Not paying for garden work

[gardendramas5]

I’m pretty sure I’m not being unreasonable but I just want to see what other people think.

I purchased my house December last year. It was empty for at least 2 years (ex rental)

The previous owners kept the front and back garden tidy whilst it was on the market, no idea if it was them that did the work or if they paid someone. Both gardens are quite large. I started doing all of this myself when I took ownership.

Anyway, I’ve been away for the last week with family and came home on Wednesday to freshly cut grass, weeds pulled etc. I asked my neighbours if they had seen anyone but they were at work. It turns out that the previous owners hired a company to do the work and hadn’t notified them that they’d sold the house last year. I only found this out yesterday as the gardener turned up with the invoice. I explained I wasn’t aware of this arrangement and that he would have to invoice the previous owners for the work (I was polite and apologised for the inconvenience but made it clear I hadn’t asked for this work to be done and wasn’t prepared to pay for it either)

He knocked on again this morning and explained that he’d spoken to them yesterday and that they agreed to pay half (because it was their error) but that I should pay the rest because I’m the one benefiting from the work. I told him no sorry I’m not paying and he needs to take it up with them.

I do feel bad for the gardener, but it’s their fault. I didn't ask for this. They were awkward during the conveyancing process too so this doesn’t surprise me. AIBU?

You are not being unreasonable but if it happened to me i would be happy to pay half

Because faffing about with a lock every time would be a pain in the arse, it would prevent deliveries being ‘put round the back’, and we don’t all live in high crime areas.

Save your self from the hassle pay the 50% as good will in case you need to engage the gardener sometime in the future. Unless it’s unreasonable costs. You may sleep better.

This is the previous tenant's responsibility. They should pay the whole invoice, since the original contract was between them and the gardeners.

Also, what if gardener carried out work that OP dislikes? That’s not a benefit of service. I’d be pissed off if a beloved plant or tree was trimmed or removed without permission (as example).

outch for the gardener and he defo is due his bill but solely from the previous owners.
you weren’t warned neither asked so no…you shouldn’t pay.

it also is clearly not looking like you want so don’t :/ but my mind would be that IF you can, then participate. It looks like an honest mistake… if you can’t, we’ll defo don’t.

He's gardener not Tony Soprano. You can't just pay up every time some random shows up demanding money.

OP is right to refuse to pay. It's all on the former owners.

If they do 'exact their revenge' then it becomes a criminal matter for the police to deal with.

Don't be mean. It can't be that much, surely?

I think you are being very naive. Imo it's not worth the possibility. It's a different scenario but my daughter was stalked by her ex boyfriend when she finished with him. He was 19 and no Tony Soprano- or so we thought, til bad things started happening. He ended up in court. Anyway, I don't trust anyone. My home and family are too important to risk for the sake of paying a gardener for a one off job. My friend had an awful experience with a decorator who didn't do a good job and they sacked him and then the car tyres were mysteriously slashed and other bad stuff happened. It's not worth it. They know where the client lives.

Why should he discount for anyone. He is being give the runaround through no fault of his own. You are benefiting OP so do the decent thing.

She’s not benefiting. Her property was trespassed upon.

Given you have actually had the tangible benefit of it, I’d lose the impetus to fight beyond half.

But make sure you cancel if you don’t want it going forward.

This is all down to the previous owners, I wouldn’t pay I’m afraid. The gardener will have to persue them. Make it clear you’re not prepared to discuss it further 🙂

But she didn't book it in the first place. I don't think he would be returning if she didn't pay the first time.

I would have just continued to let someone do it and not pay.

What? She would be doing the decent thing. Not somethhing you hear a lot about these days

No he probably wouldn’t. I’m just advising she clears up any doubt once and for all.

That is very normal round here where we live.

Is it any different where you live?

Me too!

I would just pay up as a gesture of goodwill.
It has helped you not to have cut lawns after a week away.
But do make sure the previous owners have now cancelled the contract.

It would be interesting to ok now how much we're actually talking about here.

This simply shows how different things can be in different parts of the country (or even different parts of the same city).

I don't know any of my neighbours that don't have a locked gate. Many years ago though we did used to have an unlocked gate.

I remember many years ago when DD was a baby. She wouldn't sleep and DH was downstairs with her in the middle of the night walking backwards and forwards trying to get her to sleep (that was the only thing that seemed to work at the time).

This is how my DH recounts the story. The room was dark, there were no lights, and he had been walking up and down with her for ages until she started to nod off. He had just put her down to go and lock the back door when somebody came in through the back door.

He saw my DH and bolted. DH went after him but unfortunately didn't catch him. Whoever it was had got through into our back garden and to the back door through our side gate that goes from the front to the back garden.

Straight after that we got a lock for the gate and security lights that are motion activated.

It still scares me to think what might have happened if it had been me downstairs with my DD that night instead of DH. Would the intruder have come for me? Would I have been able to fight him off or raise the alarm so that my DH heard?

I've always made sure we have a secure property since then.

that's fine and your choice. I don't live in a high crime area but my back garden is private and I don't want stuff being left there or strangers wandering in

all the people saying "she benefitted" she didn't! Someone encroached on her property and did stuff she didn't want done.

I can’t imagine not having a lockable side gate, and I’m sure it’s a requirement if our insurance company anyway.

Yup, we all have choices and despite not being high crime I’d rather a delivery left out of sight than on the front doorstep. Our back garden is private too but I’m not aware of any random strangers wandering round to back gardens here. If that started happening I’m sure we’d all consider CCTV and locked gates.