advise needed please Help and information on all topics relating to your central heating, air conditioning and ventilation issues.

[bazza]

hi guys long story but back in january i was talked into doing a job for a local builder who was kind of a freind at the time.anyway he was doing a celler convertion and asked if i wud install n en-suite a wc .with saniflo .a basin and shower and cubicle and also put central heating in the celler 3 new rads and 1 new rad upstairs too so i agreed to do it started off great put all the hot n cold feeds for bathroom in and tested in january n then the biulder went of doin other work and we was waitin on him to plasterboard and plaster the bathroom area for 3 months n then the customer had her own tiler which kept us waitin another 6 wks anyway i finally finished the job on june 10th and showed the customer all the appliances working then did a final check 4 leaks and everything was fine thats wen it all went wrong the biulder just wont pay he avoided me for wks n wen i finally caught up with him on july 16th he sed he had found a leak that wk on a elbow behind the wall so i offered to go staight back and repair it but the biulder sed he had already fixed it but now its back to avoiding me ive had no money for materials or labour and its bin 8 months of messin now i am thinkin of goin 2 a small claims court but am i wastin my time cause if it did leak i am responsible but i cant help but wonder why its leaked after 7 months also i had no complaints about a leak from between 10th june til the biulder went back down to finish sum work 5 weeks later thats wen the leak suddenly happened sorry 4 the long post just hopin someone can help ps iam qualified to nvq level 3 in plumbing and also hav my water regs. n unvented hot water cards if that matters cheers bazza

[htg engineer]

Are you a registered trading or VAT registered company and paying tax ?

If you are - I would go for the small claims court. Can he prove there was a leak ? I bet not. At the end of the day, you did the job, supplied materials, instructed the occupier and tested the installation. So at the very least you'll get the cost of materials back.

If there was a leak, how can he prove the plasterer didn't cause it when he boarded the wall ? or tiler etc etc, has a floor covering been laid since, they may have put pressure on the pipe - not necesarily deliberately, maybe he dropped something on it rested something on or against it, there's too many possibilities to say it was caused by poor workmanship on your part.


htg

[bazza]

thanx 4 reply htg engineer its a one off job that i av done but yes i av an accountant who is a freind and was sortin out the tax side of it as a second income 4 me but i told the biulder to just pay me 4 the ch.work and materials n it dosnt matter about the bathroom work if the customer isnt happy but now ive received a txt 2day saying that there is a leak on one of the radiators i fitted now but again the radiators were fitted at the end of january and av bin workin fine since 2day again everything was checked for leaks and i found no problem my problem is now the biulder as sed he as ad a go at fixing the leaks a couple of times but cant do it so now wants me to go back n repair it but wat happens if he as desterbed something that may create another problem somewhere is it down 2 me to go back or not dont know wat 2 do ?

[htg engineer]

If he has had a go at fixing the leak, then he takes on the responsibility. He should have given you the chance to put it right. As long as everything on your side (tax etc) is up to date. Then go to a small claims court.

Maybe even telling him, you have applied or enquired about taking him to a small claims court - if he's trying to pull a fast one, he may pay up.

Because he sent a text he doesn't seem to have a backbone - if it was a genuine fault on your part I think he'd be on the phone asking you to attend to repair the leak. At the end of the day he just doesn't want to pay up.

You could start by sending a letter to him asking for payment. Leave for 30 days, then send another asking for payment withing 30 days. Then send a third and final letter, asking for payment or legal action will be taken. Of course it all depends on how much he owes you, and what you're willing to do to get the money.


htg

[bazza]

hi htg engineer thanx again 4 reply the money owed for materials and all the labour is £1.100 which £350 is materials which as already come out of my pocket thats why i cant understand if he had just paid for materials i wudnt need to take this action but i cant afford to lose that money he has now sed that if i go bk an fix the leak he will pay me but obviously i cant trust him n wat if he has damaged something else thats wat im scared of caus i then get the blame so shud i avoid touchin the leaks ?

[htg engineer]

You should, as you should be putting the work right but as you have said before he has tried to repair them - so it's up to you really.

Take someone along with you, as a witness. Preferably someone that knows the trade and can verify the work has been done correctly. Not that it will show up leaks, but a few photos on a digital camera of the work, will show the quality of the work, then if you have another dispute and the pipes are visibly damaged - you have proof of how you left them.

I'd go back, if you go back he may pay you - but if you don't go back - he definately wont pay.

Obviously don't take any more work on for him - or at least ask for payment up front.

htg

[bazza]

hi htg engineer thanx again 4 advise but i av bin askin around about the builder locally an wat ive heard is not good he is well known 4 bein dodgy wen it comes to money he dosnt like parting with it even his own sister who is a gud freind of my wifes (thats how i got to know him) sed he cant be trusted so altho i feel bad on the customer who i think as paid in full now to the builder i dont think i can trust him so i tried to compramise an sed to him if he pays me 4 my materials up front as a token payment and comfirm a date on which he wud pay the remainder i wud go bk and fix it but he refused an sed he will pay me but only after i fix it but i truly beleive if i go bk it wud be 4 nothing shud i still go bk cause if the customer has paid its not fair on her ?