Bad feeling of not getting paid!

[gshtiling]

Hi everyone not been on here for a while,been really busy. &nbsp;This is whats happened,about 5 weeks ago I was really quite and had been sending emails,phoning builders,plumbers,kitchen fitters etc to see if the needed a tiler, got a phone call back from a building company saying that they needed somebody the next day for a big job so we agreed a day rate and then I started,all was good and then it came to getting paid and I was supposed to be get paid direct into bank account and he rung and said is cash okay I agreed and then carried on working for him,3 weeks in and then he rung me and started having a go saying me and this other tiler was taking the p#'! out of him and thought we was doing hardly any work,I said I would pull of the job and he could get some one else to do it if he wasn't happy with us,he changed his tone and was okay and said to carry on. &nbsp;This Friday was my last day due to a holiday and the job would be done by the time I return.<br> <br>The bloke thinks everything is a 2 minute job,all the tiles on the job are stone(limestone,sandstone,polished marble and slate) but thinks you can tile a bathroom in 60x10cm individual slate strips about 35m2 of wall tiles,all cleaned,sealed and grouted in 3 days? Anyway he phoned me yesterday asking what I had been doing,is the job complete etc,told him job wasn't finished and reminded him I was on holiday next week(told him about this when i first started) he got really mad said he would ring me later because he didn't want to speak to me any more and then put the phone down. I tried to get hold of him today to get me wage,he owes me 2 weeks wages now(week in hand). &nbsp;Havent heard anything from him and hes not answering the phone,spoke to the joiner today whos been working for him and he isnt answering the phone to him neither.<br> <br>Sorry for the long essay but my thing is I didn't have a contract or anything,dont want to go to his house because he is a nutter so I dony know what I can do? &nbsp;I know not having a contract or anything was naive of me but I was desperate for the work and had never really done much sub contracted before,mainly done private work and work for joiners and plumbers who I know that refer me to their customers.<br> <br>Does anyone know what I can do if he doesn't pay?dont want to take the tiles up what iv layed because the customer has paid for these and its not fair to do that to them?<br>

 

[DHTiling]

wow all that and no full stops.. pants and gathers his breath.. :lol:

 

[hillhead]

Don't panic.He'll calm down.There is a legal route if all fails.Builders are so dangerous lately.

 

[gshtiling]

Just thinking a head but what is the legal action I can take if he doesnt pay?

Tried to put sentences in but put <br> ?

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Hope you get this sorted mate, never a nice feeling that. Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[Daz]

The first thing to do is issue invoices for all the work previously done and paid for, as well as all outstanding. Either email the invoices or hand deliver direct to the address (hand delivered is best). Make sure that all invoices are dated and have your payment terms clearly stated.

If your client does not (or refuses to) pay, then engage the small claims court (here's a guide Small claims)

Good luck

Daz

 

[gshtiling]

Cheers everyone I will let you know when anything happens, Really annoyed,know of a couple of other people who he has not payed,or payed less then agreed and thinks he can get away with it. Work hard all week and then accuses me of not doing any work,told him yesterday that he could ring the site foreman and the customer to ask if i was working or just sat around doing nothing.got angry and changed the subject. Just out of interest,has anyone every had something like this happen to them?

 

[tfs]

I had something similar a few years back with a builder, the chap was a decorator by trade and sub contracted other trades out.

I had recieved most of the cash I was due but there was £300 outstanding, I just took the hit as I didnt have the time to go through the legal route for £300. He kept using the excuse that he hadnt been to the job yet, he wasnt answering his phione untill I went to other jobs looking for him untill he got the message. Eventualy he tried to give me a snagging list in a bid to delay paying me even further.

One thing I have noticed with some builders is that they try to hang on to there money as long as possible, perhaps they have poor cash flow due to income always going into the next job but the way I see it is if someone engages in your services it is only fair that they make sure you get paid on time.

 

[gshtiling]

He owes me £960 which I have worked very hard for to try keep customer,builders,site foreman happy. And for him to accuse me of not working and just taking the mick out of him makes me very angry. I think if it was about £200 what he owed me I would just leave it and learn from the mistake. Scumbag needs to learn that you cant just do that to people. So I'm going to send invoices today to him and a letter saying something along the lines of if I don't receive payment within 7 days then I will be going to the small claims court.

 

[tfs]

Hope you get it sorted cheif!

 

[gshtiling]

Little update,sent my letter off to him(template from the forum) about if not receiving payment within 7 days I will be taking him to small claims court. No reply from him.

So proceeded with small claims and he has now defended my claim saying he has had to get 4 tilers up there for a full week to complete and redo some work that I had done,claims that he rung me up last week to give me the opportunity to fix the alleged work what was to a poor standard,says that he said if I correct the work then he would of paid the outstanding amount. Also claims I said to him that the job was taking so long because I was on a day rate and not really doing much and finishing early. Said that the contracts manager wasn't happy with the quality of work aswell.

Made me fuming this morning when his defense came through post and was reading his reasons. I have not spoke to him since the friday I finished so for him to claim he spoke to me last week and I refused to correct the work makes my blood boil!

Got in touch with a joiner from the job and he is getting me the contacts managers number so I can get a statement from him saying he was happy with my work,which I know he was because myself and the joiner I was working with get offered a job direct with his company,Joiner accepted but I had my own things on for a few months so I declined but the offer is still there when I finish what I had booked in.

Really really hope I can win this case. Wouldn't want any one to go through not getting paid by the scum bag again, not too bad for me as I don't have a family to support and mortgage ect, I'v only got rent to pay. Couldn't imagine the stress someone in that situation would be in.

Can I name the scum bag company on here to warn fellow tilers to stay clear from them?

Rant over lol!

 

[rooders]

good luck with i all mate.. must be extremely stressful! i have never had anythingn like this happen to me (touch wood) but i would not know what to do either... I think its a good thing though if other tradesmen have been treated the same by this chancer as you have, as there will be a much stronger case. mayebe you could speak to others and rally together somehow? just a thought really...

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I wouldn't at this stage as there are usually 2 sides to all disputes.
Go down the correct routes to get paid, take it as experience and move on.
If you don't you'll end up like me!

 

[Mike]

Little update,sent my letter off to him(template from the forum) about if not receiving payment within 7 days I will be taking him to small claims court. No reply from him.

So proceeded with small claims and he has now defended my claim saying he has had to get 4 tilers up there for a full week to complete and redo some work that I had done,claims that he rung me up last week to give me the opportunity to fix the alleged work what was to a poor standard,says that he said if I correct the work then he would of paid the outstanding amount. Also claims I said to him that the job was taking so long because I was on a day rate and not really doing much and finishing early. Said that the contracts manager wasn't happy with the quality of work aswell.

Made me fuming this morning when his defense came through post and was reading his reasons. I have not spoke to him since the friday I finished so for him to claim he spoke to me last week and I refused to correct the work makes my blood boil!

Got in touch with a joiner from the job and he is getting me the contacts managers number so I can get a statement from him saying he was happy with my work,which I know he was because myself and the joiner I was working with get offered a job direct with his company,Joiner accepted but I had my own things on for a few months so I declined but the offer is still there when I finish what I had booked in.

Really really hope I can win this case. Wouldn't want any one to go through not getting paid by the scum bag again, not too bad for me as I don't have a family to support and mortgage ect, I'v only got rent to pay. Couldn't imagine the stress someone in that situation would be in.

Can I name the scum bag company on here to warn fellow tilers to stay clear from them?

Rant over lol!

you can't call the client names due to possible libel but i'm sure you're allowed to say who you've been working for :smilewinkgrin:

 

[gshtiling]

The Company is SP Interiors, in Leeds. Stay well clear. So if any tilers from here get a phone call from Robin Simpson of SP Interiors be very wary if you decide to work for him,he will offer you all the work under the sun but don't be lured in. Don't want this happening to any one else.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Brave man!
Wonder what your chances of recovering your costs are now.
Still you know doubt feel a lot better.