Builder being weird / trying to guilt trip me

[Amateurish]

I've recently finished a building project at home. The builder has generally been crap. A job which he said would take 3 months in fact took over a year. His workmanship had been poor and he's had to redo loads of work, mainly at the request of Building Control.

I owe him a final payment, approx £25k.

Firstly he's tried to get me to pay an extra £5k by saying he made a mistake in his original estimate. I obviously told him to jog on.

Now he's asking me to pay the money to some random friend of his. When I told him no, he's trying to guilt trip me by saying he needs to "save the vat" on materials and that he can't work because he is injured.

What is going on?

[snotrag]

Amateurish said:

What is going on?

I guarantee that he is in some sort of financial bother, got a masive tax bill he is claiming he cant pay, has been working when claiming disability and needs to hide the income, or your debt will be used to serve another debt (and so on...) or suchlike.


Its so blindingly obvious when people are trying to play games its amazing they ever think they are going to get away with it.


If the job is 'finished' (or as good as you think its going to be), write him a cheque for the agreed balance and hand him it. You've held your end of the contract. Just make it black and white.

[blue_haddock]

Amateurish said:

What is going on?

Tax fraud by the sounds of it!

[stinkyspanner]

Don't do it, he hasn't done you any favours by the sound of it. I too had the misfortune to have some work done by an idiot builder, all the excuses under the sun, illness, staff, suppliers, dog died, building control don't know what they're on about etc etc. Forget him

[AndyAudi]

Pay him directly same as you have before. Don’t be party to this fraud.

Short answer is he’s trying to get the £5k extra from all of us instead of you now by evading VAT & getting benefits….

Paying his friend is potentially worth £4-£5k for him in VAT. (& he’s not offering to share that with you!)

I’d have no reservations in reporting, maybe after a few months to distance yourselves a wee bit If this has been a large part of his work.
Can be anonymous, they find the issues when they look into him as
they’ll see what’s he’s bought, (probably not hidden)
Ask him where he’s worked to use the stuff
Look for the income

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/report-tax-fraud/be...

[Terminator X]

Amateurish said:

I've recently finished a building project at home. The builder has generally been crap. A job which he said would take 3 months in fact took over a year. His workmanship had been poor and he's had to redo loads of work, mainly at the request of Building Control.

I owe him a final payment, approx £25k.

Firstly he's tried to get me to pay an extra £5k by saying he made a mistake in his original estimate. I obviously told him to jog on.

Now he's asking me to pay the money to some random friend of his. When I told him no, he's trying to guilt trip me by saying he needs to "save the vat" on materials and that he can't work because he is injured.

What is going on?

£25k for a small builder is a lot. Why not work out what was / is wrong etc then just hold that back.

TX.

[Mr Pointy]

OP, have you got BC signoff?

[Amateurish]

Mr Pointy said:

OP, have you got BC signoff?

Yes

[Amateurish]

snotrag said:

If the job is 'finished' (or as good as you think its going to be), write him a cheque for the agreed balance and hand him it. You've held your end of the contract. Just make it black and white.

Yes, as good as I think it is going to be. I would rather get other people in to fix any snagging.

[Amateurish]

stinkyspanner said:

Don't do it, he hasn't done you any favours by the sound of it. I too had the misfortune to have some work done by an idiot builder, all the excuses under the sun, illness, staff, suppliers, dog died, building control don't know what they're on about etc etc. Forget him

So many excuses... Either my builder is the unluckiest man alive or he's a fibber.

[Simpo Two]

Amateurish said:

Now he's asking me to pay the money to some random friend of his. When I told him no, he's trying to guilt trip me by saying he needs to "save the vat" on materials and that he can't work because he is injured.

What is going on?

What's going on is that he can't run a business and has got into debt. Not your problem, and you don't owe him any favours either.

Minor point - an Estimate is not a Quote and therefore can vary.

[Amateurish]

Simpo Two said:

What's going on is that he can't run a business and has got into debt. Not your problem, and you don't owe him any favours either.

Minor point - an Estimate is not a Quote and therefore can vary.

I just used the wrong word. The work was fully specced up by the architect. He provided a quote against that spec. Although now claims not to have read it properly and forgot to price up quite a major and fundamental part of those works.

[blueg33]

Amateurish said:

stinkyspanner said:

Don't do it, he hasn't done you any favours by the sound of it. I too had the misfortune to have some work done by an idiot builder, all the excuses under the sun, illness, staff, suppliers, dog died, building control don't know what they're on about etc etc. Forget him

So many excuses... Either my builder is the unluckiest man alive or he's a fibber.

I had a contractor on a site whose mother died twice in 3 months. I was mainly impressed that after Jesus, Buddha and Dracula she is the 4th person in history to have been resurrected

[Far Cough]

Pay up direct or minus the snagging jobs and then pay the balance direct...... Did I mention , PAY DIRECT.

Anything else leaves you vulnerable to , "You've not paid me yet mate"

[4Q]

Far Cough said:

Pay up direct or minus the snagging jobs and then pay the balance direct...... Did I mention , PAY DIRECT.

Anything else leaves you vulnerable to , "You've not paid me yet mate"

This all day long.

[MadCaptainJack]

Amateurish said:

Now he's asking me to pay the money to some random friend of his. When I told him no, he's trying to guilt trip me by saying he needs to "save the vat" on materials and that he can't work because he is injured.

Did he put any of this in an email, text, Whatsapp or anything else that could end up being presented in court as evidence?

Did his original quote include VAT?

Amateurish said:

What is going on?

You’re learning first-hand how tax evasion and potentially money laundering works.

[Deesee]

If he has done it to Spec, and BC, pay, otherwise you may find a money order on the way..

Any variation should have been agreed in the duration not the end by either party, you've brought up poor workmanship its been dealt with (I hope).

If he is unwell and your withholding payment with out cause (regardless of how his conduct has been thats poor form imo).

Nb, check the estimate for clauses, I doubt he will have T&C let alone, a clause to charge for extraordinary events.

Pay (direct) and more importantly enjoy your renovation

[Amateurish]

So just send the money even though he has asked me not to?

[Amateurish]

MadCaptainJack said:

Amateurish said:

Now he's asking me to pay the money to some random friend of his. When I told him no, he's trying to guilt trip me by saying he needs to "save the vat" on materials and that he can't work because he is injured.

Did he put any of this in an email, text, Whatsapp or anything else that could end up being presented in court as evidence?

Did his original quote include VAT?

Yes, all in email and WhatsApp

He is not VAT registered.

[dundarach]

Say you're really sorry, however your cash flow isn't what it was when you agreed to the work. Offer him £2500 less and when he complains say you understand and it's half what he wanted off you, as you realise he too is suffering and you're being kind.