Drive getting redone bloke not turned up
Discussion
Rude-boy said:
OP - I see your future.
It involves lots of posts on PH about how you don't have a drive you can use as it has been 'dug out' and that the contractor is refusing to do anything further until you stump up 75% of the outstanding balance of his quote.
After much sole searching and PH replies about who he is, where he lives and what he had for dinner last month you will decide that it is best to make the most of a bad deal and either a) pay him and never see him again b) get another in to finish the job.
yes my crystal balls also fortells of this type of fate........with the dugout spoil being left blocking things until more money is paid, end of the summer you may have half of it laid .......It involves lots of posts on PH about how you don't have a drive you can use as it has been 'dug out' and that the contractor is refusing to do anything further until you stump up 75% of the outstanding balance of his quote.
After much sole searching and PH replies about who he is, where he lives and what he had for dinner last month you will decide that it is best to make the most of a bad deal and either a) pay him and never see him again b) get another in to finish the job.
Have you looked at the obituaries?
OP have you spoken to your mate that had his drive done?
If so whats his thoughts on the situation?
Sounds a right mare to be fair.
But ive had a lot of work done by people on recommendation and luckily its all turned out well.
Id probably be asking some questions in the morning thou before he starts ripping your drive up!!
If so whats his thoughts on the situation?
Sounds a right mare to be fair.
But ive had a lot of work done by people on recommendation and luckily its all turned out well.
Id probably be asking some questions in the morning thou before he starts ripping your drive up!!
wjwren said:
Im in 2 minds now. Do i let him dig it up? - Least ive got some work out of him and if need be pay someone else to complete it. Anyway if there is no show tomorrow then il call him and tell him to forget the whole f
king lot.
Very weird. At the very least it should have been Bloke A contacting you to let you know, not new guy.king lot.When bloke B turns up, offer him a tea/coffee, sit down and have a chat to end out what his story is, do they work together all the time for example or has he been hired just for your job. Also slip in a sorry to hear about the death and see what the reaction is perhaps.
I would want to know what he has been told to do by the other bloke to do exactly. Is it just start digging with the other guy joining him later in the week? Then depending on how confident you feel let him go/go ahead.
Also bear in mind if you want to speak to Bloke A, get Bloke B to call him on his phone as that way he will probably answer!
They're tradesmen not businessmen.
If he's been recommend for doing a good job and in the end that's what you get, as long as it doesn't go on for weeks, I'd just not worry and let it happen.
Decent tradesmen are in demand so these things happen unfortunately.
Just check it's built as per the design as they go....
If he's been recommend for doing a good job and in the end that's what you get, as long as it doesn't go on for weeks, I'd just not worry and let it happen.
Decent tradesmen are in demand so these things happen unfortunately.
Just check it's built as per the design as they go....
Dog Star said:
My dad did this - wouldn't have tradesmen even step on the property, so over a forty year period (I remember the day he started) he started changing things, doing stuff himself. The trouble is that he was a ridiculous perfectionist (thing of the sort of person who planes noggins in stud walls, countersinks the screws etc) and so jobs took years and not one ever got finished. Before painting a window frame for example he would insist that it was sanded back to bare, smooth wood. Consequently it never got done and windows would eventually literally fall out of frames. There was a tarp over the front of the house.
In 1990 (I think - I know I was living in France) there was a huge storm (https://www.netweather.tv/forum/topic/27190-the-great-storm-of-25th-january-1990/) and they lost a significant proportion of the tiles on the roof - and it was a big roof. He wouldn't have a company come and replace the tiles ("They'll rip me off and just put grey cardboard up there and scarper" was his reason) so he just had the insurance pay for the tiles which were stacked at the side of the house. There they stayed.
Then there were the leaking substantial flat rooves - again tarped over with slabs holding the tarps down.
Kitchen partially fitted in 1986 - it's still the same now. None of the cupboards have door handles as "the holes need accurately measuring".
Lets not mention their caravan (bought 1974) that's collapsing round the side of the house, along with my sister's 1966 Beetle which is just a crumbling pile of rust.
Bear in mind that my dad isn't some scrote or whatever - he's a very respected member of the medical profession, it's a lovely big house in a lovely area. If I had been a neighbour I'd have been going absolutely ballistic. He cannot see this - to him to neighbours are all utter tossers.
There came a point in the mid '80s that I could no longer have schoolmates back to the house, it got too much.
Anyway - my point to this - a couple of years ago he eventually got a mate of mine in who he likes and who's a cracking buiilder and they had the whole place done in one fell swoop - rooves (with flat being replaced by peaked - and at last using the tiles purchased in 1990!!!), windows, some walls, bits of the inside, drive - the whole lot. The place easily looks the best house around it. Great job.
What pisses me off is that in reality he has saved no money at all, as it all needed doing in the end, but he's made my mother live in those conditions for the last 40 years. All for a bit of maintenance.
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but that is a form of mental illness.In 1990 (I think - I know I was living in France) there was a huge storm (https://www.netweather.tv/forum/topic/27190-the-great-storm-of-25th-january-1990/) and they lost a significant proportion of the tiles on the roof - and it was a big roof. He wouldn't have a company come and replace the tiles ("They'll rip me off and just put grey cardboard up there and scarper" was his reason) so he just had the insurance pay for the tiles which were stacked at the side of the house. There they stayed.
Then there were the leaking substantial flat rooves - again tarped over with slabs holding the tarps down.
Kitchen partially fitted in 1986 - it's still the same now. None of the cupboards have door handles as "the holes need accurately measuring".
Lets not mention their caravan (bought 1974) that's collapsing round the side of the house, along with my sister's 1966 Beetle which is just a crumbling pile of rust.
Bear in mind that my dad isn't some scrote or whatever - he's a very respected member of the medical profession, it's a lovely big house in a lovely area. If I had been a neighbour I'd have been going absolutely ballistic. He cannot see this - to him to neighbours are all utter tossers.
There came a point in the mid '80s that I could no longer have schoolmates back to the house, it got too much.
Anyway - my point to this - a couple of years ago he eventually got a mate of mine in who he likes and who's a cracking buiilder and they had the whole place done in one fell swoop - rooves (with flat being replaced by peaked - and at last using the tiles purchased in 1990!!!), windows, some walls, bits of the inside, drive - the whole lot. The place easily looks the best house around it. Great job.
What pisses me off is that in reality he has saved no money at all, as it all needed doing in the end, but he's made my mother live in those conditions for the last 40 years. All for a bit of maintenance.
wjwren said:
I just called my mate who had his drive done and he said i dont think he is out to rip you off but he is very disorganised. hmm
I said the bloke is coming to dig it up (rob his name is) and my mate said oh ye rob is the bloke with the digger.
It's like a comedy show.
You may be worrying unduly. It's common for builders/pavers to sub the groundworks out. Better to have someone skilled in digger driving.I said the bloke is coming to dig it up (rob his name is) and my mate said oh ye rob is the bloke with the digger.
It's like a comedy show.
wjwren said:
I just called my mate who had his drive done and he said i dont think he is out to rip you off but he is very disorganised. hmm
I said the bloke is coming to dig it up (rob his name is) and my mate said oh ye rob is the bloke with the digger.
It's like a comedy show.
Sounds more promising if same guy did the digging for your mate. Hopefully all will go well today.I said the bloke is coming to dig it up (rob his name is) and my mate said oh ye rob is the bloke with the digger.
It's like a comedy show.
If he doesnt show today then im telling him to forget it. Is this a police matter if he doesnt want to return my money? He hasnt delivered anything to site and hasnt done any work.
I found this on an American site so not sure if this applies..
___________________________
If a contractor takes a down payment and does nothing for the job such as having materials delivered or showing up to work on it he is guilty of fraud in most cases. Call the police and district attorney to see what charges can be filed against him.
Once he does even the slightest bit of work or even had materials delivered to the jobsite after taking the down payment the issue becomes a civil matter, in which you will have to get an attorney involved. You'll have to file a suit for breach of contract.
________
I dare say when i ask for my money back he will say he cant as he has bought the blocks with them - when i ask for proof of this then he might either go and buy the blocks that day, forge an invoice or just ignore me.
I found this on an American site so not sure if this applies..
___________________________
If a contractor takes a down payment and does nothing for the job such as having materials delivered or showing up to work on it he is guilty of fraud in most cases. Call the police and district attorney to see what charges can be filed against him.
Once he does even the slightest bit of work or even had materials delivered to the jobsite after taking the down payment the issue becomes a civil matter, in which you will have to get an attorney involved. You'll have to file a suit for breach of contract.
________
I dare say when i ask for my money back he will say he cant as he has bought the blocks with them - when i ask for proof of this then he might either go and buy the blocks that day, forge an invoice or just ignore me.
It's a civil matter. If you want to go legal... and I am not a lawyer, then you might consider:
Write to him with a "letter before action" giving him 7 days to start work or return your deposit.
However you have lost confidence irrevocably and he is in breach of the verbal contract, so you might as well just ask for the deposit back.
After that if he does not respond then start a claim online via MCOL.
No solicitor needed, lots of templates online.
That said, if he has no assets then getting your money back might be tricky.
Write to him with a "letter before action" giving him 7 days to start work or return your deposit.
However you have lost confidence irrevocably and he is in breach of the verbal contract, so you might as well just ask for the deposit back.
After that if he does not respond then start a claim online via MCOL.
No solicitor needed, lots of templates online.
That said, if he has no assets then getting your money back might be tricky.
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