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AIBU?

To think that no normal person gets work done then bill their neighbours for it

68 replies

Lamu · 17/04/2016 21:54

It's a long story and I don't want to bore you all. We share a private very long drive with 4 other houses. DH is the secretary of the residents management company which oversees works to the drive.

Last year we had the drive upgraded cost were 23k so not cheap Before the work took place neighbour added some extras in to the tune of 8.5k. DH challenged him and said he should get approval from all neighbours first, he said "he would deal with it". DH was then sidelined from further negotiations with the contractor and that was that. The works took place and we were all charged for the extra bits. Needless to say I was livid. We paid up like everyone else, even though at the time things were fairly tight it took us 3 months to pay in instalments. I told DH back then that he needed to be confronted because it would happen again. Lots of other bits and pieces have since been done without approval.

So this afternoon we get an email to say driveway will be closed as of 8.30am in the morning. The contractors are back to make repairs to a sunken area which they will do free of charge, as you would expect. But there also a few other issues that need dealing with that will be done "for a small fee". No quote attached and of course no indication as to what is being done and where. Just a heads up that a bill will be winging its way to us at some point in the next week.

Which fecking planet does this idiot live on! As a basic common courtesy, he should be requesting our approval because we are equally liable for the cost.

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PrincessPeachy29 · 17/04/2016 22:07

That's outrageous why did you pay the first time? You need to confront your neighbour and say you won't pay for anything that hadn't been agreed beforehand it doesn't matter if it's a tenner or a thousand pounds your neighbour doesn't have the right to dip his hand into your pocket which is essentially what he's doing.

I have experience comparable to this. My flat is part of a renovated house which had been split into five properties. Each owner is proportionately responsible for general upkeep like roof and garden. I received a text from my downstairs neighbour along the lines of: "Roof repairs please transfer £400 ASAP text me when it's done"

I had no prior knowledge of the roof needing to be repaired and had seen no quotes etc. I told them I wanted to see why they wanted to do work and explore quotes myself if necessary and then for us all to agree. They were pissed off but I couldn't care less I won't transfer money to someone without knowing why.

Stickerrocks · 17/04/2016 22:12

Check your contract with the RMC, then stick to the letter of it. Refuse to pay unless all 4 properties have given written approval for the works & consider getting the RMCs constitution changed if it doesn't already allow for this.

NorbertDentressangle · 17/04/2016 22:12

Confront him before you end up paying for his garden to be landscaped or a new bathroom for him!

Lamu · 17/04/2016 22:24

See, this is what I said the first time.
I told DH not to pay but he didn't want to cause a fuss and it would have been pretty awkward to owe him money. I fear that we'll forever be charged for things that we haven't even agreed to. Legally we have to pay it and were ok with that, just not when we haven't been consulted first.

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Lamu · 17/04/2016 22:26

Oh god Norbert...I wouldn't put it past him.

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DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease · 17/04/2016 22:27

Nice way of slinging your family /mates some guaranteed work at whatever price they want to ask. I'd suspect it's a con of this nature if you haven't been allowed to shop around for quotes.

herecomethepotatoes · 18/04/2016 04:37

It's ridiculous that you'd pay. You've been taken for fools and even if this neighbours intentions are good, he needs to be put right.

please stop using strikethough as it's distracting from the rest of the post

Wrcgirl · 18/04/2016 06:08

Once bitten twice shy. Don't let it happen. Contact and say no, quote contract for back up, and stay firm.

Similar here, paid for fence we were told would only be twenty quid, over 200 eventually. Next job to remove tree, we refused repeatedly. Guess wat, neighbour hated tree, so paid chipper and all himself, everyone now happy :)

Wrcgirl · 18/04/2016 06:10

P s slight difference emay be that neighbour just got diagnosed with dementia

VegasIsBest · 18/04/2016 06:19

I completely see your point of view on this. I'm not sure why you're waiting for your husband to do something though (particularly as it doesn't seem likely that he will).

Why not go and speak to the neighbour yourself this morning before the contractors arrive and explain you won't be paying?

DoSomethingKirsty · 18/04/2016 06:20

Can you speak to the contractor and let them know that the extra work has not been approved?

ExpandingRoundTheMiddle · 18/04/2016 06:31

I can't understand how you are under any obligation to pay for extras you have not agreed to up front. Yiu didn't owe your neighbour any money the first time. He chose to have work done and agreed to pay for it himself. He's taking you for mugs. If DH can't handle this .why don't you do it?

eddielizzard · 18/04/2016 06:54

yes i would go to the contractor and talk to them. find out what's been planned. then tell them the extra work has not been authorised and you will not be paying them. then tell fuckwit neighbour you're not paying and this has got to stop. then go to the other neighbours and talk to them and get them onside.

TheSolitaryWanderer · 18/04/2016 06:58

It sounds as if you should be the secretary of the residents' management, your DH appears to lack the necessary assertiveness and authority.

peggyundercrackers · 18/04/2016 07:08

Sack your husband from the management company - he is crap at his job.

Why does your DH have to deal with the neighbour? You know what's going on yet you won't go either?

Do the other neighbours know about the additions the first time round and the 2nd time round? What have they done about it?

SouthWestmom · 18/04/2016 07:12

Call a residents meeting for goodness sake, dig out any formal agreement s and draw one up if there isn't one

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 18/04/2016 07:14

I'd message annoying neighbour copying in the others saying you expect the rectification to be done FOC. You don't agree to any additional work being done at a cost. If annoying neighbour perceives a need, they're going to have an uphill struggle to persuade you to pay for anymore.

acasualobserver · 18/04/2016 07:18

An urgent meeting of the management committee is order. I agree with pp - you should be there. Get the other neighbours onside first - you're all being taken for a mug by this bloke.

DoreenLethal · 18/04/2016 07:20

No normal person hands over thousands without three quotes and an agreement in hand to pay - surely?

Your husband needs to resign for fucks sake. He is not capable of standing up to this person and this person knows it.

JennyOnAPlate · 18/04/2016 07:48

You need to email/speak to the neighbour asap and tell him you won't be handing any money over without seeing a quote for the works, and without the works being agreed by the whole committee first.

sixinabed · 18/04/2016 07:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CheeseAndSprinkleys · 18/04/2016 08:04

What do the other neighbours say? Are they just paying up?

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P1nkP0ppy · 18/04/2016 08:15

The neighbour must be rubbing his hands with glee.........
Firstly your DH is culpable and answerable to the other residents for allowing this bloke to behave like this as chair of the management committee, so you can hardly start complaining now - you and the other residents elected him!
As for everyone meekly paying out £££s, all I can say is you have more money than sense imo.

wannabehippyandcrazycatlover · 18/04/2016 08:50

One of my good friends had a similar issues- the guy owned a company and was doing the work through his books and totally ripped them off.

Refuse to pay until you know exactly what you have paid for and ring around and see how much the work would be with other companies....

Lamu · 18/04/2016 10:20

I agree, DH was naive the first time round. The other issue is that all such matters have been dealt with the DH's via email. It's like some 1950's time warp!

We all agree that this neighbour is an arse but no one is willing to challenge him. All the other residents including us have children and demanding jobs so in a way it's allowed to happen because they don't have the time to deal with any joint works.

As far as I'm concerned the previous 8k overspend gave him the go ahead that he can pretty much do what the hell he likes and us mugs will pay up.

I emailed him last night requesting a quote and a detailed description as to what works were taking place. He responded by saying he doesn't have it but the cost will be around £xxx. Doesn't say if that per household or if it's the total cost.

How can you agree for someone to do work without a written quote?! Actually I've just had a thought, I'll ask roadway man what has been agreed with neighbour.

"If it's an issue I will pay for it myself" he just doesn't get it.

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