Two and a half weeks ago I posted about a shoddy tradesman holding my radiators hostage. To cut a long story short I employed a plumber, James to change some radiators and tile my kitchen. The two jobs were to be completed in three days. Three weeks in, the work was only about 70% complete. Suddenly one day, James failed to turn up and didn't respond to my messages. My house was in a mess because of the delayed works, electric sockets in the kitchen were left dangling mid-air, and the most important part, the radiators which
I had paid for and cost a big chunk of the job cost was nowhere to be seen.
Week 4
A few days after his disappearance, James message to say he was struggling with mental health issues and would call me later, but didn't say when. I suggested the next day and asked him to bring over my radiators. No response. Three days later I finally got a message from him to say he had been in hospital and he would call me 'tomorrow'. Of course that never happened. Two days later he sent me a message saying he had £13 in his account due to him not working, and asked if I could advance him £100. I still owe him £900 for the unfinished jobs, but he owes me my radiators which cost about £800.
Whilst I sympathize with his mental illness and financial issues, his problems were now becoming my problems and affecting my life at home. There was no way I would pay him more money for unfinished work with no delivery date in sight. I told him to deliver my radiators and I'll give him the money. More excuses on why he couldn't do that immediately and had to wait two more days till Friday. Fine, we'll talk on Friday I told him. Friday came and gone, no sign of him apart from more excuses and it will be next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Week 5
On Monday we agreed he would come on Wednesday and finish everything by Thursday afternoon. On Wednesday morning 7am he message to say he had to go to a mental health workshop and would come at 4.30pm. I refused to let him come so late in the day and told him to come on Friday instead. And I told him he needed to finish everything on the day, and there will be no more delays. "I will be there 100% and complete everything", he said on Thursday.
On Friday, he finally turned up - with my radiators!!!! Those were installed and tested. Everything was working fine and we're near completion. Finally!!! It only took us five weeks to get here. During the day, we discovered he needed more time on the job, and I reluctantly agreed to let him finish it off on Saturday morning, after all, this was the final final stage. Or so I thought.
On Saturday morning, he started work again and then discovered there was one very small job that he said he could only do on Monday. He asked for £800 for all the work completed so far, and he will collect the remaining £100 on Monday. I stood my ground and said he will get all his money when he completes everything.
The final blow
If I had a dynamite at home, it would surely blow up without anyone setting light to it. My husband got very very very angry and was raging. I've never seen him so angry and was very worried he would have a heart attack. James threw a fit and walked out refusing to do anymore work till his demands were met.
After things calmed down a little, I had a couple of 'try not to get too heated' conversations with James. He backed down to £450 on Saturday and £450 upon completion. He also said he wouldn't screw back one of the electric sockets in the kitchen.
Before he disappeared due to his mental health issues, he left all our kitchen sockets dangling mid air as he was tiling the walls. We had to screw them back on as it was dangerous being next to the sink. Unfortunately, one of the screws got stuck and the socket plate wouldn't budge. He said we caused the problem and refused to touch the socket in case anything happened!! I demanded he fix the socket because he left it as a hazard, and asked him to remove all his tools which had been sitting in my garage for three weeks. He refused, including the latter saying if I didn't pay him he won't take his tools back. He was getting so irrational. I mean why would he refuse to take back his property on my premises when I owe him money?
The socket became a contentious issue and he threw into another fit. He then uppped his demand to £700 plus £200 upon completion. He said a previous client had done a runner and he lost over £1000 so he needed the money from me in case I did the same. He also said if I don't pay him he's going to get his solicitors to sue me ( yeah, I'm so scared）
James was really pushing me to the edge. I reminded him it's taken him 5 weeks to complete a job that he said would take 3 days.
“I had mental health issues" he said.
"You worked in it for 3 weeks before you had mental health issues" I reminded him.
You know what his response was? "Don't keep on rubbing my mental health issue in my face!"
What the fxxx!!! He was the one who bought up his freaking problem as an excuse, not me!!!
It was getting riduculous and impossible to reason with him. I got my radiators back which was always my biggest worry. The remaining job was a bit of painting and fixing the electric sockets. Not a massive job to be honest. By this time, my husband had calmed down and called my brother in law for help, and he said he would come and help us finish things off.
I gave James the ultimatum. Take £700 immediately, and remove your tools by Sunday otherwise I'm going to bin them. We'll draw the line here and move on. I didn't want him in my house again. After a few minutes, he agreed to my proposal. I wired him the money, but it still took him two days to come and collect his stuff. Why am I surprised he didn't come to collect when he said he would?
Apart from this 5 week delay and poor workmanship, do you know why my husband and I were both fuming over all this on Saturday?
It was my husband's birthday.