Contractor Not Paying

[J.R Tiling]

Hi Guys iv'e been doing some work on and off for a Wickes Kitchen/ bathroom fitter for the last 4 years . Last month he took on a bathroom and asked if I would tile it.

I got a call from him a couple of days before i was meant to start to say he was going to start the tiling as he wanted to get the job finished , i turn up on the Monday morning to find the customer in tears as he's made a right balls up of it. He then makes his excuses and leaves telling me to "sort it out" .at this point im P**ed as you can imagine.

I ask the customer if she is happy for me to carry on and start on a wall he hasn't touched and she says to go ahead . when I get to the top row it is then apparent that he has started off to low as there is a 20mm gap between the top tile and the cealing. I explain this to the customer who is clearly unhappy so she calls Wickes to send a manager out to look at what he's done.

To cut a long story short Wickes are unhappy with it and me and the fitter have a falling out so I walk off the job.

3 weeks ago i sent him an invoice for a job i done prior to this one and for the 1 day i spent on this job i hear nothing from him so send another and then a final reminder today stating that if its not paid within 5 days ill take it further. He responds by saying that the wall i tiled was not up to standard so is not paying me , apart from the gap at the top witch i could do noting about the customer was extremely pleased with it.

I know there is nothing wrong with my tiling and he is just trying to find a way not to pay me but i just want to know were I stand and what should I do next

Many Thanks
John

 

[Spud]

Sounds a mess to be honest

 

[dave l and l]

the whole thing sounds like a balls up. i would phone him to discuss. failing that you can go to small claims
did the customer ever get e decent bathroom out of it

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Between the pair of you the customers has got a bodged job! Not setting out a room correctly is the first mistake and to continue involving the customer is wrong. If she called Wickes in she couldn't have been 'extremely pleased' and I'd suggest you may be lucky not to have them chasing for compensation. I'd put it down to the learning curve and remember the 4 years you've had off the plumber and walk quietly!

 

[Martyn Leeds]

I wouldn't be bothered about the 1 day on the bodge job, I'd just be asking for the other completed job... as long as it was all tickety-boo

 

[Andy Allen]

personally I wouldn't of touched the tiling in the first place.....you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear...

 

[steve187]

I have learned over 40 years in the tiling game that there is a time to walk away from a job, the best time is before starting to lay the tiles, ( better to have a day cleaning/tiding the van than to have problems down the line with the work) it comes with experience and sometimes you have to walk away from the money as well. the one days work put down to experience, you should have in all honesty known you were going to have the small cut at the top prior to starting. the other job well that depends how much is owing. but as timeless john said think of the money you have had off him over the last 4 years. he will miss you more than you miss him.

 

[J.R Tiling]

Thanks for your responses guys , just to clarify the customer called Wickes in as she was unhappy with the work the fitter had done , she had no problem with the work i had done and has since contacted me to see if i can go back and tile the rest of the room for her unfortunatley ive got too much booked in to do it in the time she wants it doing. Im not too bothered about loosing the 1 day but he still owes me £600 from a previous job again this was a fit for Wickes and its all been sighned off as complete and the cutomer was chuffed to bits.

 

[Andy Allen]

in that case he has no reason not to pay you the £600 as it has nothing to do with the other job.. send a recorded delivery letter stating you want full payment with in 7 days or you will refer the mater to the small claims court..

 

[White Room]

Personally I would'nt have even started the job, he started it let him finish it...

 

[J.R Tiling]

I really wish i hadn't now Whitebeam but he's passed a lot of work to me over the years and been really good to me . Now it's bit him on the *** he's turned nasty. What's done is done now in my eyes and I just want paying what he owes me , i know ill not get anything for the day i done but he still owes me a weeks money for a job i finished earlier in the month

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

I have learned over 40 years in the tiling game that there is a time to walk away from a job, the best time is before starting to lay the tiles, ( better to have a day cleaning/tiding the van than to have problems down the line with the work) it comes with experience and sometimes you have to walk away from the money as well. the one days work put down to experience, you should have in all honesty known you were going to have the small cut at the top prior to starting. the other job well that depends how much is owing. but as timeless john said think of the money you have had off him over the last 4 years. he will miss you more than you miss him.

I have to agree with Steve on this, the best time to walk away is before you start.

I can count on one hand the jobs I have walked away from in 46yrs, so I don't make a habit of it, but sometimes it is better than inheriting someone else's problem.

Sorry this doesn't help you, but I would cut my losses on this one. Good luck.

 

[dave l and l]

i would go and see him and ask him for full payment, if not for full then the other bathroom that has been completed, its better to deal with people face to face rather than phone or e mail,
can you contact wickes about this??

 

[J.R Tiling]

Iv'e sent him a revised invoice asking for the money he owes me from the previous job with a letter explaining that if its not paid within 7 days ill go to small claims. I don't see why I should loose out on the best part of £ 600 for a job there was nothing wrong with.

I don't think contacting Wickes will help the matter as he is not employed by them he's just on their books as a contractor.

 

[prceramics]

i would be knocking on his door every day untill i got paid

 

[dave l and l]

fair point about calling wickes. think you should go and see him, he might square you up

 

[kilty55]

i would forget the 1 day job even happened and pursue him through small claims for other job money owed if he doesnt pay it

 

[cam_low]

Who's the hardest. Once I bottled not asking for me money never again. I've blocked a customer in their own house once. Transferred there and then.

 

[J.R Tiling]

Ive not bothered to invoice him for the odd day as i know he's never going to pay that however if he doesn't pay up the rest ill go down the small claims route. he's got til friday to pay up so will see what happens, just out of interest has anyone else had to go through small claims and if so is it easy enough to do