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?

Not a cheap shot, just a recognition. Nobody real talks about "breeding" like that. Unfortunately you don't have sufficient real-world experience of what you perceive as "posh" people to successfully impersonate one.

Of course he should be paid - by the people who failed to cancel his contract. They are trying to get the OP to pay their bill.

There wouldn't have been that much work as the OP had been working on it - the gardener was expecting a place untouched since last Autumn but that's not what he would have got.

This didn’t really work out though because he didn’t show up as agreed and if he didn’t like flowers/bulbs I planted, he dug them up. Particularly, I had planted hundreds of daffodils and he pulled up all the bulbs and put them in the bin.

What an absolute idiot. I'd be amazed if he has any work.

It's very Hyacinth Bucket language - hilarious in a nightmare fictional character who is set up to be laughed at; but I agree, not something you'd expect to hear from an actual real person.

No, because nobody does hard graft in a garden trying to ' sucker' ( is that a Mr T phrase, I loved the A team ), anybody. It's more an issue of understanding and accepting how the situation has unfolded and acknowledging the hard work done in good faith and renumerating the man or woman who has done the work. The reason why this could be about breeding is because the way one is raised has a very large impact on how we view these issues. It's not about socio economic class.

But he did the hard work in good faith for the person he had had the agreement with (albeit he didn't bother to check beforehand after half a year had passed) - so if anybody should pay, it's him.

Why does that involve OP, just because it was her garden that he trespassed in and did unnecessary unwanted work in?

No idea what you mean by real. I have plenty of world experience. I never used the word ' posh ' nor am I trying to affect such a persona, whatever that is. I think you may mean socio economic class. Breeding and socio economic class are two distinct concepts. Out of interest though, what makes one posh ? Apart from posh spice.

Yes you're correct - he did it for the old owners who forgot to cancel him, and he arguably didn't show due diligence to check they hadn't moved house without telling him, but the OP still received the service, which I can't believe has come as a hindrance and the mistake is reflected in a half price deal from the old owners. I think the OP has really reacted indignantly to being ambushed as it were by an unexpected cost, even if it's a good deal . Looks like we won't come to an agreement on this issue. I suppose it could be about temperament, personality and what your conscience is telling you.

Yeah, honestly, you're really not at all convincing. Not sure who you think this works on.

But if that's the sentiment, how else would you say it ?Alright if you don't like ' breeding ' because it reminds you of a Patricia Rutledge character how about it being a question of how one is ' socialised ? '

It’s not a good deal if you didn’t want the service.

How much is the bill? I think you should pay half. You have benefitted in so far as he has saved you doing it yourself for a while and pulling weeds etc is no fun!

The previous owners are totally in the wrong and it’s cheeky of them to only offer to pay half the bill, but you haven’t really got any redress against them.

If you refuse to pay, the only person who loses out is the gardener who has done the hard work in good faith and through no fault of his own. I would suck it up, pay half and enjoy your neat and tidy garden with your feet up, as you can leave it for a couple of weeks now!

now that I can agree with...If you are socialised to be a doormat you will behave in one way and if you are socialised to be able to self advocate you will behave in another.

how many more times? she may not have wanted the work done, she may have wanted to do the work herself like I do, she may have wanted the weeds left and be doing no mow may, also like I do. The only person whose fault it is NOT is the OP's so why should she pay? OH and PS the person who might have redress is the gardener. It remains between them and the house sellers and no one else.

I'm not sure it'll ever get through but keep trying

I'm also doing No Mow May and leaving most of the weeds (only pulling up the ones that grow between paving slabs on the drive because once those take hold you need a flamethrower to get rid). Plus, our front hedge is looking super scruffy - DC reckoned they saw a couple of birds going in to it, could be a nest. If somebody came along and trimmed our hedge, I wouldn't be thinking "I'm soooo grateful for my naice tidy garden, please take my money you poor poor gardener!" I'd be absolutely raging and pointing out that it is illegal to disturb a wild bird's nest.

thank you, sometimes on here I feel that I and others are shouting into the void!

It's just that one word in particular that sounds so off to most of us - maybe because we usually associate it with domestic pets and farm animals rather than humans.

'Socialising' is fine imho; maybe 'upbringing' or 'background'?

It's something that the aristocracy might have used up to the early 20th century and it doesn't mean your upbringing, it means you come from the right stock. In the modern world nobody would use it except someone who thinks upper class people still talk like that and is trying to mimic them, badly (or, I suppose, someone who simply doesn't know what it means).

I think meals and cooking might be a good analogy here. If you're a real foodie, like to experiment and a huge fan of cooking for yourself and your family.

There's some kind of mix-up with your local Indian takeaway, whereby they accidentally send you a huge amount of food that you never ordered.

It may be that you're not a huge lover of Indian food; or probably more likely, you do like it, but you enjoy preparing it from scratch yourself, choosing all of the ingredients, your fine-tuned bespoke recipe and the specific mix of spices, as you like taking your time and planning it yourself - knowing the best places to buy assured welfare and quality food at great direct-from-producer prices.

Also you like a very varied menu anyway, so you don't want to be eating just Indian food for half a week.

Because it was their error, they say just to pay them half the price - although they do lay it on thickly that it's a little family business that's their family's livelihood, so it will impact on them not to get the full retail value for all of their hard work and food stock.

Other people then tell you that you've really landed on your feet there, and greatly benefited from it all: no need to do any cooking yourself for several days and a bargain at half price!

You personally probably wouldn't be overjoyed or share that opinion of the situation that just happened to you without any expressed interest or initiation whatsoever on your part.

Just because YOU for some reason can’t believe that it “comes as a hindrance” doesn’t mean the OP has to welcome trespassers and unsolicited services.

If someone trespassed on my property and mowed or pulled plants, HE would be paying ME via small claims court.

Mary, Mary quite contrary. . . . . . . .

What works on ?

Well, we both only know what we're told.

And? What are you implying that the OP is hiding from us?

Yes it is.