Why always the last payment.....

[limerockconstruction]

......why is it customers always stall on completion payments???

We've finished a lovely job, immaculate finish internally, painted, carpets the lot, like a ****ing show home.

Invoiced - nothing!

No response.

I even leave people with a 5% holding payment as part of the contract. Its not like they didn't see the end coming? My gang and my subbies went through hell with this chap. But its ok as long as you get paid.

With this guy, we finished on a Friday and I said that I would sort the final invoice and key hand over early the next week. (un lived house). On Sunday he turned up outside of my house at 9.00am demanding the keys, I reminded him that it was Sunday and I was off with the kids, by 8.30 on Monday he'd turned up again with a letter threatening court action if he wasn't in possession of the keys by 12.00. I was on the other side town at the time, so he forced my Wife to open it with a baby in her arms and not long out of hospital, with my 3 other kids running around, and suggested she should read it and get in touch with me about its contents.

I was back by about 2.30 and did his invoice and key hand over and nothing.......

Why does everyone think that builders are cowboys.

The only thing I can say is that the job slipped by a few weeks, but the standard of the finish is immaculate, its one of the nicest we've ever done.

 

[FiremanT]

Except you painted the carpets

 

[limerockconstruction]

Except you painted the carpets

You're a horrible man FiremanT

 

[FiremanT]

Except you painted the carpets

You're a horrible man FiremanT

Hurrah for the edit button

 

[KenGMac]

limerockconstruction hi

Don't you have a clause in your "contract" to the effect that all material will be your property until final payment is made [or similar?]

Just inform the owner that if he does not pay up in accordance with the contract, you will pitch up and remove anything you want to up to the value of the outstanding money?

Or how about a claim in the small claims court, does not cost you anything? just fill out the paperwork.?

 

[Norcon]

"I was back by about 2.30 and did his invoice and key hand over and nothing....... "

That should have been invoice hand over only. Then await payment.

A car salesman wouldn't give you the keys to a new car without payment.
We bought a 180 puma a few weeks ago and we didn't get any keys until payment was finalised.

So why do builders give stuff away for nothing?

 

[cajar]

because you're supplying a service, not goods, and this tends to be paid in after the work.

you also know you can't 'pitch up' and take stuff back, have to pursue him through the courts unfortunately.

 

[Norcon]

So does the OP by law have to hand over the keys before final payment is made?

 

[EddieM]

Just inform the owner that if he does not pay up in accordance with the contract, you will pitch up and remove anything you want to up to the value of the outstanding money?

I am afraid you can't do that at best it would be trespass at worst breaking and entering.

 

[cajar]

So does the OP by law have to hand over the keys before final payment is made?

the keys and house belong to the owner throughout, they were given to the builder so he could work in it, once his works complete he must hand back the keys yes. house was not offered as collateral. payment has to be pursued as a separate issue, no right to hold the keys.

 

[limerockconstruction]

We never hold the keys as ransom as it were, we just like to give everything over in one go and make it clean, so invoice, keys, certification etc. We put new doors in throughout the house and it was un-lived in, but he had a key to every door except one, it wasn't like we were stopping him getting in or anything like that. So now he's paid the contractual payment, but has decided he doesn't want to pay for the extra's - which in fairness on this job, have been very little, amount to about 2.5% or something.

FWIW - I was under the same impression as cajar and eddie, but I do agree with Norcon, it seems we are always on the backfoot. (Don't get me wrong 9 times out of 10, or maybe more, its fine, its just the odd payment that seems to go awry that makes you feel miffed with it all).

 

[cajar]

he's probably just peed off that the job slipped a bit. might change his mind when he's had a good look at the finish....but don't count on it cos you know what people are like once they get a bee in their bonnet

 

[cajar]

if you look on other threads you can see norcon will tell people to wait until the jobs done satisfactorily before making the last payment, so I'm not sure he has actually arranged his ideas on the matter in his own head yet.

 

[EddieM]

We never hold the keys as ransom as it were, we just like to give everything over in one go and make it clean, so invoice, keys, certification etc. We put new doors in throughout the house and it was un-lived in, but he had a key to every door except one, it wasn't like we were stopping him getting in or anything like that. So now he's paid the contractual payment, but has decided he doesn't want to pay for the extra's - which in fairness on this job, have been very little, amount to about 2.5% or something.

FWIW - I was under the same impression as cajar and eddie, but I do agree with Norcon, it seems we are always on the backfoot. (Don't get me wrong 9 times out of 10, or maybe more, its fine, its just the odd payment that seems to go awry that makes you feel miffed with it all).

Oh don't get me wrong I am not in any way implying what the client has done is acceptable, was just trying to make sure you didn't do anything dodgy that could land you in serious hot water. I wish you luck in obtaining payment.

 

[limerockconstruction]

he's probably just peed off that the job slipped a bit. might change his mind when he's had a good look at the finish....but don't count on it cos you know what people are like once they get a bee in their bonnet

A process we've started doing is pricing extra's up before doing them so that people can authorise them there and then and we don't end up in this position. BUt there always seem to be a few things that need to be actioned immediately.