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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not paying for garden work

808 replies

gardendramas5 · 16/05/2025 09:24

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?

OP posts:
BuildbyNumbere · 16/05/2025 12:29

No previous owners pay and gardener should be chasing them not you. He has a contract with previous owners, be it verbal or otherwise and if he has had no dealing with you then should not be approaching you asking for payment / half payment. Previous owners should pay him in full and then ask you if you are willing to reimburse half … if it’s no then they have to accept that. Surprised gardener is prepared to chase backwards and forward between you chasing money, he should have insisted the previous owners pay him in full when he spoke to them.

Debinaround · 16/05/2025 12:29

Kissedbyfire1 · 16/05/2025 11:39

Along the lines of the person who ordered the work was was acting in good faith (believed they held some sort of right/responsibility) and the person who carried out the work believed that the say-so of the person ordering it was sufficient. We made the point that on that basis anyone could order anything to be done to someone else’s property and leave them with the bill, but that didn’t convince the county court.

Show quote history

Bloody hell that’s ridiculous. It’s so unfair that someone can do that and you have to cough up. Was it a lot of money you had to pay out? I hope whoever made that decision in court comes home one day to find their whole house painted and a new fence put up and a bill they are expected to pay because someone told the handyman they would be good for it. 🙄

Badbadbunny · 16/05/2025 12:31

If the gardener genuinely was a regular worker there previously, then he'd have known it was for sale. There'd have been a for sale sign. Probably a "sold" sign. Such signs are in place often for months. Where's the guy been for the last few months? Did he never notice the sale signs?

IF, and it's a big IF, he genuinely didn't know, and IF he genuinely was a regular gardener last year, then it's still entirely on him that he screwed up. After effectively several months of not going near, suddenly rocking up and doing work is incompetent at best and he needs to chalk it up to experience and poor organisation.

Personally, as said upthread, I'd be more inclined to think he knew exactly what he was doing and was trying it on.

Theseventhmagpie · 16/05/2025 12:35

Legally you don’t have to pay, morally I think you should. Poor gardener will be out of pocket if you don’t and that’s unfair even though it’s not your fault. I’d pay.

TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis · 16/05/2025 12:35

Barrenfieldoffucks · 16/05/2025 09:40

It isn't on you at all. But if it wasn't a huge amount of money and I could afford it, I would pay half. Simply because the gardener is likely to be a one-man band who can do without potentially losing out on income. Not your problem by any means, but perhaps think that it has saved you a job for a half price fee.

He doesn't need to lose out and neither does the OP.

He can easily return this to the previous owners, as can the OP via her solicitor. If the don't cooperate, small claims.

Skandar · 16/05/2025 12:36

Its amusing all the people saying that the OP should pay because its not the gardeners fault - its not the OP's fault either?! So why should she lose out instead of the gardener? The 'benefit' she's supposedly recieved isn't a benefit if she didn't want it doing, took pleasure in doing it herself, or can't afford a third party to do it.

Skandar · 16/05/2025 12:36

Theseventhmagpie · 16/05/2025 12:35

Legally you don’t have to pay, morally I think you should. Poor gardener will be out of pocket if you don’t and that’s unfair even though it’s not your fault. I’d pay.

So then the OP is out of pocket? Why is that more fair?

looselegs · 16/05/2025 12:36

The previous owners should pay!!
Your garden has been done,without you asking, and without you even knowing that the previous owners used a gardener and they expect you to pay because they forgot to cancel him?
Nope!

Ellejay67 · 16/05/2025 12:37

I'd be happy to pay the half. It's just a mistake and you have a neat garden.

Upsetbetty · 16/05/2025 12:37

Skandar · 16/05/2025 12:36

So then the OP is out of pocket? Why is that more fair?

Show quote history

The gardener won’t be out of pocket because the gardener will need to get full pay from the original owners. It’s not rocket science.

StarTrek1 · 16/05/2025 12:37

TBH, I’d pay it to get rid of the issue but in principle, the previous owners are at fault here.

On a side note, change the locks.

You don’t know how many other ‘helpers’
might turn up!

BrickBiscuit · 16/05/2025 12:39

Viviennemary · 16/05/2025 12:09

I think you should pay up. Of course you aren't legally obliged to and the old owners should pay the full amount . If they refuse then I think you should pay as a gesture of goodwill.

Why don’t you pay the OP’s share out of goodwill then?

Rolercoaster · 16/05/2025 12:40

Of course you shouldn't pay, and it's completely unprofessional for him to come back and ask for half of the money. Money is owed by the person who booked his services.

SwingTheMonkey · 16/05/2025 12:41

Theseventhmagpie · 16/05/2025 12:35

Legally you don’t have to pay, morally I think you should. Poor gardener will be out of pocket if you don’t and that’s unfair even though it’s not your fault. I’d pay.

No he won’t. He can insist the previous owner pay or he will take them to small claims court. It’s nothing to do with op.

Candleinalantern · 16/05/2025 12:42

never had a gardener but neighbours have so just wondering where he has been until now?

Fraaances · 16/05/2025 12:44

I smell a CF tbh

Oldermum84 · 16/05/2025 12:45

Yes the previous owners should pay. However, I'd probably just pay half as it's likely only £10 and then it's done and dusted and I wouldn't have to worry about repercussions. I wouldn't want the worry when such a small amount of money could sort it.

gamerchick · 16/05/2025 12:45

Candleinalantern · 16/05/2025 12:42

never had a gardener but neighbours have so just wondering where he has been until now?

They don't tend to work through the winter.

SwingTheMonkey · 16/05/2025 12:46

Oldermum84 · 16/05/2025 12:45

Yes the previous owners should pay. However, I'd probably just pay half as it's likely only £10 and then it's done and dusted and I wouldn't have to worry about repercussions. I wouldn't want the worry when such a small amount of money could sort it.

What repercussions would you be expecting?!

BaileyHorse · 16/05/2025 12:46

YANBU contract with them and they’ve already said it was their fault so they now need to pay.

RunningJo · 16/05/2025 12:48

Theseventhmagpie · 16/05/2025 12:35

Legally you don’t have to pay, morally I think you should. Poor gardener will be out of pocket if you don’t and that’s unfair even though it’s not your fault. I’d pay.

But why should the OP be out of pocket, none of this is her doing. The contract wasn't anything to do with her. The previous owners should be paying the gardener.

If he was a regular gardener though,he would have known the house was empty and for sale (garden was being maintained whilst up for sale?) so I would also say some of the onus was on him to check with the (previous) owner it still needed doing. However, he would see when he arrived, that the garden was neat and tidy and evidence of someone now living there.

IfYouPutASausageInItItsNotAViennetta · 16/05/2025 12:49

kindlyensure · 16/05/2025 11:38

This is so odd. I have regular seasonal work on my house and not one service has ever just assumed and turned up. Also, who is the invoice addressed to? A contractor will address it to Mr and Mrs Smith, house address.

So you're saying this person turned up, did the work without a by-your-leave then came back and knocked on the door to give the invoice? None of this makes sense. The invoice would have been emailed or possibly put through the door at time of service, addressed to the client.

There are two parties at fault here (previous owners and the gardener). This is not your problem.

Yes, I wondered this too.

If the house was empty and so the gardener would naturally send the invoice straight to the owner, why did he knock on the door to hand it over?

He can only have realised that there obviously was somebody living there now - in which case you would naturally expect he would just call or message the owner first to check that it was still their house and they did still want the service.

Even if there hadn't been any signs of change of ownership or residence, you never know how somebody's finances can change - so a sensible contractor would have messaged a wwwk before to say "I'll be at 28 Acacia Drive for the usual big spring clean up on Thursday and will send you the invoice after the work is completed as normal - please let me know if this isn't convenient or there are any other issues".

I do think there are some tradespeople who just see 'work done = get paid' and don't quite get the concept of checking first that the customer is happy with the agreement and willing and able to pay; or they go ahead and risk it anyway and then plead their case and/or get aggressive if they don't get paid without issue.

You can do as much back-breaking, perfect work as you like - but if you don't have an agreement in place for the job, you can't expect to be paid - especially if the work itself (however well done) wasn't actually wanted.

WokeMarxistPope · 16/05/2025 12:50

Oldermum84 · 16/05/2025 12:45

Yes the previous owners should pay. However, I'd probably just pay half as it's likely only £10 and then it's done and dusted and I wouldn't have to worry about repercussions. I wouldn't want the worry when such a small amount of money could sort it.

Why would it be £10? OP hasn't indicated the price at all, but the gardener would be unlikely to be spending his time pursing ten quid.

IfYouPutASausageInItItsNotAViennetta · 16/05/2025 12:51

Possibly, the former owner just assumed that the new owner would continue wanting to have the gardener - so it wasn't actually a mistake in not cancelling the service.

Even so, it very much wasn't their call to make and they are thus still liable.

Loloj · 16/05/2025 12:52

It is clearly the previous owners fault but if it were me I would pay the gardener half out of goodwill. You have benefitted from the mistake in that your garden has now been worked on and the Gardener should not be out of pocket.