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Original poster

Ways to get revenge on rogue builder. Help.

35 replies

Hullabaloo9 · 26/04/2021 10:03

My mother has fallen victim to a rogue builder. 2 and a half years ago he began replacing her garage roof for her. He was sketchy even then, often not turning up etc. When the work was nearly but not quite complete he said he was coming to pick up the money as he needed it for Christmas. He left a ladder and a workbench so mum (in her 70s) naively paid up in cash. Since then he has not returned. He often doesn't answer his phone. If he does he is apparently always having some drama so he can't come, or will give a date and not turn up.

This is obviously a lesson learnt for mum and we have no legal leg to stand on as there is no contract and payment was in cash.

I want to simply annoy the hell out of this man and inconvenience him as much as possible. I have his full name, address, mobile number. I'm thinking signing him up for spam mails and things like that.

He seems quite a highly strung, chauvinist type so just little inconveniences will hopefully really irritate him and give me some satisfaction.

Any ideas?

OP posts:
Lockheart · 26/04/2021 10:08

Don't harrass him, it's illegal. Don't be so bloody daft.

Speak to Citizens Advice and other bodies who will be able to direct you to any possible ways you might be able to recover the money.

Onedropbeat · 26/04/2021 10:15

I had a rogue trader target me about 4 years ago

He scared the shit out of me so badly I ended up with quite a bit of trauma

I reported him to trading standards and every governing body I possibly could, even the review site ‘three best rated’ which refused to accept what he did was wrong and kept him listed

Trading standards didn’t do anything to help either

He’s still out there ripping poor people off because I still hear about it and it makes me so angry

I’d love for him to be inconvenienced somehow but I just hope karma catches up one day

I’d be too scared to do anything that came back on me

paperandfireworks · 26/04/2021 10:18

Take him to court.

Hopdathelf · 26/04/2021 10:21

You might have some legal recourse. Surely that’s better than harassing him, which could get you in trouble.

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 26/04/2021 10:23

cash job - report him to HMRC - probably income tax evasion, NI and possibly VAT as well.

Original poster
Hullabaloo9 · 26/04/2021 10:25

We can't take him to court as it was paid in cash and there's no evidence that he was even doing the work.

I guess I will just keep ringing him in a polite and cheerful manner, asking when he will be completing the work. To be honest this seems to annoy him enough.

I really annoys me though that people have no bloody conscience.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hullabaloo9 · 26/04/2021 10:26

Hmmm, never thought of HMRC. I will look into it. Thanks

OP posts:
LookItsMeAgain · 26/04/2021 10:40

Contact the BBC "Rogue Traders" programme. See if they will take on the case?

Lockheart · 26/04/2021 10:47

@EveryDayIsADuvetDay

cash job - report him to HMRC - probably income tax evasion, NI and possibly VAT as well.
Someone taking a payment as cash does not necessarily mean they are evading tax. Unless you have other evidence that this person is evading tax I'd be very careful about making accusations because if you're wrong it could backfire on you.
ChequerBoard · 26/04/2021 11:15

Take him to small claims court and recover the money for the unfinished work.

Don't try any vigilante style harassment that will only come back and bite you.

Maintain the high ground, stay reasonable and factual and use the court system to recover your mum's money. Be realistic though, you need to assess what he has done and what that work was worth vs what is left to be done. Don't ask for all the money back, you won't be successful.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 26/04/2021 11:59

Don't harass him...

Report him to action fraud and trading standards... Sometimes they can't act... But they can if you're number x of similar cons the same person has carried out...

Daftasabroom · 26/04/2021 12:18

Small claims court, no need to get a solicitor involved. Even if just comes down your mum's word Vs his. Do you have any evidence such bank withdrawals? You have his ladder and workbench.

Fespital · 26/04/2021 12:35

Small claims court. You have his ladder and work bench. I'd like to see him try and lie his way out of that in front of a judge.

malmi · 26/04/2021 12:37

I am not a lawyer but... If he's not actually denying that money has been paid and he still has a job to complete then a few carefully worded texts with some replies might be enough to persuade a court that he acknowledges the existence of the verbal contact to do x work for y money.

TheQueef · 26/04/2021 12:40

You can go to court.
The fact that he did do some work establishes there was a contract.
Keep it to legal recourse.

Planttrees · 26/04/2021 12:48

@EveryDayIsADuvetDay

cash job - report him to HMRC - probably income tax evasion, NI and possibly VAT as well.
You can do this anonamously online. I did it once to someone who failed to pay the promised wage for a days work. He gave £20 cash in hand for an 8 hour trial day! It was very satisfying to report him although I have no idea if they investigated him.
AnneElliott · 26/04/2021 12:57

Agree with pp that no written contract doesn't mean you can't go for small claims court. Especially if you have his address etc.

Original poster
Hullabaloo9 · 26/04/2021 13:24

Thanks you all for your advice. I will definitely look into small claims court.

OP posts:
Lockheart · 26/04/2021 14:31

@Planttrees

You can do this anonamously online. I did it once to someone who failed to pay the promised wage for a days work. He gave £20 cash in hand for an 8 hour trial day! It was very satisfying to report him although I have no idea if they investigated him.

Yes, but in your case the man had clearly done something illegal paying below minimum wage.

In OPs case there is no indication anything illegal has gone on and since OP admits she is out for revenge then any reports to the authorities could well result in OP ending up in a civil court for libel / slander. Unless OP has evidence this person is evading tax then she would be best advised to steer well clear of making malicious accusations which have no basis.

ViciousJackdaw · 26/04/2021 14:56

Could the builder be shamed via a local newspaper 'sadface' story?

Planttrees · 26/04/2021 18:28

[quote Lockheart]@Planttrees

You can do this anonamously online. I did it once to someone who failed to pay the promised wage for a days work. He gave £20 cash in hand for an 8 hour trial day! It was very satisfying to report him although I have no idea if they investigated him.

Yes, but in your case the man had clearly done something illegal paying below minimum wage.

In OPs case there is no indication anything illegal has gone on and since OP admits she is out for revenge then any reports to the authorities could well result in OP ending up in a civil court for libel / slander. Unless OP has evidence this person is evading tax then she would be best advised to steer well clear of making malicious accusations which have no basis.[/quote]
Its anonymous! The authorities don't know who is reporting so there can be no come-back.

millipoops · 21/05/2022 06:42

Don;t do anything silly out of anger. Speak to CAB - a contract can be an oral one.

millipoops · 21/05/2022 06:44

It costs to go to County court write to him first -I have just won some damages from a builder.

MardyBumm · 21/05/2022 07:25

-Advertise on Gumtree that you have free kittens to give away and list his number. He'll get loads of annoying calls 😁
-Buy a load of keys with a cheap tag attached to them. Put his phone number on the tag and hide the keys in random public places. He will get loads of calls saying his keys have been found. Annoying and confusing.

ChiefInspectorParker · 21/05/2022 07:51

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