Once you've done the little favour, who's to say that you'll get any money or comeback? What'll you do, turn yourself in? Admit fraud?

Easiest thing in the world for you to be asked for your version of events by the LA or his insurers. He could claim that he had no knowledge of what you had written.

The most dangerous thing is an honest man playing the thief. The real thief knows all the tricks of the trade, as it were. You don't.

J.

 

Sounds like his is an incompetent fool. I'd not want him building near me. Sooner he goes bust the better. People like that are the ones that really screw up other's lives.

The cost of building work is large, and if he cannot get it right for his own property, imagine the mess he has made of others. Drop him in it, and then consider suing the daft sod for stress

 

Not far off the truth in all areas there mate.
We were all thinking of grouping together for a group claim against him. There are about 15-20 peoples lives affected by what they have done there. And very little in the form of compensation for being uprooted etc.

Aaaah well

Just to reply to a couple of others..
The idea of lying for someone I hardly know, about something so serious.... just aint gonna happen, rest assured.

 

EddScott said "For 50K, I'd tell the world I let my wife do me with a strap on." ... Always thought he walked funny!

 

SNAZY:

This builder is asking you to commit fraud.

If you want to go to jail for that, then tell the lies he has asked you to.

However, I think you are too sensible to do such a thing so ...

Go and see your solicitor IMMEDIATELY, tell him/her what has happened and take professional advice on what to do next.

THIS IS SERIOUS SH*T.

Your house is at risk here - the most valuable possession you own I suspect.

You should not be relying upon the barrack room lawyers on this webiste for something so serious!

And before anyone criticises me, I include myself in the term "barrack room lawyer"!

It is all very well us all having something to say and it is fun contributing, but for something as big as this, get proper professional advice, Snazy.

Good luck!

 

Cheers noob, thanks for taking the time to read it all and take it in the light it was meant

With regards to advice, I will be seeking some, definatly.
Have already told the builder in no uncertain terms, I cant/wont do what he is asking.

 

Also consider this - you lie, the builder gets the money and lashes together another badly built unsafe house and sells it. Someone buys it and moves in, and you get on great with them and become good friends. Would you be happy knowing that they may have spent all that money on a crap house knocked together by a dodgy lying builder who nearly destroyed your house ?

Personally I wouldnt **** on him if he was on fire from the sound of it - if the insurance are refusing to pay out because of something he did wrong, then tough - hes supposed to be a professional so should know what hes doing, if he doesnt, then he shouldnt be working on peoples houses.

If it was an honest above board insurance claim, without any lies being told by him, then he wouldnt need you to say anything other than the truth.

 

interesting reading some of the comments here, but you have clearly come to a decision - which personally i believe to be the right one.

do you have a detailed diary of everything that went on and when? i know you have a series of photos etc and will have receipts for your expenses, but you should diarise everything which it's still reasonably fresh in your mind. this will assist in your communications with your insurers, the authorities, his insurers etc etc and can always be added to if something else comes to mind

HTH - and i hope this does all get sorted out for you. presumably you have the right to sue him personally as well (party wall act would probably be a good place to start)

 

Is he not intending to put your house back to the condition it was in the first place then.

Two things really-is what he is asking you to do strictly honest, or is it a fiddle? Is it really worth being associated with that? You could lose the lot!

If it is legal, then I have always found that if you do someone a favour, without expecting a cash deal for doing it, that you usually get similar favours back in spades anyway and a lot of goodwill for the future.

Les

 

Cheers Richard

Yeah its all written down and an obscene number of photos of the events as they unfolded.
I think at the end of the day, the idea is to make a private claim about it all. Just waiting to hear back from the LA about how things are progressing and what route THEY are taking

 

He was not, is not and will not be carrying any work out on my house at all

What he is asking is not legal, so will not be entertained.

 

Good thinking!

Les

 

thats it everyones siling, feel the love...

 

I think it's been said already but he could be setting you up for a fall. He could be bitter because he feels that you "shopped" him in the first place and he's trying to take you down with him. You've got nothing to lose by telling the truth. Any damages will either be covered by NHBC or his liability insurance, I guess he's asking for this favour so it doesnt come out of his pocket.

 

Just to clarify, there was no shopping, grassing, snitching etc.

On a Sunday afternoon with no one working on the site, when the front of the house starts to fall off, and the remainder starts to collapse into a huge hole in the ground, its best to call for help.
Not having the contractors number, or knowing who you call when a house falls down, I called 999 and the local council

I can see why he is asking what he is, but at the end of the day its not like we are mates or anything. I had spoken to him in passing and made a few complaints to him in the past, but we only exchanged numbers and started talking once this had all happened.

The outlook is bleak, especially when your facing losing that sort of money, but life is a bitch, and if you cut corners.......
What goes around comes around.