how to get rid of my builder

[kingandy2nd]

a solicitor is too expensise, also we wre told that we would probably not have any money back, and the lawyer wouuld get his money back either

who has told you these things?

solicitor will be a lot less than the 20k you've shelled out on a sub-standard and unfinished extension.

as freddy say, if you're not willing to take the necessary action your whole situation (and this thread) is going to go round and round in circles wasting your time and everyone elses.

you've readily and willingly given this chap £20k of your money when you probably shouldn't have. you won't see any of it again, or get your building work finished, if you won't even entertain pursuing through legal channels. all you can do is pay someone else to finish it, and cross your fingers that the original builder doesn't sue you.

sorry if that sounds harsh, but its the fact.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well your fecked then, this thread is just going round and round ad nauseum! Jeez!

well we do not want any money from him, we want to get rid of him and employ someone else, i am hoping that once he knows we can report him to the police for using a qualification he hasn't got then taht will be it!!

Total delusion, the Police will just tell you its a civil matter, whether it is or not.

 

[gregers]

if you havnt got the money for a solicitor,how are you going to pay to employ a new builder?

try and cut your losses before you totally wave goodbye to your hard earned,

GET HOLD OF A PROPER SURVEYOR.

so far youve given away 20k arnt you botherd?id certainly would be,even if in my heart of hearts i would be getting any of it back id certainly be making your orriginal builder pay in the long run by contacting as many people as possible to compalin,
watch dog,cowboy builders etc.

im afraid there is an old saying,
a fool and his money are soon parted.youve had to learn a very hard lesson here.

ill come a hang some doors for you for 5k can i have it upfront and youve got to supply everything.

8 pages of replys and it doesnt seem to have sunk in,you may even find that the work he has done is substandard and may have to be redone,your only going to know when you get someone in to tell you.

 

[AdamCH]

well we do not want any money from him, we want to get rid of him and employ someone else, i am hoping that once he knows we can report him to the police for using a qualification he hasn't got then taht will be it!!

If you want to employ someone else & you don't want to pursue a refund then I think that would be easy - just do it. He might shout a bit but he's not going to sue you.

If you want evidence that his work wasn't up to standard and you acted reasonably then get it surveyed before the new builder starts. Looking at what's already been done though the new builder might want to rip a lot of stuff out and redo it and might want to survey the current work anyway before they start just to establish what needs doing.

One thing you could do that won't cost you is ask 3 other builders to quote to complete the work. What they say about what's already been completed will give you material to throw at the old builder.

 

[jeds]

Aciob said he has just registered.2 weeks ago he was nnot.
I shouldnt have told him i had rung them. He is not registered with rics and they told us we could go to the police and rics can write to them> I think They will give him a first warning and tell him he is not allowed to use this title.

I'm sorry but that's *******s. (begins with B, two LLs in the middle and ends with S) You don't 'register' with RICS. The entry requirements are very stringent and take a minimum of 2 years of supervised professional experience, and keeping diaries, and more hoop jumping than you can shake a stick at. And that's after you've spent 3 years, minimum, getting a decent degree. So what's CIOB then - some sort of club you just fill out a form and send it off with a sub and you're in? Just ask them what's the use of their pathetic little letters if anyone with the ability to fill out a form and fifty quid can join?

Just realised I wasn't going to say any more on this. A lot of people here have tried to give you good advice. In the end that all comes to nothing if you are not prepared to take some of that advice and start helping yourself.

 

[SimonH2]

a solicitor is too expensise

Considering your have already shelled out £20k, and potentially may have to shell out "a lot more" to get the job finished, in initial consultation with a solicitor wouldn't cost a lot at all. It;s really a myth that they are expensive, OK so they are, but if you are canny then you can at least get some initial advice without spending a lot.

also we wre told that we would probably not have any money back

One thing I can guarantee is that if you don't get an expert in to survey what you have, then you won't get anything back. If, and this is only an IF the work is really bad and the surveyor backs that up - you stand a chance of getting up to £5k back quite cheaply (see what I;ve written earlier about the small claims court). My guess based on what I've seen so far is that you could take the builder to court and get a judgement against him.
Getting a judgement isn't the same as getting your money, but it's a start as he then has a judgement against his name (I'd guess possibly to add to the others he might already have). If he can't, or won't, pay up - then you'd have the option of having him declared bankrupt. It costs to do that, but you'd have the satisfaction of making his life miserable in return for doing that to you.

and the lawyer wouuld get his money back either

You'd be paying him, he'd get his money from you.

I think you've been taking advice from the wrong people - and you seem intent ion ignoring what people here have told you.
Don't delay any more - get an expert in. If he says you've had £20k worth of work then at least you'll know that. If you haven't then you can discuss how to move forward. If there's work which is so substandard that it's a hazard - then you'll also know that before it gets even more costly to put it right.
But WE (or at least the experts here) DON'T KNOW from a few photos.