Builder is holding keys to ransom and has said that he has planted a device that will shut off the electrics in the building

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To be clear I have paid the builder against our contract even though he has not delivered the job on time (so far 3 months over a contracted 3 months job).

I managed him more closely to get the job finished and today he just walked off the job and said unless I pay him now for the rest of the job he will not return the keys and he will render the electrics defunct with a remote device he has hidden in the building.

I think this is a civil matter (breach of contract) and a criminal matter (electrical device and property theft of keys).

How would you manage this? I feel threatened and vulnerable.

I'd tell him to fuck off, change the locks then sue him for breach of contract. After I reported him to the police for threatening behaviour.

Call the police and tell them he has stolen your house keys. He may have a contract dispute with you, but he can’t do that.

What about the electrical switch thing? I googled it and it said that it is possible but it tends to burn the property down. How can I know that is not BS or how can I protect myself against it?

I would imagine that would be considered a threat by the police, so get him reported.

I reckon the remote device is bullshit and I would call his bluff. If I’m wrong, and if the electrics were shut off, and if any damage were to occur, he would be guilty of causing criminal damage.

Call the police. Report the theft of keys and claims of a remote device. Send a letter to him repeating his claims and stating that he is in breach of contract and you will make no further payment until the job is completed (or whatever the contract says) and you may deduct or claim the costs of hiring someone else to finish the job from him.

Then suck it up as a bad experience and move on. Finish the job. Accept that it may cost a bit more you had planned. If it is more than just a bit then take legal action.

Call the police and use any remaining money to finish the job.

Report it to the police - I don't for one second believe them to be omniscient, but on a matter such as this they will give you more reliable advice than people on here I would think.....

If your builder has planted such a device, and goes on to activate it, they will be bang to rights, having informed you beforehand that they have done so. Therefore, it's difficult to see what they would hope to get out of doing it.... It's hardly likely to make you pay them.

So much more likely to be just a threat.

They sound pretty unstable though, so if you live alone just be mindful of personal security for now.

Good luck.

Have you paid him in full or just the stage payments? If you have paid in full then do report him, if you haven't paid in full and were refusing due to the delays then you need to negotiate, or ideally just pay him. Jobs can run late, it's common

Report him.

Remote device to shut off electrics? Bullshit. Personally I would just get a locksmith out then laugh at him and tell him to fuck off.

I am not refusing to pay him. I have paid all the stage payments. The latest one has two weeks to pay it and within the first week I paid £7k. £7k to go - I am within contract.

Change the locks, call the police and report him for theft and threatening behaviour, give him no more money.

What did you google that came up with that nonsense?

What you might expect I assume if you are looking for an answer on what you can do to render someone's electrics redundancy remotely - you'd be amazed (or perhaps you wouldn't) at the sites I found that advised on the illegal things you can do - should you be inclined.

That's psycho behaviour...that would require the police knocking on his door.

But surely he would have had no reason to 'plant a device'? He didn't know that you weren't going to hand him over the entire payment at the end of the day, did he? What was he going to do with the 'device' then, if you'd said, 'actually, Fred, you're quite right, here's all the money' - run upstairs and ferret through the airing cupboard to deactive it?

Never heard such codswallop in my life.

Call the police. He's stolen your keys and made threats.

Change the barrels in the locks - so you get new keys ... it's cheaper than changing the whole lock and you can do it yourself quite easily.

If you found him via an organisation, report him to them too.
Don't forget the power you have, You have kept to the contract.

Total bullshit. And he sounds thick to even think anyone will believe that.

Get a locksmith round asap and get your locks changed.

He's threatening to burn down your house.
He's a terrorist.
Report him.
Don't pay him.
Get a locksmith to change the locks.
Don't negotiate with terrorists.
What part of the UK so we know to be extra careful when hiring a builder.

I have to say I don't understand the electric thing - if he shuts it off how can it burn the house down?

Do you have any of his threats in writing?

South of England

Are the electrics finished?

No but I recorded our last conversation where he said he was not giving me the keys until he decided I could have them and I asked him what he had done to the electrics ... surely that can't be legal and he explained when he had done it.

I can't get into the property to check that they are finished but when I was there yesterday he had put the fuse box in