Main contractor not paying up

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Dentalblock

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Basically I've just finished a 3 week job and the guy i'm subbing off has refused to pay, he's saying that on a day rate basis i should have done the job in two weeks not three so he's not paying me my last weeks money.

other than the customer seeing me on his job I have nothing on paper that says I've worked for him.

If I take him to small claims is there any chance I'll get my money?
 
Seriously? The guy owes me nearly 800 quid with materials.

I've got a couple of time sheets from him in me emails, and I had started filling them out but never sent him one. What about if I got a statment from the customer herself? she was quite friendly and a nice woman I cant go back and hack her walls off.
 
I'm really at a loss here I've got no idea what to do, the guys not answering his phone to me now and I'm out 800 quid

Have I just got to accept that?
 
Have a word directly with the customer, explain the situation if she is a decent person maybe she will mediate.
If she's a beeatch take 800 quids worth back off the walls.
This is why I never touch daywork.
 
These aren't the replies I was hoping for, does anyone know if taking him through small claims will cost him money even if he wins?
 
Small claims court , depends how well u prep your statement for there to how u would do etc and we dont know the full story etc . Surely thought he should of said he wasnt payin for ur 3rd week before u done it , his fault really ? Did he know u were still not finished after the 2 weeks ? What did he say about it at he time ? **** that even if the customer is canny , its the builders problem when u rip the walls down cos u aint been paid , even explain to her just before u do it . If she rings him and gets down there snappy with ur money all hell is gunna break loose !
 
He says u should of takrn 2weeks? Why difnt he stop you on the 3rd. I say name and shame the ****. If fay rate agreed then day rate should be paid. If he wanted two weeks he should of stated. But legally no paper trail no case
 
Dentalblock said:
These aren't the replies I was hoping for, does anyone know if taking him through small claims will cost him money even if he wins?
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The course of action through a small claims court will all have to be paid for by you as you will be the claimant.
If you win and that is a big if, you will be awarded the court costs back and an amount to be repaid by the contractor, which he can pay back to you at £5 a week if he wants?
Case history would help mate?
1) what work was involved? i.e. how many rooms ect?
2) why does he think it should of only taken 2 weeks
3) was it a cash in hand deal?
bit more info and we can through some suggestions out to help you.
 
Just had a look at your profile pal,
From your posts I'm guessing your not long in this game and probably a courser?
The contractor was probably correct and based your day rate on what a qualified spread would do?
Big lesson here for you mate, Its a mean old scene out there in the real world and if your going to go around calling yourself a fully qualified spread then you'd better make damn sure you can back it up?
In all honesty put it down to experience and don't take on jobs that are above your skill level.
 
Invoice the remaining amount and if he won't pay then contact a lawyer, most deal with these sort of things on a regular basis. The lawyer will then chase your money for you, doesn't cost much, I'm doing it just now for 600 quid.
 
Its a 4 bed detached with new extension at the rear. float and set extension and over skim everything else in the house which was ALL artex even walls.

£120 a day in hand. the prick was turning up to the job every day to see how it was getting on, then on the last day he didn't turn up and no deadlines for the job were set. I called him to say i was finished when can i get my money and he starts slagging me off telling me that i'm slow and not even a real plasterer as a real plasterer would have done it in half the time etc. but he had no problems with the work and speed every day he saw me before that.

and im slowly realising I haven't got a leg to stand on
 
timeservedspread said:
Just had a look at your profile pal,
From your posts I'm guessing your not long in this game and probably a courser?
The contractor was probably correct and based your day rate on what a qualified spread would do?
Big lesson here for you mate, Its a mean old scene out there in the real world and if your going to go around calling yourself a fully qualified spread then you'd better make damn sure you can back it up?
In all honesty put it down to experience and don't take on jobs that are above your skill level.
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if timeserved is right dentalblock,welcome to the real world, and hopefully this will act as a cautionary tale, and a deterrent to other coursers, personally timeservedspread seems spot on
 
timeservedspread said:
Just had a look at your profile pal,
From your posts I'm guessing your not long in this game and probably a courser?
The contractor was probably correct and based your day rate on what a qualified spread would do?
Big lesson here for you mate, Its a mean old scene out there in the real world and if your going to go around calling yourself a fully qualified spread then you'd better make damn sure you can back it up?
In all honesty put it down to experience and don't take on jobs that are above your skill level.
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I suggest you go back and re-read my posts, I'm no ******* courser, unless you consider a 2 year apprenticeship and 7 years on my own a course.

I been on 100s of day rate jobs, never had a problem until now.

I don't need anyone questioning my worth, I'm just looking for advice on potential solutions to my problem.
 
Dentalblock said:
I suggest you go back and re-read my posts, I'm no ******* courser, unless you consider a 2 year apprenticeship and 7 years on my own a course.

I been on 100s of day rate jobs, never had a problem until now.

I don't need anyone questioning my worth, I'm just looking for advice on potential solutions to my problem.
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now now dentalblock, if you read and I mean read ,think, and take in all what timeserved is saying ,he is just being honest ,and whats happened to you in some different ways its happened to us all, unfourtanetly its your turn now to experience this, we have all been there at some point, once again read and think seriously what he is saying, you might not like it but in the long run he is just trying to help you
 
Firstly, if you react to any form of criticism the way you do then hang up your trowel chummy.
I've been in this game 26 years and I've been took for thousands by contractors / company's ect, not through bad work or missed deadlines but because they either couldn't pay or went bust, its part and parcel of the building game and I had to except the fact I lost money, simple?
Do what I've done in the past, get in your van and go to his house early evening and eyeball the guy and ask what his problem is?
Don't sit stewing about it on a computer, until you've actually seen the guy you're second guessing his motives and not resolving your lost cash.
 
There are companies who will chase debts on your behalf!? Yes they take a slice but saves you the hasstle of chasing the guy! This company who offered me their services should I ever need them? Don't bother ringing up they just go round instead on a daily basis!!! Must be similar companies round your way?? Small claims courts are garbage!! By the time you paid a solicitor etc plus (regarding you win??) They hardly pay the debt anyway or get away with a fiver a month!?? :RpS_mad:
 
timeservedspread said:
Firstly, if you react to any form of criticism the way you do then hang up your trowel chummy.
I've been in this game 26 years and I've been took for thousands by contractors / company's ect, not through bad work or missed deadlines but because they either couldn't pay or went bust, its part and parcel of the building game and I had to except the fact I lost money, simple?
Do what I've done in the past, get in your van and go to his house early evening and eyeball the guy and ask what his problem is?
Don't sit stewing about it on a computer, until you've actually seen the guy you're second guessing his motives and not resolving your lost cash.
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your missus has got a nice rack mate!:RpS_thumbsup:
 
Dentalblock said:
Its a 4 bed detached with new extension at the rear. float and set extension and over skim everything else in the house which was ALL artex even walls.

£120 a day in hand. the prick was turning up to the job every day to see how it was getting on, then on the last day he didn't turn up and no deadlines for the job were set. I called him to say i was finished when can i get my money and he starts slagging me off telling me that i'm slow and not even a real plasterer as a real plasterer would have done it in half the time etc. but he had no problems with the work and speed every day he saw me before that.

and im slowly realising I haven't got a leg to stand on
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So you should have received £1800 to bond and skim a 4 bed house PLUS float and skim an extension ?

you must be mad pal.

The last 3 bed I over skimmed (+ board a couple of lids) I charged £3100 :confused:
 
irish_spread said:
So you should have received £1800 to bond and skim a 4 bed house PLUS float and skim an extension ?

you must be mad pal.

The last 3 bed I over skimmed (+ board a couple of lids) I charged £3100 :confused:
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Damn it,I priced that at£3200..
if people are going to knock you they are going to knock you, I would go to his house and inform him that you want paying and if he doesn't say you will keep coming back and will come unannounced..
 
sunday morning 7am and also lunchtime is good, stand outside his door til you can smell the roast beef :RpS_thumbup:
 
Olican said:
sunday morning 7am and also lunchtime is good, stand outside his door til you can smell the roast beef :RpS_thumbup:
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My pal found the guys house, owed him 10k plus, was ignoring him for a while, turned up at his house,pal is 6'5 and not too pretty, had quick discussion telling him he'd visit again,guy ranted etc,cheque came two days later, 3 months later the firm went bankrupt, no intention of paying him if he hadn't visited family home,
ps, my nephew got knocked twice this year,Australian firm fooked off back owing him 5 weeks, now an Northern Irish firm owe him 3 weeks saying they have no money, rocmechanical based in guilford with branch in London...
 
Dentalblock said:
These aren't the replies I was hoping for, does anyone know if taking him through small claims will cost him money even if he wins?
Click to expand...

why oh why did you not have a draw each week? you lost control of the payments. you are at your strongest position when you are half way through a contract, now at the end you are no longer a priority!
small claims court a total waste of time, even if you win he can have judgement set aside!
if you can afford it you could issue a writ for bankruptcy for £1,800 owed. and i would guess that would cost you about a grand.
 
Every plasterer on this forum has been or will be knocked if they are in the game for long enough. I have known plastering contractors to loose their houses after being knocked by builders. I have also known some guys to smash up their walls when they have been knocked. One plasterer I knew went down the builders local and offered a builder out side. Big mistake guy was a boxer wiped the floor with him.
 
How did you get the job? Why didn't you give him a price and when you decided on a day rate did he not ask you how long? I would atleast call at the customers house and talk with them coz he might not of been payed yet, you might not get the money off them but he might not neither :)
 
Capital spread said:
Every plasterer on this forum has been or will be knocked if they are in the game for long enough. I have known plastering contractors to loose their houses after being knocked by builders. I have also known some guys to smash up their walls when they have been knocked. One plasterer I knew went down the builders local and offered a builder out side. Big mistake guy was a boxer wiped the floor with him.
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A relative in the 80s, scudded two house inside with synthaprufe when he was knocked, those days people couldn't trace you so easy..
 
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