i have paid a neighbour up front to do some work in my garden,?

Question

he's never home when i call round and he's made no effort to come to me. he's had messages that ive been looking for him

Answer 1

oh dear he cant hide forever! hes your neighbour you will bump into him sometime or another. he either does the job or you get your money back (when you manage to catch up with him).

Answer 2

This isn't really a "home and Garden" question...

There s no need to pay anyone upfront for work. The only time i can think of i do this is a train or plane fare.

If he needs the money for materials, offer to go and buy them for him, as he obviously doesn't have an a account or discount.

If he does have an account then he'll get 30,60 or 90 days credit so definately doesn't need money up front.

Remember, all crooks are the neighbours of someone..scary thought eh ?

The only think you can really do is put it down to expereicne and learn from it. Sure you can go through small claims court etc, or you could try peer pressure, either way you're not going to be on speaking terms again and he'll do a shoddy job if he does turn up because he's been forced into it

To get a better job done and keep your neighbour, it might be best to walk away and get someone else.

Answer 3

Not a good idea to pay up front, unless you have to.

I would try to avoid going legal if you can. I don't think this is a police matter, it's a civil law matter. That's a solicitor or small claims court.

Unless it's a great amount of money I would forget about it. It's not worth the effort, nor the friction with a neighbour. Let him feel bad forever. If you don't like the idea of someone taking advantage of you, at least try embarrassment as your weapon. Drop a letter through the door saying you can't wait and you're getting someone else in to do the work and you want your money back.

Answer 4

How much money are you talking about?

I think you made a bad decision paying upfront for work not carried out but what is done is done.

I would keep dropping messages through the letter box saying you will have to involve the police if he does not return the money given - and say you no longer wish him to carry out the work arranged and if is illegal to take money for work that is never carried out.

Mention you do not have a lot of money and you need it back due to Christmas coming and that the work has not been done as arranged (make them feel guilty). It will be up to you how to word the messages and i don't think the police will be to interested if it is a small amount of money but if it is a large amount you will have to also prove you gave the money in the first place and what it was for.

Keep copies of the notes sent and the times and dates put through the letter box - you might need it if it is a lot of money and it goes to court.

You know better for next time, have the work done before paying.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I work as a gardener and never, ever take money up front. It just makes everything so difficult. Drop notes mentioning your financial situation (whatever it is in reality), Christmas etc, with mild threats of small claims court, Citizens' Advice help, but you're sure he'll underestand that you need the money back now,rather than the the job done by him.
Good luck!

Answer 6

I'm sorry to say that if you have an untrustworthy neighbour, he may deny you gave him any money unless you have a receipt.
As the answerers above have said, it is a sad sign of the times when you cannot trust even your neighbour.
There may be reasons for his 'disappearance' though, maybe something personal, but if it is obvious he is there and ignoring you, I'm really not sure there is much you can do.
I hope it wasn't a lot of money.

Answer 7

It really is a sad indictment of society that you cannot pay the local layabout up front anymore because they will cheat you . But, consider this, perhaps if he does the work he becomes a benefit fraud, and by not doing the work he is saving you from prosecution for encouraging benefit fraud, which could result in you being arrested and charged thereby getting you a criminal record. Search this man out immediately and thank him for saving your reputation!

Answer 8

I did that also....never again!!! It's really bad when we cannot even trust
a neighbor, and it was also for yard work.
You could go to the police and ask them, if there is anything you can do.
Or go to the court house, and sign that he falsely took money from you,
not completing with work. Altho, you might need a contract with him.
So very sorry......I know how you feel.

Answer 9

try writing him a letter stating that the money ( make it more than you gave him) was for a job to be done and when is he doing it, he will either write back that you did not pay that amount and it was only ?? but you will have proff you paios him, Failing that he will come round and thump you.

Answer 10

Call at his house at midnight. That'll really annoy him, and it'll make sure that he knows about doing your garden!