Builder demolishing work that the customer hasn't paid for

[cornish_crofter]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=J-LqLU7CxeA

 

[doug boardley]

not much salvaging of materials that I could see!!

 

[White Room]

Do remember that, He must have had enough to go to that extreme but good luck to him for doing it

 

[cornish_crofter]

My guess is that the conservatory could be reused somewhere else

I think it was a question of he wasn't going to get his money anyway and was damned if he was going to let the woman benefit from ripping him off.

She then had to pay for clearing up the mess he left, and to have the property put back to it's previous condition, so it's cost her as well.

I suspect anyone who has ever been ripped off in this way was fully behind him. I know of a few instances where this has been done.

A builder we hired claims to have demolised a garage for a similar reason though he was a bit stupid as he had received 60% of what he was owed. I would have just removed 40% of the work, which would have been the roof etc, then he could have reused the materials elsewhere. He demolished the whole lot, which left solicitors chasing him. Apparently he didn't reply to them and they gave up.

 

[atec]

excellent, would we be legally covered if we went in and ripped up a tiling job, tresspassing comes to mind. or would we need owners permission to enter property. would love to know where a tiler would stand legally in this situation.

 

[cornish_crofter]

You couldn't be prosecuted for trespass but you could be sued.

Gaining access into the house would be more of an issue.

Also, if the customers had bought/paid for the tiles you may be on a sticky wicket as you would no doubt destroy them.

I've often thought about this myself, but never had to consider this as an option thankfully.

 

[atec]

Hope i dont also, like your self have always thought about it.

 

[Alberta Stone]

WOW.:santa_cheesy:
I know of some situations where guys were tempted to do similar, but here in Canada, once it is attached to the house, by any method, glue, screws, nails or whatever, your only recourse is the courts as you would get charged by the police with vandalism.

Unjust....Yes, but justice is so very blind in so many ways.
:rant:
For instance a guy was burgaling a place here in Alberta about...oh..5 years ago... any way he was on the roof and the fool fell through the skylight and got all cut up from the glass and the batch of dishes and cutlery on the island he fell onto, so he sued the homeowner for what I don't quite recall, but the damndest thing is the judge ruled in his favor and demanded that the owners pay.
I think that later the owners launched a counter suit as advised by their lawyers, so they managed to avoid that expense, but the worst of it is that they still had to pay legal fees which they shouldn't have.
I have heard several other similar stories, which only feeds the lawyers pockets and doesn't serve the concept of justice at all.:veryangry:

 

[cornish_crofter]

The law isn't that different here. It's just that most law enforcemant agencies/solicitors would laugh if someone wanted to go down that route.

A Health and Safety instructor once told me a story involved with a site where she was responsible for H&S.

Two lads dediced to enter and steal some copper. The security guard gave chase and they ran to get out. One made it clear the other fell down an open hole and broke his pelvis. Despite this hole being cordened off with reflective tape, he ran straight through this and fell.

The one that got caught was sentanced to 16 months. When he got out he sued the contractor for breech of health and safety. Apparently he got £16K. The judge's ruling was based on the hole being dangerous for anyone on site. The contractor's defence that all people who are permitted on site were subjected to an induction didn't wash. Nor did the defence that all the correct H&S signs were posted around the place.

In Portugal you can shoot and kill a burglar and you're in the clear.

Now that's my kind of justice!

 

[Dan]

Brilliant, I love it.