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Client v Tradesmen
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hi all, I am hoping that some of you may be able to share some opinions and offer advice on the following scenario.
I am a tradesmen with a Ltd company who carried out work for a client being a new central heating system.
Client wants curved radiators for a bay window that are not in my quote however I agree to find him an engineering works that do this and send in the template for him so they can be made and the client pays the manufacturer direct.
All of the new system was installed. Necessary pipework and new combo boiler as per the quote with the exception of two curved radiators.
The manufacturer takes two weeks to make them, during this time we have not been back to the property since we cleaned up afterwards, commissioned the boiler and tested everything.
Radiators are now ready, I text client to say they are ready to go and to arrange payment with the supplier.
Client texts saying he wants me to meet at manufacturers premises circa 40 miles away from where I live to inspect the radiators before payment.
I reply to say that he should go, once he is happy with them then give authorisation for me to collect on his behalf.
Client texts later that morning saying they are at his property now and he is waiting for me. I explain that it would have to be booked in and to give me a couple of days to arrange an engineer.
Client texts later that day saying he is still waiting and if not there I should use the key he gave me and attend in his absence.
Client leaves voicemail to say that he has drawn out the final balance of the job in cash (which was the vat element of the job) and is waiting at the property for me, one the radiators are fitted then we are all squared up and complete.
I text him to say I am on another job but will try come over in the evening if I can but no promises.
10.30 pm that evening I receive an email from him saying that he has been asking for his property keys back for over six weeks both verbally and written and that he is going to the police to have me arrested. I get children out of bed, drive to my local police station with his keys and a copy of the texts from that day, the voicemail and his email.
Police officer informs him that they have his keys and to have no further contact with us.
I receive a county court claim a few weeks later for in excess of £2500 for unfinished work and a barrage of online abuse and reviews that are very untrue.
I respond to the claim and issue a counter claim for the balance of the job. The claim has both my personal name on and the companies name.
I have written to court to remove my personal name and they wrote back saying that they cannot alter the claimants documents.
The claimant had a set time to issue us a court bundle, this passed by two weeks, we contact court and they allow him more time.
He then makes an application to adjust the value of the claim to raise it and the court grants this subject to new papers. The deadline for the new papers pass and I contact the court.
The court grants him another week and this passes with no papers issued. I again contact court and keep read receipts from the emails asking them to issue me new intructions as the claimant has not complied with the first order to submit a court bundle for a hearing date in January and ignored all the requests relating to his second order to submit new documents in relation to making the claim bigger.
I contact the court for a third and final time by email and again it is ignored, no email response or letter with new instructions.
I call the court today to confirm they have all my emails and they say yes however, I think you still have to attend next week.
I ask what new order was made when my emails went to a judge and the clerk replies aggressively that I am expecting him to read it word for word?
I replied that a copy via email would be nice as I have to go to court on Monday and it's now Friday and so far all my requests for information have been ignored.
I get the feeling this is not going my way at all and what is the best way of dealing with this on Monday should the judge award the claim?
I have a copy of the voicemail on the day of last communication confirming he is happy to settle once two radiators are mounted, text messages saying he is happy with the work and we have helped him immensely and appreciates us as well as the email threatening us the same evening he told us to let ourselves in.
Any help is appreciated.
I am a tradesmen with a Ltd company who carried out work for a client being a new central heating system.
Client wants curved radiators for a bay window that are not in my quote however I agree to find him an engineering works that do this and send in the template for him so they can be made and the client pays the manufacturer direct.
All of the new system was installed. Necessary pipework and new combo boiler as per the quote with the exception of two curved radiators.
The manufacturer takes two weeks to make them, during this time we have not been back to the property since we cleaned up afterwards, commissioned the boiler and tested everything.
Radiators are now ready, I text client to say they are ready to go and to arrange payment with the supplier.
Client texts saying he wants me to meet at manufacturers premises circa 40 miles away from where I live to inspect the radiators before payment.
I reply to say that he should go, once he is happy with them then give authorisation for me to collect on his behalf.
Client texts later that morning saying they are at his property now and he is waiting for me. I explain that it would have to be booked in and to give me a couple of days to arrange an engineer.
Client texts later that day saying he is still waiting and if not there I should use the key he gave me and attend in his absence.
Client leaves voicemail to say that he has drawn out the final balance of the job in cash (which was the vat element of the job) and is waiting at the property for me, one the radiators are fitted then we are all squared up and complete.
I text him to say I am on another job but will try come over in the evening if I can but no promises.
10.30 pm that evening I receive an email from him saying that he has been asking for his property keys back for over six weeks both verbally and written and that he is going to the police to have me arrested. I get children out of bed, drive to my local police station with his keys and a copy of the texts from that day, the voicemail and his email.
Police officer informs him that they have his keys and to have no further contact with us.
I receive a county court claim a few weeks later for in excess of £2500 for unfinished work and a barrage of online abuse and reviews that are very untrue.
I respond to the claim and issue a counter claim for the balance of the job. The claim has both my personal name on and the companies name.
I have written to court to remove my personal name and they wrote back saying that they cannot alter the claimants documents.
The claimant had a set time to issue us a court bundle, this passed by two weeks, we contact court and they allow him more time.
He then makes an application to adjust the value of the claim to raise it and the court grants this subject to new papers. The deadline for the new papers pass and I contact the court.
The court grants him another week and this passes with no papers issued. I again contact court and keep read receipts from the emails asking them to issue me new intructions as the claimant has not complied with the first order to submit a court bundle for a hearing date in January and ignored all the requests relating to his second order to submit new documents in relation to making the claim bigger.
I contact the court for a third and final time by email and again it is ignored, no email response or letter with new instructions.
I call the court today to confirm they have all my emails and they say yes however, I think you still have to attend next week.
I ask what new order was made when my emails went to a judge and the clerk replies aggressively that I am expecting him to read it word for word?
I replied that a copy via email would be nice as I have to go to court on Monday and it's now Friday and so far all my requests for information have been ignored.
I get the feeling this is not going my way at all and what is the best way of dealing with this on Monday should the judge award the claim?
I have a copy of the voicemail on the day of last communication confirming he is happy to settle once two radiators are mounted, text messages saying he is happy with the work and we have helped him immensely and appreciates us as well as the email threatening us the same evening he told us to let ourselves in.
Any help is appreciated.
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