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Ok, I know the weather has been bad but am so cheesed off with the landscape gardener!!!

4 replies

PussinJimmyChoos · 07/09/2008 12:31

Work was two weeks late starting due to weather - fair enough, can't be helped. However, now that work has started - he keeps taking half days -on clear days too and finishing around 2pm or so and so we are now in the fourth week of the bleeding work and its really starting to cheese me off!

The Friday before the bank hol he left at 11.30am as he had a wedding to go to - no prior notice of this, I just popped out to ask if he wanted a cuppa and he said he was going. Then there was the bank hol Mon. He worked the Tue-Thur and then announced on Thur he was taking the Fri off as he was phyiscally exhausted from hitting rock in our garden. Now, I can understand that its tiring BUT I'm thinking er..well, that is your job!

He claims he will be finished this week but I'm about it and also very annoyed at the lack of communication and he acts like he is doing us a favour by doing the gardden!! His work is very good and tidy though its just the putting the time in issue....

What would you advise or is it too late to say anything?

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lalalonglegs · 07/09/2008 15:40

If his work is good and tidy, I would count blessings. It is annoying and frustrating but ALL builders seem to be the same and, if it's not leaving you with a hole in your roof/no water/no kitchen/floorboards up, I would just grit teeth. Only thing you CAN do - and it can get ugly - is withhold stage payments but, again, you can only do this if you have agreed specific payment structure and you do run the risk of him not turning up.

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lalalonglegs · 07/09/2008 15:41

Cutting losses and not turning up to finish it off, I should say.

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Lauriefairycake · 07/09/2008 15:46

did he guarantee a completion date?

if not then I think you have nothing to complain about at all. It is very physical work and part of the beauty of being self employed is to be able to do your own hours (so you can go to weddings etc)

If he guaranteed a completion date then what do you have in your contract about going over the time (penalties for late complations?)

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PussinJimmyChoos · 07/09/2008 18:01

Mmm...good points...he did say it would be two weeks but the weather has been awful and I'm not that unreasonable to expect him to turn out in pouring down rain!

Given our climate, I don't expect ourdoor work to ever be finished on time. However, my annoyance is with the not working a full day on clear and even sunny days (we have had the odd one!) which has delayed the job more than the weather iyswim?

He's not taking stage payments - he doesn't want payment until the job is done and to our satisfaction...a sign of a trustworthy worker imo so I'm reluctant to upset the apple cart.

Guess I should grit my teeth for a few days more!

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