Please help. I've been conned by my builder. Lots of money paid up front. What should I do?

[Helpmeplease2019]

I've just heard today that my builder is a con-artist who isn't coming back to finish my half-built extension. We've paid him lots of money up front . What can I do to try to get my money back? I can't afford legal advice. I don't have the money to finish the extension.

Please be gentle, I know I've made mistakes

(name changed)

Thank you everyone, wowfudge in particular. I haven’t had a chance to digest anything yet so will come back with questions later. I was up until 4am last night trying to work out what to do.

The police say it is a civil matter and to go to Citizens Advice. Like fuck it is just a civil matter. I’m going to go back to them when I’ve had a chance to read up on fraud.

Unacceptable response from the police as this seems like a serial offender. Good luck with getting the best advice.

I would go back to the police - go in person to a station if possible - and ask how theft/fraud is civil rather than criminal. Sounds like typical buck passing as they've other priorities. The difficulty is that he claims to have sold his company. I think you do need to approach the new director and ask for an explanation and what he proposes will happen now as the work is partially completed and you've paid x amount so far. Try to get it in writing - write to him at the registered office and request a phone call or meeting. If he calls you, record the conversation so you can go over it and be clear what he has said.

Just coming back to this thread because I was reminded of something last week. Find a builder who will accept credit card payment to get the credit card company's protection. As long as you pay part of the cost of something costing over £100 on a credit card, you are protected.

I really need some advice!!! I employed a builder to do a garage conversion, porch and an extension to the back of my house. Work started last July 2018. The Porch and shower room in garage conversion were a daily rate and the rest was a quote for just under £32,000. He has left the job on 2 separate occasions to go and do other private work making us over 2 months behind, 2 vacations to the USA and Spain, arriving late, leaving early, days off for dentist, accountant and finishing off a previous job and on the 21st June he was packing up his tools and said to me he had a veranda to take down at his own property over the weekend and would c me on Monday. Monday morning he arrived late walked out to the back garden and stated up his digger, untoward to me he was removing the rest of his machinery. He then walked through my front door and said "Im done" here r your keys!!!! I have been paying via bank transfers and have paid him just under the full amount of his quote. He has not even started the extension!! I have had no kitchen since April, washing up in the basin in the bathroom, no cooker, no washing machine etc., just an empty shell. He has wrecked my back garden and done so much damage out there. He has plumbed in the loo with the hot water feed.....and so much more.....I have gone to Trading Standards and am a broken woman.....Do I go to the police? Im scared of running up a huge bill if I involve a solicitor. He has also had all materials invoiced to his home address not mine and charged my for a skip which I have never had etc.,

@ritzcarlton101 you need to start your own thread on this to get the best answers. You’ll confuse people by hijacking the OP’s.

@Helpmeplease2019 How did you get on? 🤞

Not sure how to!!!! Im an old bird and find all this a little confusing

Go back to Chat then Add Thread

Or go to Talk and look up the Property or Legal Forums

You need to tap or click on these images to see what I mean.

Was his name Alin and his company Probono. I'm employing him and I have concerns.
If he is we could team up.

Hi AVictoria

No, that's not him. My builder is now in prison for fraudulent trading. Trading Standards pursued a conviction in the end (the police were useless).

Good luck.

Realistically there's not much you can do.

You gave someone money. No contract means no agreement, forget anything that was said, if it wasn't written down, it didn't happen.

You could use the court process but it will cost you thousands more and ultimately all you may get is an order for him to pay. Which he won't. The limited company is his protection from claims. He can also write up his accounts whatever way he likes, he can hide payments and say others (like yours) were for something else entirely.

For sanity, I think you need to accept the reality of the situation and just walk away. There is no possibility that you will ever get that money back. Sorry OP.

Put it down to experience and move on.

Maximum small claims court is £10,000.