Grrrr who doesnt want to get paid ????!!!!

[Catwoman300]

I had some work done at the beginning of this year. The joiner (Colin, not his real name) is sort of related to me but 2nd/ 3 rd cousin. Also another family connection too. So he was starting out on his own and my brother knew I needed work done and suggested him. He was a nightmare. Never turned up when he said he would. Esp Monday/Tuesday as he was hungover from the weekend apparently. Did a shit job, and eg ordered wrong sized cupboard doors x4.

Colin sent me a bill for over 2 k which was just a text saying 'give me 2 k for doors architrave skirting etc' no itemisation. So I asked for an itemised bill, then I got 'doors' =x amount, (workman x amount, electrician x amount, including labour etc ) but this took a couple of months to materialise and I had to 'remind him'. This was all via text.

He had my house key and i asked him to bring it with him but he never came back to me. Several months later i sent another text to 'remind him' to settle the bill. He had been 'meaning to call for ages', so we arranged the meet up for the following day at 4 PM. He didnt show up. I had the cash for him but was going to wrangle over the wrong sized doors that i ended up having to pay for that he had ordered. I waited till 5 pm I was so mad. Ffs who doesnt want to get paid?

I left at 5 thoroughly pissed off , i had to go to my elderly mothers. I have had no word since. I'm going to get my lock changed as I suspect he has lost my key and this is maybe part of his reticence to come back to me.

I have had to get people in to complete his work and fix the shit jobs he made of some of his work. I live in a small rural town and suspect he may be saying to others, 'dont work for her as she doesnt pay' but the guy who fixed his shit work got paid the day after completion , in cash. Colin used to work for him and he told me how unreliable he was.

Where do I stand here? Family are saying i have made reasonable attempts to settle the bill and he is the a-hole who is so unreliable he cant even turn up to get paid.

AIBU to not pursue him any longer.

Just got a message from Colin, he said to give the two grand to me and he’ll get the money off me later.
Honest!😅

Why are you trying to give money to someone who didn’t do the job you wanted. Change the locks, keep that invoice to offset against against any potential claims that you owe him. Don’t pay a penny

Honestly I would have changed the barrels months ago. Easy to do.
And stopped trying to pay him money when he failed to show up.

If the cash was now spare I would put it in and isa or something and forget about it.

Definitely don't chase him.
When he gets in touch, only pay him what it's worth, with written calculations.
Sounds like his business won't last long .

YANBU but I would keep the money aside. I had this with a friend's DH (apart from he did a good job!). After months of chasing him/mentioning it to my friend I figured the work was on him, spent the money then go the bill (which wasn't a huge amount but no longer budgeted for).

I'm stuck on paying a £2k bill in cash!

The cash is accumulated because I get my mums groceries, household products, clothes and pay her mobile and Internet bills. I usually pay it on my card and she pays me cash. She is 94 so prefers to do it this way. It had accumulated over many months. I use the cash as a bit of an emergency fund for paying window cleaners or odd job people, but due to covid this was a higher amount than normal at the time. Eg now I don't have anywhere near that amount in the house.

I live in a smallish rural town. People talk and I know how this goes from misogynistic men builders and joiners. I live alone and you're a 'whinging woman' but if it's an unhappy man he is just angry or annoyed. Different attitude and reaponses. Usual bloody story. So this is why I think any other trades people will listen to his story before they listen to mine. They're more likely to believe him, small town mentality.

I still need some work done but in the new year. Getting trades people has been a bit of a nightmare so one bad word from him could make a difference.

I was keen to sort it out once and for all, haggle it out and settle the bill. I even had the sodding wrong sized cupboard doors at the ready to say 'take these with you but im taking it off the price of the bill.'
The family connections doesn't help. My brother is well known and liked in the area so it's a case of 'Catwoman300's sister is a nightmare'kind of thing. At least I have attempted to follow through and have the text messages to prove it .

I wouldn't worry about what he may or may not be saying. You just have to laugh and say oh believe me, I tried to pay but he can't even manage to turn up for that.

I wouldn’t worry about your reputation. He’s known to be unreliable. They’ll hear him whinge about multiple customers and mark it all down to him.

It's a small town. Believe me they'll know what a poor workman he is. Keep the money earmarked and let him do the chasing. Don't pay him for his mistakes!

Why would you pay him £2k? Take off the doors money, plus what you paid the other guy to fix, round down.