Rogue trader destroys our family home
Donation protected
This has been one of the most stressful, emotional rollercoaster times of our lives.
To give you a little back story; We have been doing a renovation since January 2020 on a property that is small but perfectly formed and is going to be our family home. We had been working along side the so called builder as his labourers, it was exhausting but exhilarating building our family home, and something I’ll always be proud of
We agreed a job lot for a fixed fee - labour and materials and an instalment plan so that he could buy materials when needed, this was all under contract. We got references (which turned out to be false) and visited a site that he was currently working on (which we now know is another victim). one month before the end of the project the builder starting asking for more money, he said he needed an extra £1,200 to get more materials. The following day we asked him to break down these costs, and it dramatically rose to £5,000. Along with a lot of behavioural changes, including rudeness and disappearing and goading my partner (saying rude things about me) , we felt things just weren't right, so we sent him a consumer rights letter, outlining what we felt we needed from him, and how things stand financially. We simply do not have this money, we weren't calling his bluff, and we just don't have any more money as this was all of our money
We have spoke to consumer rights, trading standards and the gas safe register; he will be investigated through these various channels. Through a very kind offer of a mum at our kids school, I spoke to a lawyer for advise, and although we have an extremely strong case its unlikely that we will see our money, for the unfinished work to be re done. We are thoroughly ashamed, embarrassed, shocked and hurt. I stupidly trusted him, someone who I thought was helping us out, as he knew the troubles we had with health over the last couple of years.
We have had building control in, and to add to our woes some of the work he has done will have to be re-done, like the roof, and the configuration of the stairs does not meet fire regulations.
We have been very humbled that a number of tradespeople have been beyond kind enough to offer help, advise and their personal time for free. and we have come along way. However, and completely understandable, we would have to provide materials to re do the roof including the lead flashings that disappeared from site, plaster, finish the electrics, timber for the stud walls, plasterboard, loft insulation, wood treatment course, gas safety check, paint, bannisters & spindles a skip to remove all of the rubbish left behind, plumbing materials– the list goes on. We have so far had quotes for the plaster and roof materials, and its an eye watering £8000 for just these two areas. The original electricians bill (a contract between the builder and sub contractor) as well as the structural engineer(again not our responsibility as it was his contract) bill are outstanding, and there are taking him to a debt collection agency.
With all the time that the builder has consumed, we are on a very tight deadline as our rent contract deadline is the end of March 2021 (originally we were meant to move July 2020 and we have extended this but can no longer afford to run bills on two properties)
We are happy to work our nails to the bone, and use every ounce of energy we have left to get this complete this, we just need a little help to get us over the line.
Like I said we are dumbfounded with the generous offers of help, so anything contributed will be amazing. We know this is a tough and bizarre time, so cant thank you all enough, and thank you for reading
Charlotte, Sam Ruby and Dylan (Rudolph & Peacock)
(since my various posts on social media, I have found 9 other victims, including one where he had to sign an undertaking admitting fraud of £8,000, here is the link showing his admission https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sitedocuments/Trading-Standards/Rogue-Traders-and-Scams/mr_booker_-_2.pdf)
To give you a little back story; We have been doing a renovation since January 2020 on a property that is small but perfectly formed and is going to be our family home. We had been working along side the so called builder as his labourers, it was exhausting but exhilarating building our family home, and something I’ll always be proud of
We agreed a job lot for a fixed fee - labour and materials and an instalment plan so that he could buy materials when needed, this was all under contract. We got references (which turned out to be false) and visited a site that he was currently working on (which we now know is another victim). one month before the end of the project the builder starting asking for more money, he said he needed an extra £1,200 to get more materials. The following day we asked him to break down these costs, and it dramatically rose to £5,000. Along with a lot of behavioural changes, including rudeness and disappearing and goading my partner (saying rude things about me) , we felt things just weren't right, so we sent him a consumer rights letter, outlining what we felt we needed from him, and how things stand financially. We simply do not have this money, we weren't calling his bluff, and we just don't have any more money as this was all of our money
We have spoke to consumer rights, trading standards and the gas safe register; he will be investigated through these various channels. Through a very kind offer of a mum at our kids school, I spoke to a lawyer for advise, and although we have an extremely strong case its unlikely that we will see our money, for the unfinished work to be re done. We are thoroughly ashamed, embarrassed, shocked and hurt. I stupidly trusted him, someone who I thought was helping us out, as he knew the troubles we had with health over the last couple of years.
We have had building control in, and to add to our woes some of the work he has done will have to be re-done, like the roof, and the configuration of the stairs does not meet fire regulations.
We have been very humbled that a number of tradespeople have been beyond kind enough to offer help, advise and their personal time for free. and we have come along way. However, and completely understandable, we would have to provide materials to re do the roof including the lead flashings that disappeared from site, plaster, finish the electrics, timber for the stud walls, plasterboard, loft insulation, wood treatment course, gas safety check, paint, bannisters & spindles a skip to remove all of the rubbish left behind, plumbing materials– the list goes on. We have so far had quotes for the plaster and roof materials, and its an eye watering £8000 for just these two areas. The original electricians bill (a contract between the builder and sub contractor) as well as the structural engineer(again not our responsibility as it was his contract) bill are outstanding, and there are taking him to a debt collection agency.
With all the time that the builder has consumed, we are on a very tight deadline as our rent contract deadline is the end of March 2021 (originally we were meant to move July 2020 and we have extended this but can no longer afford to run bills on two properties)
We are happy to work our nails to the bone, and use every ounce of energy we have left to get this complete this, we just need a little help to get us over the line.
Like I said we are dumbfounded with the generous offers of help, so anything contributed will be amazing. We know this is a tough and bizarre time, so cant thank you all enough, and thank you for reading
Charlotte, Sam Ruby and Dylan (Rudolph & Peacock)
(since my various posts on social media, I have found 9 other victims, including one where he had to sign an undertaking admitting fraud of £8,000, here is the link showing his admission https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sitedocuments/Trading-Standards/Rogue-Traders-and-Scams/mr_booker_-_2.pdf)
Organizer
Charlotte Rudolph
Organizer
