A good one for you tonight guys - TRADESMEN

[Ericthelobster]

Right new electrician has just finished so power on shame it was a weekend rate but the tenants needed their power. He charged me extra to replace the stolen parts but thats life.

[...]

how bizarre so looks like I will have a claim form issued on me at the flat. Only problem is I dont live there I am not the landlord I only got the quote sorted out on behalf of the landlord so god knows if im liable or not :-(

Unbelievable - I hadn't appreciated that this cowboy had removed the fusebox from a property with somebody living in it!!

Regarding his claim against you, I'd say 'bring it on' but make sure you hit him with a counterclaim for all the costs you've experienced as a result of his actions.

What's your role here, anyway - you're not the landlord?

[robbo23]

It looks to me like the electrician is trying to show an inferred contract by saying as per his terms and conditions but it's too late. Had you acknowledged your acceptance of the terms before he did any work (usually in writing) you would have to pay. As you haven't you don't. You just asked for an estmate.

I suggest writing to the electrician asking for the following information.

1) Evidence of formation of a contract between yourselves.

If he cannot produce this he does not have a leg to stand on. Let him claim against you he s just trying it on.

Personally I would report him to the police and issue a claim for his removal of the meter and other things (what else did he take?) I would them report him to trading standards and if there are any bodies such as the niceic on his invoice report him to them. If any of the work he was quoting for was regulated (i.e. kitchens or bathrooms) I would also check to see that he has the current papers if not report him to the building control department of the local council.

Perhaps you should refer to the property owner in this case.

[whippy]

Hiya

Thanks for the responses. I was obtaining quotes on behalf of the landlord who is a relation of mine.

The guy has now invoiced me again wanting another £109.90 on top of the clamp fee of £480. he wants the £109.90 for

Attend property to make safe electrical installation 69.95
Assess extent of damage 39.95
Remove dangerous meter tails
Remove dangerous RCD
Remove dangerous consumer unit

Basically he is saying he had to do the work as it was unsafe and he has a duty to do this. He has taken the RCD unit, Fusebox, main fuse and taken wiring.

He has now reported the situation to the UK Power Network whoever they are

Im dissapointed as he was supposed to quote and then he said he would not be able to do any works until that afternoon or over the weekend. With the rated people website he was supposed to go back and send me the quote through and then I or the landlord is supposed to click "accept quotation" and thats when you enter into an agreement. At no point did he tell me about his website.

It has since come to light that the guy is upset because his tools were stolen a few weeks before and now he has received a clamp so he can not carry on with his business. He has posted all this on good old facebook :-s

I guess all i can do is write back and dispute his £109.90 invoice and offer him £40 as a good will gesture for quoting and assessing the damage????

[leaseholdanswers]

No don't offer a thing. Look at the website if he is an electrician he should be a member of ECA, niceic, or JIB, so you can contact them and ask on what basis he should do this.

He does have a legal obligation to put out of use any dangerous installation, however simply turning it off and posting a notice and reporting it to the local EHO or HSE is pften sufficient.

UK power networks is what used to be the infrastructure part of EDF, Seeboard LEB Eastern Electric etc. They won't be interested unless their installation is involved.

I would get a report on the flat installation and the likely hood that the installation was dangerous ( any old photos on the inventory perhaps)and quote for reinstatement.

Give him 7 days to re instate as per the other quote at his cost and then take action in the county court to recover your costs and any loss of rent and inconvenience.

If they were that bad, then he needs to be able to prove it. So keep a note of his tweets as they may damage his credibility.

As to parking and ignoring signs well, as the legal maxim goes "to a willing person, no injury is done" and " he is the author of his own misfortune" and in my terms what a stupid !"£$.

[Mrs Mug]

I listed my details and job on Ratedpeople.com and he contated me via telephone

When I was trying to find a reputable electrician, I searched on the NICEIC website.

http://niceic.com/

[Ericthelobster]

He does have a legal obligation to put out of use any dangerous installation, however simply turning it off and posting a notice and reporting it to the local EHO or HSE is pften sufficient.

Whatever else; there is not the slightest justification, whatever the circumstances, for removing all that stuff.

Even if the installation was so dangerous that someone was in obvious mortal danger if it had been left for a second longer, then the solution would have been simply to pull out the supply company fuse (which is 'upstream' of the fusebox and meter tails, and the work of seconds to do). However it's hard to imagine even that scenario.

What's the registration status of this guy? - you still haven't told us.

[Scrungy]

I listed my details and job on Ratedpeople.com

I would report him to the site without further delay, explaining his conduct and his nonsense terms of business.

If he had used the site to contact you, you could have written your account of his conduict so other people can see this.

Thye fact that he chose not to use the site to contact you tells you something about his standard MO.

[Ericthelobster]

Even if the installation was so dangerous that someone was in obvious mortal danger if it had been left for a second longer, then the solution would have been simply to pull out the supply company fuse (which is 'upstream' of the fusebox and meter tails, and the work of seconds to do).

Just to clarify the above a bit further - removing the fusebox almost always* entails pulling the supply company fuse first anyway to make the wiring safe to work on, which makes his excuse for removing the apparently 'dangerous' equipment all the more ridiculous.

*The exception would be if there happens to be a separate isolation switch 'upstream' of the fusebox. Relatively uncommon, and removing the fuse would still be the obvious way to disable a dangerous installation if that was required.

[whippy]

Hi guys He is NICEIC registered - just to confirm he has stolen the MAIN FUSE as well as the fuse box and other bits he mentions in his second invoice mention above :-s what a mess.

[whippy]

Also I have reported him to the rated people site just waiting for their response. I will contact NICEIC on monday and make a complaint.

I did call the police by they are saying its a civil matter as he is willing to return items if I pay the amount he is demanding :-( Im not bothered about the stuff now as have had to pay a new electrician to go in and fix the bulls up he left and replace all items othewise the tenants were not going to pay rent understandably.

[Snorkerz]

I did call the police by they are saying its a civil matter as he is willing to return items if I pay the amount he is demanding

Police are still talking b*11*ck5. Why do they believe that you even owe him this money? There is no court order.

[leaseholdanswers]

Hi guys He is NICEIC registered - just to confirm he has stolen the MAIN FUSE as well as the fuse box and other bits he mentions in his second invoice mention above :-s what a mess.

Then contact NICEIC on Monday. http://niceic.com/about-us/contact-us

I was laughing at Eric's response to mine. If you don't remove the suppliers fuse then it would have been fried "Lobster" .

That said I have seen the odd "jury rigged" main fuse, in one case, a section of the high street was turned off to remove it.

[Ericthelobster]

just to confirm he has stolen the MAIN FUSE as well as the fuse box and other bits he mentions in his second invoice mention above :-s what a mess.

Well there you go - and your guy has totally shot himself in the foot there, as because he's taken away the main fuse, that completely blows out of the water any claim that he removed the fusebox etc for 'safety reasons'. Make sure NICEIC get to know all this - and please come back and tell us the eventual outcome!

[robbo23]

I would also take screen captures of his facebook info that you can access. It's belt and braces I'm afraid but I wouldn't worry. Report him and hopefully no one else will have to suffer this guy.

[whippy]

well I have taken screen prints of his facebook page and spoken to a solicitor (as used to be a legal secretary) the solicitor is going to look into it all tomorrow for me.

Tomorrow morning I will be contact NICEIC to report this and also contact UK Power Networks whoever they are and try and find out what he has said to them.

I asked the new electrician to take a photo of the state is was left in after the looney electrician and I cant beleive that is safe - there were just wires hanging out of the wall - I know he took the fuse and fusebox but swear he should not have just left it how he did.

Thanks so much for your help so far guys i am going to print our messages and point the bits you all say out to the solicitor tomorrow :-)