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Original poster

Builder asking for money after the work has been completed and paid as agreed

16 replies

ARDL2019 · 23/12/2019 22:30

We recently completed a building work in our house and we paid in full what was agreed (signed and some extras). Then, the builder came back saying that he made mistakes in his calculations and did things he never told us and we should pay for all this extra work. He never informed us or told us in advance. In fact, his work has been really poor and he took 15 months to complete something he promised to complete in 3 months. He only came on Saturday and made our life miserable for more than a year. He is now bullying me and threatening me to increase the amount I have to pay him. This situation is horrible and nobody seems to give me a clear advice about my legal rights. Can he demand what he pleases me and get away with it? Please, any advise will be much appreciated.

OP posts:
gamerchick · 23/12/2019 22:31

Anything in writing?

OhWellThatsJustGreat · 23/12/2019 22:32

I'm pretty sure that if there was no discussion of additional work and you paid in full upon completion that you are well within your rights to tell him to jog on.

Tbh I'd tell him to jog on any way simply because he did this 'additional work' without premission.

BackforGood · 23/12/2019 22:35

Repeat you have paid in full despite him not sticking to what he had told you when you agreed for him to do the job in the first place, re timescale.
If he wants more, he can take you to court - but he won't, if it is as you've said - as he has no legs to stand on.

Hotcuppatea · 23/12/2019 22:36

He can't make you pay unless you agreed to in writing. Even then, he'd have to prove it in court. Tell him to get lost.

babybrain77 · 23/12/2019 22:36

I would:
Log a complaint with the police if he is threatening you.
Tell the builder clearly not to come to your property again.
Ask him to put in writing the 'extras' which he thinks he should be paid for, and provide receipts for materials/labour. Compare this to your quote/scope of works.
Engage only in writing. If you believe that he is wrong, tell him (in writing) that he should take you to small claims court if he believes that he is owed money. Document all communication clearly

Rollercoaster1920 · 24/12/2019 00:52

Verbal contracts are also legally binding. So ensure everything is in writing.

Original poster
ARDL2019 · 24/12/2019 10:37

Thank you all. Nothing writing. He is in financial problems because the former director left and apparently took all the money. He did not even sent me an email during the work to inform me of any extra costs. On top of all this, I made a complaint to the Federation of Master Builders because he was not finishing what was agreed in the contract. Now he tells me that his estimates were wrong and that he did not charge me for things and now wants that money. He is talking about 7K! I am terrified and he bullies me on the phone threatening me to increase the cost I own him. All the problems I have had with this for more than a year are mostly recorder in Mybuilder website.

OP posts:
trulyconfuseddotcom · 24/12/2019 10:41

Hello - have you spoken to the complaints team at MyBuilder? If you're being bullied/threatened then you need to let them know and also contact the police.

PigletJohn · 24/12/2019 10:59

Print off copies of whatever is on mybuilder, just in case it gets lost or is disappeared.

whataboutbob · 24/12/2019 16:47

Absolutely not. He is in a financial mess for reasons which are nothing to do with you and is trying on threatening behaviour to extract money off you. If you buy something in a shop at the stated price, does the shop owner run down the street afterwards asking for more money? It’s preposterous. I had a guy disappear on me in the middle of a job after I’d already paid about 75% of the work. He lied and lied saying he’d done various things which he hadn’t ( it was on a rental property in another town and needed fixing quickly before tenants came back after Christmas so he thought I wouldn’t know he hadn’t done the work). I had to scrabble to get someone to finish it off quickly He got back in touch 6 weeks later asking for more money. Said his mother had been ill etc etc. I had no sympathy and sent back a tough email saying told him I wanted proof of work done, receipts, etc etc . I heard nothing more.

custardbear · 24/12/2019 16:53

Phone Trading Standards who are really helpful, they have template letters too and can send you something to send to him about extra Unagreed costs. I spoke with them before about the same thjng and they said it's going to be hard for him to prove without anything in writing to agree extra work. We also did actually have extra work which was always discussed and agreed in writing and happily paid, anything not discussed and agreed in writing in advance is very dodgy ground for him - try not to worry just speak to trading standards when they open again after Christmas

Original poster
ARDL2019 · 25/12/2019 08:39

Thank you so much for all this - it is really, really helpful. I already saved all the messages I sent via my builder website and the Federation of Master Builders. I have also reported his behaviour to complaints in my builder website and saved print copies of all the correspondence I had with him via Email. My husband thinks we should meet once more with him and gone through all our payments and proofs of his poor work with him, etc. , just to try to get the things closed with him as friendly as possible from our side. I did't know about Trading Standards - I will call them after the holidays. thank you so much.

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 25/12/2019 08:48

I’d also block his phone number so he can’t ring. He can still contact you by writing, then you have evidence and you shouldn’t have to put up with threats over the phone.

LaurieFairyCake · 25/12/2019 08:51

Block him and ignore. Keep your file of evidence from all the places you describe.

Only respond to court papers, sounds like he's got no chance.

DO NOT meet with him! This isn't amicable and it's not your job to pacify him.

FFSFFSFFS · 25/12/2019 08:52

My husband thinks we should meet once more with him and gone through all our payments and proofs of his poor work with him, etc. , just to try to get the things closed with him as friendly as possible from our side

I wouldn't bother doing that to be honest. He's trying it on and it is not relevant what you've paid him and the quality of his work. He would have to pursue you through small claims to get the money - and given that there is no written contract and you have extensive evidence of poor work is chances of winning are exactly none.

Call the police - tell them he's harassing you. Tell him that you have called the police then ignore him and move on with your life.

And agree re Trading Standards too.

Novembre · 25/12/2019 09:01

It's Christmas. He's skint. Ignore him.

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