Last Thursday I gave a tradesman access to my apartment (handed sanitised keys over socially distanced) for the purposes of undertaking works as agreed. I do not live there at present. The tradesman is known to a close friend and has been for years, so I overlooked my reservations about handing keys over (big mistake: huge!).
I should note it’s a ground floor and in advance of any works I put dust sheets down everywhere and all the (large) windows were covered in newspaper for security/ privacy.
As I can’t physically be there due to covid rules and due to the apartment being unoccupied, there is a security system, including cctv. This is advertised on doors and windows and I made the tradesman aware as a courtesy. No issues raised.
He starts the job and send daily updates which is really helpful. On Saturday, I take a walk down with DP and we view the works from the windows to remain compliant. I notice the dust sheet is off one of the beds, there is another person inside (!) and all newspapers on windows removed. I raise this and am told that ‘that’s my son’ and earlier in the day a decorator ‘who was in the area’ popped round to give an opinion. Wtf?
I entrusted my keys to someone who has abused that and in a pandemic. There are also my neighbours to consider who share communal areas. I was very angry.
Fast forward to earlier in the week, I asked for a completion date and was fobbed off and told that a key tradesman was coming in to the apartment on Tuesday. When I asked for details of said tradesman who was entering my home (!) I was hit with defensive messages such as ‘I am so disappointed in you, I’ve 45 years of experience and never been questioned on a tradesman’. I don’t think my request in the circumstances and given it’s my home was unreasonable.
At that point, and upon speaking to DP, I advised tradesman (in writing) to provide details of this additional tradesman and until such time as he could, works could not proceed.
The tradesman then went round my apartment and switched off all the security devices which I received notification of.
He then backtracked about the details of the secondary and specialist tradesman (because, I think, he was going to attempt skilled work to try and get away with it himself and pocket the £3k). All of a sudden the tradesman couldn’t come due to COVID risk etc. He then tried to take back some ‘power’ telling me that he would let me know the info when he was good and ready.
At this point I asked him to leave and pop keys in letterbox. Bizarrely upon realising I wouldn’t succumb no nonsense games and I won’t be lied to, he switched all the cameras back up and began to work again- despite me asking him to leave. Read receipts demonstrated he received this.
He refused three times to leave. I was quite stressed about it all.
Eventually, he left and I did a quick walk by this evening to confirm the keys were in order. My apartment is what I can only describe a mess. Dust sheets I carefully replaced have been removed and the place requires a lot of work to get back to scratch. All of that will have to wait as it needs many days to become safe owing to the people entering.
However, and if you’ve got this far, thank you.. he has absolutely trashed my really expensive dyson hoover which was in immaculate condition. I am so angry about this. It’s full of bulging materials and the nozzle and hose are all twisted and plastic bent. I honestly can’t believe it.
So what I’m asking is wtf do I do now? I am not unreasonable and fully acknowledge I asked him to leave before this were complete (will bring someone else in when safe to do so), but omg my hoover? The works are being paid for by my buildings manager owing to the urgency / seriousness, so it’s not like I can deduct cost of a new hoover from what’s owed to date for materials / labour.
Looking for the best way to approach this generally with him on email as I’ve not heard further since I asked him to leave.
TIA
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WWYD- nightmare tradesman
18 replies
Thestateofplay · 13/01/2021 00:14
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