Properly a bit off topic and certainly the other side of the coin from the Forums perception but I'm going to get on my soapbox and ask for an opinion anyway
Roughly 2 years ago I was called out to a property to get an onion on some electrics of a house
As a Electrical Contractor I knew the house as I had upgraded the switchboard some time before this (over a year)
I then told the previous owners the house need rewiring (pensioner couldn't afford it)
I quoted the new owners a price and they reluctantly agreed saying they hadn't budgeted for the additional work but it will be OK handed me the keys and ask if I could start asap
A really long story short these people lived some 2 hours ago and bought the house to renovate and move into a cheaper scenario (very common here).
Two days into the Job the owners discover a wall just suspended by the top plate (was flapping in the breeze (dodgy extension work)) Said he would have to get a builder in
Turned up the next afternoon to find the builder (I has previously had contact with and was under the impression was unlicensed)
The Builder was walking round the house looking at things he could do to improve the house while drinking a JIM BEAM???
The owners left and the Builder told me some of the work I had done had to be redone as he was pulling walls out etc
I voice my concern to the owners the next day only to be told he is now in charge and do what he asks
As I could only get there some afternoons (being stuffed around rerunning cable etc was dragging the job out ie no money so I had to work elsewhere)
I was constantly getting phone calls in the morning from the builder telling me the need to run cable into a specific wall as they need to plaster it the next day
I remember work there a few night till 10PM in the dark just so I didn't hold the builder up only to find the wall still not plaster a week later
The builder was using me as an excuse to bump his price up
Another bout of Bad luck was I lost my work car in a fire
I was offer a job unrelated to electrical work and took it but only worked morning which left me free to do the work in the afternoon
OK so I did sit the owners dawn and told them the story and how I was on the verge of bankruptcy and could only be there a in the afternoons as I need to feed the family
The wife was sympathetic and explained to me they where almost bankrupt and where walking away from the house 2 hours away and the bank can have it??
Was then told the Wife's mother was paying for the renos??
A few days later I got a phone call from the owners wife asking me why I wasn't at the house I explain that I told them my situation and would be there that afternoon she replied they had told me there situation and I had till the end of the next day to complete the job
I told them there was over a weeks work left to do
The reply was send us an invoice for the work done and they will get someone else to finish
I went to the house that afternoon to talk to them of course on one there but different front door different lock I could get into the house!!
This is where the fun begins (sorry long story)
After sending an Invoice for just over halve the quoted amount I never received anything
I rang and text them constantly with no reply
They never seemed to be at the house anymore
6 months later still no one living at the house
So I engaged a Debt collector
1st one couldn't find them so gave up
Spoke to a local solicitor who said good luck with it and ushered me out the door
2nd Debt collector said we will find them
Long story short they spent month trying to track them down
The owners knew there way around the privacy act
I eventually caught the owners at the house and was very in politely told to P**s Off and let there solicitor handle it
My way of thinking was I had down work and have to be paid something
Months pasted with no movement form the debt collectors who where telling me they had contact from the owners and where going to go bankrupt
I paid for a bankruptcy search to be told hey haven't lodged anything as of yet
The debt collectors then suggested The leave it for a few months as then hit them with every thing they have got and the hopefully they will be living in the house and be able to be found easily
I asked what would happen if they lodged a notice to go a bankruptcy
To be told the debt collectors would be notified and would act accordingly
So six months on I contacted the debt collectors only to be told the owners have gone bankrupt and there is nothing anyone can do
End Of story???
I questioned there previous statement about the intention to go bankrupt notice to be told anyone can go bankrupt anytime without notice??
After some investigation I found the house is in a males name (not the person I had the dealing with and not the mothers unless her name is LEO)
I see the owner in the supermarket occasionally and give me a strange look with a snigger as to say I ripped you off
Ironically the house has recently has a massive big garage built out back, Central heating installed, New fences. New Front fence evaporative air conditioner
And in the last few weeks Bay windows Oh but they are bankrupt.
So I pose the question what would you do
I'm thinking about putting a complaint against the Debt collector to the financial OMBUDSMAN and seeing a solicitor but not sure it I will be wasting me time
Firstly Going to pay for a Bankruptcy search maybe??
BTW this has put me into an extreme financial hardship scenario and was force to do a part 9 debt agreement with my creditors
I had to declare Insolvency and IMO ruined my life??
Roughly 2 years ago I was called out to a property to get an onion on some electrics of a house
As a Electrical Contractor I knew the house as I had upgraded the switchboard some time before this (over a year)
I then told the previous owners the house need rewiring (pensioner couldn't afford it)
I quoted the new owners a price and they reluctantly agreed saying they hadn't budgeted for the additional work but it will be OK handed me the keys and ask if I could start asap
A really long story short these people lived some 2 hours ago and bought the house to renovate and move into a cheaper scenario (very common here).
Two days into the Job the owners discover a wall just suspended by the top plate (was flapping in the breeze (dodgy extension work)) Said he would have to get a builder in
Turned up the next afternoon to find the builder (I has previously had contact with and was under the impression was unlicensed)
The Builder was walking round the house looking at things he could do to improve the house while drinking a JIM BEAM???
The owners left and the Builder told me some of the work I had done had to be redone as he was pulling walls out etc
I voice my concern to the owners the next day only to be told he is now in charge and do what he asks
As I could only get there some afternoons (being stuffed around rerunning cable etc was dragging the job out ie no money so I had to work elsewhere)
I was constantly getting phone calls in the morning from the builder telling me the need to run cable into a specific wall as they need to plaster it the next day
I remember work there a few night till 10PM in the dark just so I didn't hold the builder up only to find the wall still not plaster a week later
The builder was using me as an excuse to bump his price up
Another bout of Bad luck was I lost my work car in a fire
I was offer a job unrelated to electrical work and took it but only worked morning which left me free to do the work in the afternoon
OK so I did sit the owners dawn and told them the story and how I was on the verge of bankruptcy and could only be there a in the afternoons as I need to feed the family
The wife was sympathetic and explained to me they where almost bankrupt and where walking away from the house 2 hours away and the bank can have it??
Was then told the Wife's mother was paying for the renos??
A few days later I got a phone call from the owners wife asking me why I wasn't at the house I explain that I told them my situation and would be there that afternoon she replied they had told me there situation and I had till the end of the next day to complete the job
I told them there was over a weeks work left to do
The reply was send us an invoice for the work done and they will get someone else to finish
I went to the house that afternoon to talk to them of course on one there but different front door different lock I could get into the house!!
This is where the fun begins (sorry long story)
After sending an Invoice for just over halve the quoted amount I never received anything
I rang and text them constantly with no reply
They never seemed to be at the house anymore
6 months later still no one living at the house
So I engaged a Debt collector
1st one couldn't find them so gave up
Spoke to a local solicitor who said good luck with it and ushered me out the door
2nd Debt collector said we will find them
Long story short they spent month trying to track them down
The owners knew there way around the privacy act
I eventually caught the owners at the house and was very in politely told to P**s Off and let there solicitor handle it
My way of thinking was I had down work and have to be paid something
Months pasted with no movement form the debt collectors who where telling me they had contact from the owners and where going to go bankrupt
I paid for a bankruptcy search to be told hey haven't lodged anything as of yet
The debt collectors then suggested The leave it for a few months as then hit them with every thing they have got and the hopefully they will be living in the house and be able to be found easily
I asked what would happen if they lodged a notice to go a bankruptcy
To be told the debt collectors would be notified and would act accordingly
So six months on I contacted the debt collectors only to be told the owners have gone bankrupt and there is nothing anyone can do
End Of story???
I questioned there previous statement about the intention to go bankrupt notice to be told anyone can go bankrupt anytime without notice??
After some investigation I found the house is in a males name (not the person I had the dealing with and not the mothers unless her name is LEO)
I see the owner in the supermarket occasionally and give me a strange look with a snigger as to say I ripped you off
Ironically the house has recently has a massive big garage built out back, Central heating installed, New fences. New Front fence evaporative air conditioner
And in the last few weeks Bay windows Oh but they are bankrupt.
So I pose the question what would you do
I'm thinking about putting a complaint against the Debt collector to the financial OMBUDSMAN and seeing a solicitor but not sure it I will be wasting me time
Firstly Going to pay for a Bankruptcy search maybe??
BTW this has put me into an extreme financial hardship scenario and was force to do a part 9 debt agreement with my creditors
I had to declare Insolvency and IMO ruined my life??
