law says.

Six years

GoldenArbs said:

Side note: they didn't provide proof of the original bill that they paid and state on my invoice that the amount is for half. But how am I to know that for certain? I'll ask them for the original plumber's invoice.

They do not need to provide a copy normally, the specifics would depend on the clauses that make you liable, though it would make things easier for them if they do when asked. Not really sure what the point of asking is though.

Looking back at my communications with them. I asked them to unblock the drain. They emailed back saying they're sending out a plumber and that "This call out may have a shared cost.". But I never actually agreed to anything.

In retrospect perhaps you should have stressed that you wanted to be informed of the expected cost prior to them doing the work, as you usually would when engaging a tradesman directly yourself.  . 

MattMattMattUK

GoldenArbs said:

MattMattMattUK said:

GoldenArbs said:

Hi there, I was wondering how long an organisation is allowed wait to send an invoice after a service has been provided? 

Council cleared a shared drain between my privately owned and their council owned house. That was in March 2024 and they've just sent me my half of the bill today.

No probs in paying... just seems a bit detached and was wondering what the law says.

Six years

GoldenArbs said:

Side note: they didn't provide proof of the original bill that they paid and state on my invoice that the amount is for half. But how am I to know that for certain? I'll ask them for the original plumber's invoice.

They do not need to provide a copy normally, the specifics would depend on the clauses that make you liable, though it would make things easier for them if they do when asked. Not really sure what the point of asking is though.

6 years, surprising! thanks for letting me know.

Why surprising? It is the standard timeframe in law.

GoldenArbs said:

The point in asking to see the original plumber's invoice would be to double check I'm paying the correct amount. For all I know they've just made up a number and put it on a bill. I wouldnt have paid a plumber £350 for a 10 minute job - but they apparently have.

I would say that is a fairly standard rate for a drain clearance. 

GoldenArbs said:

Actually, hypothetically - I wonder what the law says about this? For example - say they paid the plumber 1 million pounds - surely I am not expected to pay half of that?

It depends what the legal contract says. If it were to end up in court then the court would have to decide that the cost to engage the services of the contractor was reasonable or not, a million pounds to clear a drain would not be, £350 would be.

GoldenArbs said:

Looking back at my communications with them. I asked them to unblock the drain. They emailed back saying they're sending out a plumber and that "This call out may have a shared cost.". But I never actually agreed to anything.

It depends on what basis they engaged the services, clauses in a freehold or leasehold document, covenants etc. but you asked them, rather than asking the water company or engaging a contractor yourself (and billing them half). 

GoldenArbs

MattMattMattUK said:

Why surprising? It is the standard timeframe in law.

Aspects of the law can be surprising, even if they are the law. If I provided my design services to a client and billed them 6 years later... they might be surprised. 

MattMattMattUK said:

I would say that is a fairly standard rate for a drain clearance. 

It'll no doubt be the 'emergency' nature of it. I had Dyno-rod out a few years back for a different blocked drain, and that was only £150. Should have contacted them again this time round!

All good. Thanks for replies. I'll begrudgingly pay and get on with life.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

If this is covered by the Consumer Rights Act then the below applies

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/51

(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.

If it was an emergency then £700 may be reasonable, if it wasn't it sounds steep to me but the council have probably just gone to a big provider who charge the Earth rather than spending time seeking a competitive quote. Might also depend on the exact nature of the problem, flushing out some baby wipes is a bit different to a drain blocked with tree roots. 

The question is whether are bound to pay anything, I'm not sue on that and would raise a complaint with the council (complaints process is on their website) to question their legal authority to issue the invoice.  

Worth noting responsibility for shared drains appears to vary by region. 

Arunmor

Who says they employed a plumber?  Could easily have been a council employee.

What was the cause of the blockage?  If for example the neighbours have a baby and are flushing wet wipes and the blocked it, or tree roots from council ground etc I'd be keen to know.