Is my partner overcharging my mum for work he has done?

[Lleeaahh1992]

My mums house was in a state of disrepair and needed plastering painting and lots of old furniture getting rid of her house hadnt had anything done to it for 25 years. My mum isnt in the best of health and is also a carer for my dad who is bed bound.

My partner offered to do the painting and get his dad to help him as his dad is a retired plasterer and painter. My partner isnt a painter but is pretty good at it, but he cant plaster thats why he was getting his dad to help. Anyway it turned out the housing association done the plastering so she only needed some things polyfilling and the house painting. He said he would get his dad anyway as it would be quicker that way.

It was agreed they would be paid £10 per hour each, he said they would probaly be working 10 hour days but if it varied they would only charge for the hours worked.

Anyway my mum waited two months for my partner to start as he kept putting it off but finally started last week and has just finished. The thing thats bothering me is most of the days he has worked, he has finished at a half hour or less so e.g 7.5 hours, 6.5 hours and so on and his dad only worked 3 days out of the 7. He has now said any day that he finished part way through the hour even by 10 minutes he is charging the full hour because thats how it works he says. So altogether he is charging for 6 lots of half hours that he didnt work, and 3 lots of half hours for his dad that his dad didn't work. And he is charging 39 pound for his dads travel for the 3 days he worked. So altogether it is £84 added onto the bill. Im not happy about this because he agreed with my mum he would only charge what they worked and said nothing about travel for his dad .

When iv broached it with him he has told me to keep out of it as he is the one sorting it out and he done some bits an bobs for free a few months ago like dismantling and removing furniture because my mum was struggling. Shall i stand my ground and say this is unfair and was not agreed to or just leave him to it?

Tell him you will pay it. And then don't. Get him to take it off your mother's bill. Then, if he makes a fuss, tell him you'll ring the tax office for their opinion on it.

Your DP isnt a tradesman, he happens to be good at painting...why is he going on and on about how much tradesman charge? He isnt a tradesman he is MIL a favour and shouldnt be trying to take the piss

[quote Peppafrig]@OhCaptain you are very lucky that your DH can take weeks off unpaid to do that then I wish I was in that position.[/quote]
Where did I say he took time off for it?

I said the literal opposite.

@7catsandcounting

Tell him you will pay it. And then don't. Get him to take it off your mother's bill. Then, if he makes a fuss, tell him you'll ring the tax office for their opinion on it.

@Lleeaahh1992 you should 100% do this.

@donewithitalltodayandxmas

I can't believe how many on here feel so entitled that they would expect a family member to come and work for them for free We aren't talking putting a couple of shelfs up but some here would expect there family tradesmen to do hrs and hrs for not a penny The op mum was obviously unable to do and happy to pay, maybe the op partner as well as that would help them out also What is wrong is that he is overcharging and really would of been better if he just agreed a price at the beginning and you then incl things like travel! In to the cost. Also you may of got someone professional round to quote and then do it for a substantial amount less and not qualified

I totally agree. Can’t believe people are suggesting that OP deal with his overcharging by not paying him at all 🙄

Charging family a fee for helping out is disgusting! Especially if it's just some painting (it's not the hardest of jobs) and he took his time to do it! I'm shocked that you even let them set a charge in the first place. My partner wouldn't even dream of doing this!

To be honest it sounds like a big job - painting a house that's not been touched for a lot of years - that's a lot of making good, sanding and wiping down walls etc before even starting to paint. I think a week is a reasonable amount of time if you're doing it properly and honestly that it wasn't that expensive.

I'm surprised how many people have family members who could afford to take a whole week off not getting paid to do that amount of work for free.

Ive done a lot of painting in my time and it's fine if you're just painting over something that's in god nick but the prepping alone for a house that's not been done for 20 years would be horrendous.

@OhCaptain well all the tradesmen i know charge family for big jobs , obviously at a lesser rate like my dh who did his sibling work for £600 instead of the £2000 he had been quoted as couple weeks worth of work free ,we wouldn't of been able to feed our kids ,
Your probably talking the odd bit here and there , there is no way many tradesmen could do weeks worth of work for family and not charge a penny
Also my family would insist on paying someone who gave up paid work for them as they wouldn't want to be seen to take advantage
My dad is also in the trade ,your saving someone a lot of money so why would they them not give you something for your time

To the last post that you wrote @Lleeaahh1992 - yes, tell your mother. Get her to tell your partner that she wants you to speak for her. Any queries about bills "Oh, Lleeaahh will deal with you about that" and cut him off at the chase. He'll have no option but to deal with you.
Then you tell him that you're not paying for the half hours that add up to 3 hours (each I'd imagine so 6 hours in total) and the materials etc. He told you what he'd charge and that is what you're sticking to.

It reads as though he wants to get the money he thought he'd be getting for doing the plastering (even though it would have been his dad doing that job) and wants to make up that shortfall and he's fudging the figures to make it work out best for him but not for you or your parents.

Once you've settled the bill, you need to tell him that you're so disappointed in how he dealt with the situation and that he honestly thought it was ok to rip of your parents under your eyes and you cannot stay with someone like that and dump his sorry ass!

@OhCaptain you have as we asked if you had been round doing weeks of work so you said that

@OhCaptain you were asked if your DH done a weeks worth of painting and you said yes and for your sister also

So all of you expecting that family should do free work and a large amount. If your family member works as a cleaner would you expect them to come and clean your house For free? Surely thats the same thing as if your bil is a tradesmen and expecting them to work for free
Of course its not the same thing. Cleaning is not a 'trade' and most people are capable of doing it themselves. Having said that if my mother became unable to do her own cleaning I would just go and do it myself. Are you saying you'd charge her? I'm struggling to believe anyone would charge their own parents to do a job tbh.
We've had family members & friends do quite a bit for free/cost - decorating, plastering, plumbing, wiring, gardening etc some big jobs some small and DH reciprocates when they need his help.

@Amelia49 it was over a weeks worth of painting ,not just some painting and some days 2 of them.
What is wrong is overcharging for more hrs than worked or over a price agreed

@donewithitalltodayandxmas exactly I have a friend who is a chef wonder if she will take a week or three off unpaid and come work in my kitchen .

And I also said he did it in the evenings - well into the night when sister was renovating an old property - and at weekends.

It was tough for him, no doubt. But that’s just what we do for family.

Christ! We were all building her a kitchen one weekend from sun up to sun down.

OP’s partner isn’t actually a professional, you do realise?

If your mum ever babysits / has your kids for the afternoon , ask your partner for £40, when he asks why , just give him a stern look !

@XiCi if I was doing my mums cleaning weekly she would pay me yes
As it is I pay my mum to do out cleaning rather than someone else
I know lots on the trade I don't know a single one that would do a large job for free for all friends and family and actually its something tradesmen hate , the expectation that a friend wants free work.
A little help here and there, but if someone wants there kitchen fitted and expects a mate or family member to do for free that is taking the piss
So the tradesmen does that and earns no money for himself for the week, how does he pay his bills
Lots of tradesmen actually won't even work for friends and family due to the expectation of mates rates
You wouldn't ask your solicitor friend to do a case for free , or your nurse friend to come and look after you when your ill

@OhCaptain no but the op said he is good at it and £10 per hr isn't a professional rate you could almost double that

@OhCaptain but you didn't mention when he did it until that post
The point is the op hasn't got an issue with the charging that is something agreed its with the overcharging which is understandable

[quote donewithitalltodayandxmas]@OhCaptain no but the op said he is good at it and £10 per hr isn't a professional rate you could almost double that[/quote]
Yes, and I said DH is also very good at it and wouldn’t take money from family because he’s not a complete scab! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why can’t you accept some people just aren’t that greedy? I’ve done loads of legal work for friends for free. I don’t know anyone in any firm I’ve worked in who’s charged family and friends for legal advice. Genuinely I don’t.

I think you must be weirdly unfortunate with the people around you.

[quote donewithitalltodayandxmas]@OhCaptain but you didn't mention when he did it until that post
The point is the op hasn't got an issue with the charging that is something agreed its with the overcharging which is understandable [/quote]
Eh?

This is what I said:

I don’t know about anyone else but I’m not saying DH wouldn’t charge because my family is entitled.

My mam would absolutely try to pay him, and he would absolutely point blank refuse to take money from her.

He’d do whatever work she needed in the evenings/weekends and keep his day job going.

It’s right there ^

You wouldn't ask your solicitor friend to do a case for free
Actually my solicitor friend has done work for me for free, and an accountant friend.
'Love jobs' as they're called are usually done in evenings and on weekends so noone is losing out on work, you are just giving your time and expertise to your family. Obviously this isn't going to be something that happens every day or week but it does happen. I honestly don't know anyone that would charge their mum for a job

@OhCaptain but this isn't work in the evening its during the week , its a lot of work for just evening and weekends 80 off hrs worth

Does anyone read the original post 🤦‍♀️🙄 he is NOT a professional and this is NOT his job!!!! He also didn't need his retired dad to work with him because the plastering didn't need doing, but they both want to charge the mum for this work anyway??

Personally I'd pay for the materials and the hours they actually worked and then end the relationship. He is ripping your parents off.