Tradesperson inviting people into my home

[IvyPlant]

Currently got a tradesperson in to do a job. They quoted me a day rate of 8 days work (which I think will take less time than that, but they're the expert...)

Anyway, that's not my AIBU. I checked my security footage this week and noticed a woman popped round to my house when I was out and tradesperson was working alone in my house. I can only see her walk past my front door to the back garden gate, she knocks and then the feed ends. She's seen leaving 4 hours later. The next day, same thing, except 3 hours.

At present the tradesperson gets here for about 8am and has already stopped working by 3pm. So that's 7 hours of work, fair enough, but 4 (and 3) of them an unknown woman here is (it's not his wife, I did a little social media digging and it's not her).

AIBU if I question him about it next week? He still has 4 days left to finish the job next week and I don't l like the fact there's an unknown and univited person in my house when I'm not there, plus, how much work can he really be doing if his "mate" is there for 4 hours.

Fwiw OP I think you are doing the right thing in saying nothing to him yet. An acquaintance of my husband did pretty much the same thing your tradesperson is doing. The customer found out mid job and read him the riot act. It all became very unpleasant leaving her with unfinished potentially dangerous building work and eventually a physical fight between the customers husband and the acquaintance of my husband (this man is absolutely not our friend I hasten to add)! Best to get the work done first and then negotiate the price with him. I don’t know why anyone would think the conversation was awkward or uncomfortable for you. He’s the one that’s been cheating on his wife in a customers home.

Thank you for this, it's the point I was trying to make but OP – and yes, OPs are referred to in third person on MN if you're not addressing them directly! – reckons we have no place to say this.

I’m just shamelessly following this for an update later…

I think the point is that if we were in your position practically none
of us would be dealing with it the way that you are. That's why people
are baffled, not because you're getting one over on us by being a super
sleuth. You could have dealt with this instantly on page one long before
you had no electricity

With a job halfway completed, she wasn't sure untill Thursday evening when the ow made a return visit and her suspicions made her look his wife up.

Op has done nothing wrong other than employ man who thought he could use her facilities to conduct an illicit affair and get paid for 8 days when in fact it probably could have been done in less time.
Op should definitely be re- negotiating the estimate she was given, as for the cameras, why should op not install them, it is her property and no one expects a tradesman to be entertaining women on their property. It is his responsibility to behave appropriately in customers homes.

If the camera picks up any immoral behaviour, that's on him.

Oh for the love of (insert your choice of God/idol here)

I literally (and I mean this in the literal sense, not the ironic way people usually misuse it) I found out the woman was entering my garden on Thursday evening AFTER the tradesperson had finished for the day. The tradesperson had not been back here until today, and I only found out what happened today later this evening (about 5pm to be precise). I haven't seen him since Thursday evening. Thursday evening I had no power to some of my property, and today I still have no power to some of my property. If I confront him before he finishes the work, I risk him not returning at all, I risk him sabotaging the work, I risk him threatening me, I risk having no power and/or dangerous electrics to my house until I can find another person willing to finish the guys work. I risk paying out twice. Not paying him is not an option.

Having unsafe electrics is a fire risk and as I've said, it's not a risk I'm willing to take as it's not just me living here.

Deffo let him finish the job!

Let him finish the job and update us!!!

Will you continue filming him tmw?

My god! How many other customers homes has he done this in! He’s obviously come well prepared with his cushion and blanket!

You’re definitely doing the right thing holding off confronting him! Don’t know why people need to make such a song and dance about it! (Not you OP other posters).

Don’t feed the trolls OP. ‘I’m baffled’ is a byword for ‘I’m a contentious lemming suspending my critical thinking skills to be a prat online’

I would do the same as you in this situation, Ivy - facts are he is going to bill you for non working hours - plus safety issues of inviting a rando in to do "who knows what". What if she was stealing, what if an accident occurred etc. Let him finish...the electrical work that is!!

There are lots of people speaking for everybody on this thread 'everybody feels you shouldn't do xyz'...'people don't understand why you xyz'

I personally completely understand OPs actions and I think she's followed logic entirely.
-She's put cameras up in her own home, not filming outside her boundary
-She isn't filming in any rooms where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy (yes she has the loo door but that's it)
-She is only filming places where the tradesmen is expected to work

And I also would let him carry out the work if his actual workmanship is good quality. Her issue isn't the quality, it's the time she's being billed for and that's what she will dispute.

Anyone saying sack him now and they don't understand why she doesn't get someone else in clearly has tried to book an electrician recently. We urgently need our circuit looked at and no one can come out and do the job for nearly two weeks.

Following! I don't think filming him in your own house is illegal. Plenty of TV shows have hidden cameras to investigate or play pranks. I don't know every single time I'm on CCTV.

The way I see it is he is only working half days if she is there 4 hours. Without revealing anything can you see that he is not working while she is there? So he should have been finished by tomorrow, will he be finished on day 8?

I understand you wanting the job finished but I think you are showing huge restraint I would have a reason for me or my DH to be at home at some point from tomorrow, even if it’s just so he gets the job finished quicker

The point i made bout the OP having no proof is in response to those saying that they would just get rid.

He can take her to court and she has literally no proof to back up what we all know is going on. The OP will have to prove in court what the reasons are for non payment, and she cant. The court will find against her, plus costs, plus living without electricity and the hell that is trying to find another tradesman..... why would ANYONE think that that is the sensible course of action?!

Its not blackmail to say "I know you werent working all the hours you were here, I will pay your daily rate minus the hours that your "friend" was here" and then its up to him. He will kick back but reallywhat can he kick back with?"I expect to be paid while I am shagging my bit on the side"? If she catches him off guard he will panic and giver her the money off that he owes just to shut her up.

FYI....the OP has stated several times that she hasnt and will not attempt to record them "in the act", merely to prove who was on the property and when,so I dont know where you got that from!

Yes, because I now can't trust he's working the days/hours we've agreed.

If I don't film him working (or not) how will I know what is fair to argue for the final amount?

Would you rather I just give him a random number and say that is all I'm prepared to pay him based on what I've seen over the limited footage of 3 days out of potentially 8?

Plus it wouldn't have been such an interesting thread if she had just told him she knew he had someone round and she would rather he didn't.

Is that the guy who acted in the bald-headed assassin? I didn’t Google but I knew it’s him. It’s just the way he’s moving in this one. I think it’s easily identifiable. I missed your photo and usually, I don’t think it’s easy to identify someone by their firearms, if you’re not expecting to see them iyswim

No. When the woman was here for 4 and 3 hours respectively, I only had the driveway camera (because I had no idea she had visited until I looked at the motion alerts later on Thursday evening).

Today is the first day the tradesperson has been back and I caught her entering my property.

Thank you to all those who are trying to help explain the situation to others, and offering words of support.

I'd rather be sitting reading my book and enjoying my evening but here we are. Hopefully he'll be finished within his 8 days (day 8 will actually fall on next Monday as he doesn't work on Friday.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is day 6.

No you are right @IvyPlant you need him to finish the job before you say anything.

Id ask him tomorrow will the job be finished on time,and see what he says

I just think – am I even allowed to say that? You are v. hostile to any response that isn't cheering you on – that this is going to backfire regardless of your 'evidence', when he finds out you've been filming him. This could've been cleared this up with a text on Thurs night telling him it's not acceptable to have visitors on any part of your property. I seriously doubt any self-employed contractor would walk away from finishing a lucrative job in the current financial climate, so it feels like a lot of drama over nothing. But hey, at least MN is entertained.

It’s what I’d do. Find out what’s ACTUALLY happening (or rather what isn’t, as regards work) and pay for work done, not the bits when he’s, erm, clocked off! hope you get a resolution (and waiting impatiently to hear what it is!)

If you want to be pedantic, you can think what you like. However you're going one step further and telling me you think 🤣

Hostile is perhaps the wrong word. Frustrated that you're misreading (although actually I think you're not reading my posts at all is more apt) what I've shared about the experience.

Yes, I could have text him on Thursday night. But at that point, I had no proof the woman even entered my property, let alone boundary. Her actual entering of the boundary wasn't caught on camera (the wide angle lens of the driveway cam doesn't extend all the way to the back gate, rather it stops just before) but I did hear the gate scrape along the floor as it opened. Is that reasonable proof beyond doubt to confront him with? I appreciate you haven't viewed the footage yourself, and so you also don't realise it could have been my next door neighbour's gate the woman was entering. But I had to be sure. Now I'm sure she's entering my property, I no longer trust he's spending his time here according to what we agreed. I could confront him now, but again, the risks outweigh the benefits at this point, I'm not willing to risk it.

problem is tho , you accepted his quote for the job materials and 8 days labour over 3w due to not working Fridays and mon being bh

dh doesn’t quote a job for day rate to the customer but will think it will take him say 3 days for something - so 3 x his day rate plus labourer plus materials etx

sometimes he has finished in 2 and win win as ‘earns a days money ‘

othertimes he’s misjudged and job actually took 4 days

he doesn’t ask for another days money just means he earns Less a day for the 4 days

does that make sense ?

so you accepted the 8 days quote so surely you have to pay it

doesn’t matter he fucked about (meaning loosely) for some of the hours

and thinking about the loo. Yes def should have washed hands

but if in a house alone Why would you shut the toilet door

He provided an estimate of what he thought it would take to finish the job. If he finished it earlier, he would charge as such. If he finished later, would add on additional days. He was unwilling to quote a figure for the job as the electrics were a mess and it could have potentially taken him longer and he didn't want to short change himself.

I agreed to his estimate, but I didn't agree to him inviting people into my home and not working whilst entertaining them, with me footing the bill.

I also realise people charge and estimate and quote however they want, and as long as both parties agree to that, then that is what should happen.