Builder Turning Threatening
Discussion
We started a house build in May and was paying a foreman/builder £180 a day and his brother-in-law £150. He said day rate is better for us and that he will hopefully get business through the work on our house in our village.
Although sticking to budgets in a build it was tough we always paid his wages and weeks costs on a Thursday. Sometimes we would get a text Friday saying X needs to be paid and we would then arrange to give him the cash. Everything was cash. There were a few funny issues of him saying how stressed hes been during our build, losing sleep. We got comments like we don't seem "interested" and that he's the only one who cares about the build.
Early September money was getting tight and we took the decision to close site in order to settle a few bills (Money got very tight) and to catch up in October, we gave him 3 and a half weeks notice of the site closure. We have been very open about our money situation with him
Early October we met up. I went though a list of jobs and asked for a breakdown in costs for each job. Upon receiving the list of costs i went about comparing them to local firms. An example is screeding 2 rooms and latexing the lower ground floor. He quoted £1200 and i got a local firm to do it for £600 (i paid £150 in materials) So a big difference. I email my builder and said i cant afford his prices and he replies saying "good luck with the build, hope you finish it".
Roll on Friday last week, screeders are in and crack on for £600.
I then get a voice mail from my builder, 3 minuets long which i forgot to save before it automatically deleted itself calling me a c*nt and that he want to smash my face in. So i call him and then get an earful how I am a snake and a c*nt and how he is going to smash me up.....
Blaming me for fall outs with contractors (who are friends) he brought on to site, how he was on day rate and lost money doing my build and that he had been told that i wanted him only to do the shell so i can go at it alone with the build
Now, he yelled we owe £280 to him for a plumber...... We also are missing our gas meter, maybe stolen, and he has an SD card of ours, front door key, along with the red book for costings throughout the build he has spent and asked for which we want. I have sent a text trying to meet up to pay and get our final bits.
The house will be secure this weekend with new locks arriving. Is there anything else i can do to protect myself?
Thanks
N
Although sticking to budgets in a build it was tough we always paid his wages and weeks costs on a Thursday. Sometimes we would get a text Friday saying X needs to be paid and we would then arrange to give him the cash. Everything was cash. There were a few funny issues of him saying how stressed hes been during our build, losing sleep. We got comments like we don't seem "interested" and that he's the only one who cares about the build.
Early September money was getting tight and we took the decision to close site in order to settle a few bills (Money got very tight) and to catch up in October, we gave him 3 and a half weeks notice of the site closure. We have been very open about our money situation with him
Early October we met up. I went though a list of jobs and asked for a breakdown in costs for each job. Upon receiving the list of costs i went about comparing them to local firms. An example is screeding 2 rooms and latexing the lower ground floor. He quoted £1200 and i got a local firm to do it for £600 (i paid £150 in materials) So a big difference. I email my builder and said i cant afford his prices and he replies saying "good luck with the build, hope you finish it".
Roll on Friday last week, screeders are in and crack on for £600.
I then get a voice mail from my builder, 3 minuets long which i forgot to save before it automatically deleted itself calling me a c*nt and that he want to smash my face in. So i call him and then get an earful how I am a snake and a c*nt and how he is going to smash me up.....
Blaming me for fall outs with contractors (who are friends) he brought on to site, how he was on day rate and lost money doing my build and that he had been told that i wanted him only to do the shell so i can go at it alone with the build
Now, he yelled we owe £280 to him for a plumber...... We also are missing our gas meter, maybe stolen, and he has an SD card of ours, front door key, along with the red book for costings throughout the build he has spent and asked for which we want. I have sent a text trying to meet up to pay and get our final bits.
The house will be secure this weekend with new locks arriving. Is there anything else i can do to protect myself?
Thanks
N
JustinP1 said:
Fixed rate it good for you, as the builder has to keep costs and time under control, and you have a fixed rate.
Day rate is great for a builder, as they will always be in pocket. In this instance, you have effectively paid him a salary of £46,800 per year in cash. We can surmise how much of that is being declared to HMRC.
It sounds like on top of this, he would get quotes for jobs, add a percentage to them for his own pocket, on top of the £46k a year cash he was getting you'd give him even more cash. Then, just now, you've found him out. It sounds like he knows he's been found out too.
What's the VAT situation here? You have VAT receipts for all these jobs, right?
Nail on the head.Day rate is great for a builder, as they will always be in pocket. In this instance, you have effectively paid him a salary of £46,800 per year in cash. We can surmise how much of that is being declared to HMRC.
It sounds like on top of this, he would get quotes for jobs, add a percentage to them for his own pocket, on top of the £46k a year cash he was getting you'd give him even more cash. Then, just now, you've found him out. It sounds like he knows he's been found out too.
What's the VAT situation here? You have VAT receipts for all these jobs, right?
Ohhh b
ks.. should have gone with a fixed rate...
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