Not paying for garden work

surely when thdont pay not your problemey came they could tell someone had been doing the garden since their last visit,

I agree. But I still think it's mad to turn up and do work without communication. This kind of thing is bound to happen, he's taking a big risk that can be fixed with a simple phone call.

I'm not suggesting the gardener is dishonest, but have you spoken to the previous owners? Because he could easily say they've only paid half when they've actually already settled the bill in full. I think you need to know from them exactly what's happened before you decide to do (or not do) anything.

I think you're right OP
Just don't pay
You didn't ask or know it was being done

I order a cake from a bakery, I forget to pick it up. After a few days, Baker gives it to their kids as it's just going to go off any way, should kids pay half the value of the cake?

What if the op is a no dig enthusiast, and wanted the long grass to use as a mulch? What is an accident had happened on her land, was she properly covered?

The gardener is slack, the previous owners are slack. That's all there is to it. CF to ask for half.

I remember chatting to my next door neighbour when they first moved in and they mentioned that they had contacted the gardeners that had done the garden for the previous owner for a quote. I can't remember how much she said it was, but I do remember that I yelped "WHAT!?" and she said "I know, right? So that's why we've bought the full range of garden machinery and we are doing it ourselves"

There is no way that I would be able to just casually hand over even half of that amount, and there is no way that I would be paying that sort of money for something I could easily do myself.

Why does the OP owe anyone goodwill?

I find it very weird that he would just turn up without contacting anyone. Maybe if the house had just been sold but that was December.
Do people normally have trades people who just turn up without notice and do a job after not being in contact for months or confirming prices or time.
Surely, he'd send a message like "Hey Bob, I'm expecting to be there Tuesday for the garden work. Let me know if inconvenient."
Its not just that the house could have been sold but anything could have happened. The owner could have passed away for example or maybe they have a garden party planned that day.
Odd way of doing business.

I think you should pay up. Of course you aren't legally obliged to and the old owners should pay the full amount . If they refuse then I think you should pay as a gesture of goodwill.

Not legally. He was contracted to provide a service in May, he came and did it. The person who contracted him, the previous owner, has to pay. He needs to be taking them to court, and he will win.

Mm..

Is it a small community where all the tradies know each other well and talk... if so, and its not a huge bill, I might consider paying it (and then seeking it back from the previous owner).

If not/if its a huge bill, no - the previous owner should have cancelled and the gardener should have checked before starting.

I also find it difficult to believe that he did not know the property had been sold, and was being maintained by the new buyer. He absolutely will have known it was up for sale after all!

I would definitely speak to the previous owner and find out what the full sum actually was, how much they paid and try to get them to pay the rest!

How much was the invoice ?

Seasons!

Of course it's his fault. You check before providing the service, it's been at least six months, probably much more, since they carried out work there. They didn't make contact with either the previous or current owner...it is definitely partly their fault.

It doesn't matter.

I mean, legally, I think you're right.

However when the gardener turned up to what he expected to be an empty house that hadn't been visited for a few months and found it obviously occupied with a garden that was being looked after, you can argue he should have made some contact with someone. That's assuming it's a one man company though really, not just some guys sent to do the work with no idea of what to expect.

Have they agreed to pay half? You've only got his word for this.

The contract is not with you. The gardener can either take the previous owner to a small claims court or write it off as a loss.

Not
Your
Problem

If I were you I’d pay and continue to pay for a nice garden

Has he tried to come between December and May??
Did they have him just in spring or something?

Well, no, it's not his fault - it's the previous owner's fault. They didn't tell him they'd sold the house and didn't end his contract, so he didn't know his services were no longer needed.

The OP shouldn't have to pay anything - the previous owner should pay. Neither the OP nor the gardener is at fault.

Contract is with previous owners BUT if you have been doing it since December when you bought the property why has the gardener only appeared now? Sounds like a chancer. I wouldn't pay, you have no agreement with him. It's on the previous owners.

At the end of the day if you don’t cancel a contract to something you don’t use you don’t get a refund. The same applies here and it should be on the previous owners to suck it up

This.
It is on them.

Legally u don't have to pay him morally as humans we feel bad and think we should just pay after all its only half and it has saved you some time im sure if he did a good job. However as you have said you didn't want the service, you seem to enjoy gardening urself and would have happily done it urself. Id like to think if u say no and rightly so u didn't ask for the work to be done and contract isn't with u that the previous owners will pay the gardener the full amount. There probably changing their arm saying they go halves with you thinking ud feel guilty into saying u agree. I'm sorry but no I didn't ask for the service, I quite enjoy gardening and like to do it and also I may not even be able to afford half why should u be out of pocket for the previous owners mistake.