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

[Lamu]

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.

I would put in email that you do not agree to pay any works that you havn't seen the costings for and agreed to fund.

Then go and tell the driveway people you will not be paying as havn't agreed to it.... I bet they will not go ahead if they think they wont get paid

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.

im sorry but that's just an excuse but im sure you realise that. it takes 5 mins to send an email or walk across the road and say to them sorry if we don't have a detailed quote then no one else is paying. if you don't want to approach him yourself have a little meeting between everyone involved - doesn't have to be a long drawn out meeting, just 15 mins to agree ground rules then as a team you can gang up on neighbour by taking it to a vote - you can all vote the same way.

Roadway man has been non committal as to what has been agreed. As apparently the contract is with N1. He's not concerned if other neighbours haven't agreed to the works as N1 has approved it.

Peggy, it really isn't an excuse. When the RMC was set up an email was sent round and no one wanted to volunteer five months passed before it was eventually set up with H as the secretary.

Neighbour2 has now responded to the group email confirming he is happy with the current set up. Gah!

I don't think it matters what the other neighbours agree. Your money is your money and you don't have to agree to spend it on anything.

It isn't even slightly unreasonable to be able to shop around for quotes, or to know what they are!

Anyway H and I have agreed to let the dust settle for a bit. We'll be getting some legal advice on where we stand going forward. We need to be clear what would happen should we refuse to pay a huge bill.

Six, we are all freeholders and we all jointly own and are responsible for the maintenance of the drive. N1 also never insisted on a guarantee from roadway man. The higher spec feature that he insisted on will continue to have to be repaired at least twice a year, again more ££. I think this roadway guy is on to a winner here!

He responded by saying he doesn't have (quote and a detailed description of works) but the cost will be around £xxx. Doesn't say if that per household or if it's the total cost ... Roadway man has been non committal as to what has been agreed, apparently the contract is with N1. He's not concerned if other neighbours haven't agreed to the works as N1 has approved it

You're being so thoroughly stitched up here that frankly it's hard to credit it. Basically N1 and the workman are deciding what's to be done and at what price with no paperwork, no backup, nothing - and nobody's prepared to challenge this?

Are you sure this contractor isn't a friend/relative of N1? And are you certain that each neighbour is paying equally, or are they just trying it on with whoever they think's the biggest pushover? And if roadman says the contract's with N1, why not just suggest he bills N1?

Utter madness, all of it

''Oh thats cool, if there are no quotes and no detail then there is no work to be done. Just as long as we are clear on that. Ta'.

This is so weird. You're basically handing this guy a blank cheque.

I'm confused...what 'extras' were they that cost 8k? I'm assuming they were essential? And now the contractor is doing more work excluding the repairs (on a side note when you spend 30k on repairs and then it needs further repairs a few months in I think you have a pretty shabby contractor doing the work) but you don't know what this other work is??

Do you really think 'letting the dust settle' is the answer here? Just email your neighbour and say categorically you will not be paying anything else as you have absolutely no idea what they are doing!

The whole set up is a nightmare but it's been allowed to get out of hand. Like I said there's various other things that N1 has gone ahead and done, sometimes he's footed the bill. Which is fine, his money. And other times he's expected us to cough up. I assume it's all split equally but i don't know for sure. I'm just not happy with it going forward. He is being deliberately vague, which to me suggests he's hiding something.

He is also trying to sign us all up to get other works done. I've categorically said to H that I do not want us tied in with anyone else. It's bad enough as it is.

No he doesn't know the contractor as far as I know. But the idea that he might be running it through his business for tax purposes has crossed my mind. He owns a seasonal business.

Although the contract has been made with N1, Its likely he'll pay, then request we reimburse our part of the payment. So even if we refuse, the work will still go ahead with him paying.

Urghhh he's a nightmare. He's the type of person that really needs to live in a detached house in the arse end of nowhere.

We are legally liable for maintenance to the drive. I've quickly scanned through our deeds. What we need to establish is, what would happen should we disagree with works scheduled without our consent. I'm assuming he can take legal action to recoup the costs?

I've given so much away on this thread, I'm going to be outted but I'm past caring tbh.

The extras were mainly granite curb stones. Which keep being driven on by bin men/delivery men so they tend to fall away from their sets hence the need for at least twice yearly maintenance.

With respect and obviously without knowing your drive but £30k ++ does not sound like 'maintenance' costs. Is there not more detail in the deeds on what exactly is deemed to be maintenance? Just because you are all liable doesn't mean you just throw money at the guy organising it, and there will be a limit as to what you need to keep maintained - if he said he wanted to encrust pink diamonds all the way up the drive and you had to pay for part of it because you were jointly liable you would clearly say no!

Oh well look you obviously have plenty of money if you aren't bothered telling a neighbour to stop stealing from you.

So did you all agree to have the granite before it was installed, and were you informed of the maintenance of it? Whose idea was the granite, was it the neighbours? It's a very expensive option for him to choose if so.

Just send an email round saying that you no longer have the money to pay for further maintenance. If any more are deemed necessary then you need to see quotes and agree the work.

Or are you embarrassed that your neighbours might think you poor or tight fisted?

Make it clear that without 3 quotes and full approval of costs before any work is carried out, you will not be paying, or agreeing to pay, one single pence more.

Demanding jobs and kids my arse, how the heck do people like this survive?

It's about the simplest thing in the world to organise. Let's face it, you don't need a PhD to lay a road do you?

There is no way I would be paying for kerb stones to be replaced every year, they're not an intregal part of the drive. I'm sure you can refuse. In our village there is a private drive and all residents on that road are responsible. It's basically a dirt track and every now and then they club together and buy some gravel to fill in the worst pot holes. My friend lives there and if she was asked for £thousands she would laugh her head off at them!

He is being deliberately vague, which to me suggests he's hiding something

I couldn't agree more - and while this might have been "allowed to get out of hand" that's the past; it doesn't mean it has to continue

Why not mention to him that you're going to source your own contractors to give some estimates? His reaction might prove interesting

Twice yearly 'maintenance' is sheer madness

Only to those being expected to pay ... to the contractor (and the neighbour?) it sounds to me like a really nice little earner

Jux, I appreciate that it seems nuts but that was what was paid. The last surface was badly laid in the middle of winter so it needed to essentially be completely removed and re-laid. Our drive is more of roadway than a drive in the normal sense of the word. And there are hundreds of these fucking granite sets. Each have to be re-set and re-pointed when they're knocked out of place.

The fact is the precedent was set back then. The first we knew of it was when the granite was being laid and by that point not further discussions had been made, certainly none that we were privy to so we reluctantly paid. The stones weren't agreed. We were billed after the fact. I'm not sure what the others agreed but for us H mainly felt we had to pay. We hate owing money. Yes, he saw us coming. Anyway what is done is done.

Going forward there will be ongoing maintenance for the kerbs and I don't feel we should pay given that they were never agreed in the first place. Will be looking to confirm our position on it.

We're not poor but neither are we very well off that an unexpected bill isn't gong to affect our finances.

My email to N1 (cced all the neighbours) this afternoon made it clear that all works should be approved in future. So far, compete silence.

You will very likely be liable for 'reasonable' costs for maintenance according to user.

So if you live at the top, you don't pay for all the way down. Fancy extras you are not liable for, and if he has spent too much and not obtained three quotes etc that's also not reasonable.

I would simply send N1 an email or letter stating that you will no longer be contributing any money to works, maintenance or otherwise, without the standard three quotes for comparison and a meeting of the RMC to discuss and decide a course of action. I would add a paragraph stating that decisions regarding works must not be taken unilaterally by any RMC member and that further financial contributions cannot be assumed without prior agreement.