Using one of these new websites to find tradesmen, Ratedpeople.com, we placed a refurbishment job for our master bedroom - including demolition of the chimney breast. The builder called round on 01/11/08 and didn't stop talking for 1 minute. I told him what we wanted doing, he agreed and quoted a price. My husband agreed for him to start on 03/11/08. No written quote or contract (mistake number 1, nothing in writing!). On Monday 01/11/2008 he came with his two young helpers and began to rip out the chimney and remove the artex. I got a telephone call from my son at work about 9.30 to inform me that the builder had said that the plaster under the artex was no good and crumbling off and needed replacing at an extra cost of £800. I went home by 12.30 to talk about this extra work and the plaster was already off the walls. By the time they left the ceiling had been taken down and reboarded (agreed work), the walls were devoid of plaster, the chimney breast was down but not made safe (two open flue holes down into the living room and dining room, loose bricks to the side and, in the loft, the roof not supported and just the boarded ceiling between the loft and the floor below). The mess was unbelievable and they had damaged the windowsill with two hammer blows and the adjoining bedroom wall had a long crack across the top of the wall.
When my husband came home he also noticed that there was a single brick sticking out of the chimney breast at ceiling level which was supporting the joist above. He called the builder to discuss the work done and what was going to be done the next day. The builder kept repeating that he was a professional and had worked for 20 years and that we were trying to get out of paying him. My husband replied that all we wanted was a first class job. The next day I left £550 with my son for materials (yes, another mistake but I've never employed a builder before and have no experience of being ripped off) and the builder took it and left a letter before leaving 10 minutes after arriving. The letter stated that he wanted £1600 up front before he came back as he believed we wouldn't pay him!! He also attached a pre-dated quotation that bore no resemblance to the quote on 01/11/08. He has not been back since but a second letter is now threatening debt collection agencies and court.
I have maintained the diary on the website and after research I sent him a "time is of the essence" letter by recorded delivery to the address on the letterhead, he stated in his second letter that he hasn't heard from us and now I find he lives at a different address to his registered Head Office address.
We now have an unusable bedroom, an unsafe chimney breast and a legal threat.
With no signed contract what do I do now??
When my husband came home he also noticed that there was a single brick sticking out of the chimney breast at ceiling level which was supporting the joist above. He called the builder to discuss the work done and what was going to be done the next day. The builder kept repeating that he was a professional and had worked for 20 years and that we were trying to get out of paying him. My husband replied that all we wanted was a first class job. The next day I left £550 with my son for materials (yes, another mistake but I've never employed a builder before and have no experience of being ripped off) and the builder took it and left a letter before leaving 10 minutes after arriving. The letter stated that he wanted £1600 up front before he came back as he believed we wouldn't pay him!! He also attached a pre-dated quotation that bore no resemblance to the quote on 01/11/08. He has not been back since but a second letter is now threatening debt collection agencies and court.
I have maintained the diary on the website and after research I sent him a "time is of the essence" letter by recorded delivery to the address on the letterhead, he stated in his second letter that he hasn't heard from us and now I find he lives at a different address to his registered Head Office address.
We now have an unusable bedroom, an unsafe chimney breast and a legal threat.
With no signed contract what do I do now??
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