getting my money back from a cowboy builder

[LIX1]

Hi

 

I had a cowboy builder in and he took £3,000 from me and wrecked my home/didnt do any work he was paid for. I obviously want my money back but:

 

a. Trading standards cannot help as its the only case against him, so they issued a warning for fraud. He told me his company was registered and it was actually disolved in 2010.

 

b. Police refused to do anything about the nails he stole, as my word against his. (Nails cost £100 so expensive theft), but I have an incident number (fat lot of good that is)

 

c. Companies House wont do anything as he was no longer registered with them.

 

 

SO>>>>

 

I have been told I can go small claims court and will definately win as I have lots of evidence, including pics of him working, taking delivery of materials, contract, emails, texts, receipts etc.

 

That is good...but the problems that I have:

He has sent back my letters asking for payment. 'Not known at this address'. It is where he lives with his partner and children and I have proof of this. (think he is hiding somehting there!) and he isnt on the electorial register, but she is.

 

If I take it to the small claims and he doesnt admit to being at that address, then what?

 

If I win the small claims I know he doesnt have any assets. How will I get my money back?

 

Is using a Debt Collecting agency the best way? How hard will they try and being that he is avoidant and appears to have nothing, what will I actually get? Will this just end up costing me more money?

 

What is they best way forward please? I dont mind how long it takes, but I want all of my money back, and then will sue him for the distress and damage he caused.

 

(he left me with a massive hole in my roof and every time it rained for 10 weeks my house flooded and it caused considerable damage as it was impossible to cover the hole. It was most distressing for all of us as we tried to stop the rain, we also lost electricity as well as other damage. He cut the main support joists and broke the tiles and batons so had nothing to secure the roof).

 

It is a mess, so please can anyone help me with suggestions of the best way forward.

 

End of the day, he lied to me, took my money, wrecked my home and then disappeared with my money. I know who he is and where he lives, even if he denies it. But seems like the law will only assist him to get away with it....so what can I do?

 

Thank you

[BankFodder]

If he doesn't have any assets then it isn't worth even starting.

 

Check the land regsittry regjster to see if he owns the house. If he does then send him one letter giving him 7 days and then sue.

If he doesn't own the property then franky, you had better just learn the lesson. Not a lot you can do.

[LIX1]

The property is not registered to him, I already checked that.

 

Letting him get away with it is not an option.

 

But thank you.

[ashmk]

I think the point Bankfodder is making is if the builder has nothing then you are just going to be throwing good money after bad.

[LIX1]

Hi

And thank you, I can appreciate what you are both saying, and I do not disagree with you in one respect, and that is why I posted...am sure other people manage to get their money and I want to know how, as I know nothing about this kind of thing.

 

My reason for posting was to find out what my options are. As I said, leaving it is not an option. Or I may as well have just thrown £3,000 into the wind. Plus I will never let anyone who robs me, get away with it. I havent worked for a year, I have no money at all and he took all that from me...if he just robbed me it wouldnt have hurt quite as much but as he damaged my house you have no idea how we were forced to live for months. That hurt. He knew exactly what he was doing.

 

I dont think you quite understand, he cut my roof struts, so there was nothing to support the roof. He broke all the tiles and removed the batons. I was lucky my roof didnt collapse. I had a hole 5sq m which was impossible to cover properly. Every time it rained for almsot 3 months my house flooded. The water was yellow as it came through the loft insulation and I live in a bungalow so all rooms were affected. My electrics shorted out. There is nothing worse than sitting on the toilet at 4am in the dark when it is raining on you. My house mate fell through a ceiling when he slipped off a wet board emptying buckets of water. The damage to my home was considerable. He knew all that when he ran away. I only went out for an hour and he ran away.

 

If the law will not work for me, there are always other options. I will find the worst debt collectors and let them deal with him, am sure that I can find someone who will buy the debt and collect the money. I just need to find out what options I have.

 

Why should a lying, theiving piece of **** come into my home, wreck it, destroy it, steal from it, and steal money from me...and walk away without any consequences?

 

No way is he getting away with it. I just need to find the legal way forward. But if not, I will find another way, there are plenty of unscrupulous debt collectors and quite honestly I dont care. He waivered that right to be treated with any respect after what he did to me and my family. End of. And I will use whatever methods are open to me to get my money back. I am a decent person, and for that reason I am using the legal route and will remain within the law at all times. I just need to know how and I will do whatever I need to do.

 

Thank you for taking the time to comment, but I was hoping for useful pointers and information that will help me get my money back. ~I do not care if he owes me for 20 years, one day I will get my money, all of it.

[robcag]

That is good...but the problems that I have:

He has sent back my letters asking for payment. 'Not known at this address'. It is where he lives with his partner and children and I have proof of this. (think he is hiding somehting there!) and he isnt on the electorial register, but she is.

 

If I take it to the small claims and he doesnt admit to being at that address, then what?

 

 

Well this might be worth investigating. It might not get your money back but it might open a can of worms for him and/or his partner if either of them is up to no good regarding unlawfully claiming benefits or similar. You might need to be able to prove he is living there though ...

 

Rob

[LIX1]

Thank you Rob,

 

I have of course passed all the company information to the Tax man and I think they fully investigate all that, but thank you for your suggestion.

 

I sent them enough proof that he was living there, including his car details and the links to his website on 'find a good one' and all his girlfriends details, as she is registered as living there. I can only assume he is either an invisible person, or he has another address, but without paying £80 I am not able to find out another address for him...so left it for them to deal with. Shame I cannot see the results of that, but at least he will be investigated...he claims to have done a lot of work on his websites and had great reviews..if he did write them himself, he will still have to prove and answer to someone as to why he is working and not paying tax, or maybe why he is working and claiming...or maybe why he is living with his partner. I think she is on benefits.

 

It is amazing what information you can find online.

 

I also had him removed from 3 trade websites.

 

I have a debt collecting agency that will take it on but they want 30% commision plus VAT, which would efffectively mean I would see about half of the main figure. But I have asked them if I can go for all the damage and additional costs etc.

 

I will be as happy if I make him bankrupt as it will affect him for a longer time, and that is exactly what I want, and what he deserves.

 

Karma just needs a helping hand sometimes ;-)

[stef01]

Hi there,

i am experiencing similar problems with another cowboy builder. he has taken more then £10,000 of my money and he is not showing up at work and whatever he has done is substandard.

it is a nightmare. No roof, no central heating, no water, he has demolished my bathroom 3 weeks ago and nothing has done since. if i talk to him over the phone, he just lies to me and lies and lies.

he is a thieving, lieing dishonest person who has destroyed my kitchen, floor, walls and left my house all ripped open and destroyed the only bathroom i had.

had to have family at xmas from italy in my new place but he has destroyed everything and I am living in a hotel.

how can I force him to give me my money back? i know where he lives.

please tell me all your ways to destroy his reputation, work and life. I HATE him and i wish all the worst n life but how can i get money back?

Edited December 6, 2012 by maroondevo52
Removed names.

[LaughingGirl]

Stef, as explained up thread it depends on whether or not the builder in question has any assets. It's a simple truth that if someone has nothing to take, you can't take it. Do you know if he owns his own home?

[stef01]

I think he lives here, he has family (cause few times told was late for work to take his son to school) and the company he is registrered with has an address, which I think it is his own residence. But even so, what can i do?

[LaughingGirl]

Well, to start off with, check the land registry to see if he owns his property. If he does, then you may be able to get somewhere.

[stef01]

which is Land registry information... doeas anyone have a free website with this info?

[LaughingGirl]

which is Land registry information... doeas anyone have a free website with this info?

 

The site is here:

 

http://www.landregistryservices.com/land-registry/

 

...but it's not free, and there isn't a way to get this sort of information free as far as I know.

[kenwood]

Hi LIX1, you have my sympathy and I'm in a similiar situation. Please can you give us an update (or please pm me). Thanks.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

The thread is 5 months old if you need help yourself start your own thread it will get more attention!!

[kenwood]

Brigadier, thank you for swiftly commenting on my comment. There are plenty of people airing their predicament and asking for advice but we never hear what happens afterwards. I'm in a very similar situation now and I want to go to court as soon as I can list all my costs in putting my problems right. I was very curious to find out the outcome of LIX's issues, whether they went to court, whether they were able to bring about any enforcements and get any money back.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

You need to start your own thread in the appropriate forum more people will see it and be able to offer advice.

[renegadeimp]

As has already been stated. You can go to court and sue. But if he doesnt have any assets then you are wasting your time and your money.