Not paying for garden work

How can they end the contract without telling the other party in the contract??

They couldn't (reasonably) have refused to pay! They are legally liable!

What on earth do you mean "it's unfair the OP didn't enter into a contract"? Unfair to whom?

I know perfectly well how contacts work. How can a house give consideration to form a contact? The previous home owners ended the contract but didn't tell the gardener. My point about OP being lucky is that they could have refused to pay. They are correct in that she has benefitted from the service. It's unfair that the OP didn't enter into a contract.

Opinions are divided on the subject. You on one side, everyone else and the law of the land on the other.

There's no "digging your heels in" to say no to people who ask you for money for nothing. The OP should just say to the gardener this is nothing to do with me, take it up with the people who contracted you; don't come back to me because they won't fulfil their legal obligations. If he wants to go to small claims against them, he can. It's nothing to do with the OP.
Your suggestion is that the OP should pay for the sake of the previous owners who are not owning their error, because apparently "the poor gardener" is too stupid or weak to push them to pay what they owe, but fine with hassling the OP.

As a pp has pointed out to you, the contract is with the home owner, not the property. It doesn’t cease to be a thing because the owner has sold. That isn’t how a contract works!

I can't believe he just turned up after all this time without contacting the previous owners. How would he know they even wanted him back?

I it was me and I was happy with the work and the cost was reasonable I'd probably pay but you definitely shouldn't feel any obligation to.

That's your choice.

I would 100% refuse to pay for a job I didn’t want and didn’t ask for.

That's where we differ. They no longer have a contract with the gardener.

It was an error in not cancelling him. They may have even presumed new owner would keep him on. They were wrong on both counts. However, the work cannot be undone and to suggest pursuing a small claims action is ridiculous. I would enjoy a fresh looking garden and pay half for the gardener's sake. Is this really worth the hassle or would you prefer digging your heels in for the sake of it?

They are absolutely not within their rights 😂

They are not remotely within their rights to say hard luck. The gardener didn't make a contract with the house, he made it with them; whether they are currently responsible for the property is utterly immaterial. Legally they are 100% responsible for the contract with the gardener.

The previous owners are the one who contracted him to come in May and forgot to tell him not to. Why do you think they shouldn't pay? If he takes them to court for the whole amount, he will certainly win.

The gardener is being unreasonable! Immensely cheeky to come a second time in an attempt to chisel you out of money you don't owe. Awkward situation. Well done for standing your ground ✊🏾

Mistakes happen when you move house. You may inevitably forget to notify somebody/cancel everything. They no longer are responsible for the property, so are well within their rights to say hard luck. Is that the right thjng to do? No, so they have compromised with paying half for a service they havent benefitted from. So yes, the OP is lucky.

I'd advise him to chase the previous owners via small claims for the rest of the work.

I wonder if he genuinely hadn't realised or, thought he'd lean on you to continue his contract by just doing the job.

Lucky? It was entirely their fault he did the work which op didn’t want done.

He’s been hired. If you work do you check that your employer still needs you or do you go to work? The gardener’s employer should have said that the gardener was no longer needed. He’s probably reserved calendar space that he could have filled.

He wasn't trespassing if he thought his invite was still open.

He has done the work now and no doubt it looks better so you should pay half. I think you're lucky previous owners have offered half. Poor bugger just wants to be paid.

He was hired by the previous owners. The house has been empty for 2 years. He stopped work over the winter. He should check, especially in view of the circumstances, in the spring whether his clients still need him.

He's been hired so he’s done the work.

If I could afford it, I would probably pay half as a gesture of Goodwill but make it clear that no more work was to take place without prior arrangement with me. It’s just one of those things.

This can't possibly be the first time the gardeners have come since December, though. Most gardeners resume work to prepare for spring around Feb/March, so whats been going on since then? also @op said the grass was freshly cut AND weeded so she can't be doing that much of a stellar job! c'mon @op just pay him half and stop the service.

It is the gardeners fault though .. who comes to work after being off for 5 months or more, and doesn’t check if their clients still need their services??