Removing cement from a car's paint...

[StatusRed]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

It sounds to me as though he is fobbing you off to be honest. When something is damaged you don’t have to wait for him to be paid.

Now of course, you know his ‘character’. He may be genuine and about to receive payment.

But as someone who works for himself I know often it take a MONTHS to get paid. Even where there is a formal contract.

You don’t want him telling you every 2 weeks ‘I am just about to be paid mate’ which can happen.

I am not saying it will, I am just saying that 100% sounds like what will happen. I am very doubtful you will see anything from him?

I assume all these promises are verbal? Has he actually emailed or better still written to you clearly stating he will pay X amount in Y weeks?

As the saying goes, verbal contracts are only worth the paper they are written on….

Nah if it goes on any longer I'll be following up legally, I've also sent him demands for the money by recorded delivery to both the building site and his home address (found that out courtesy of Company's House), and in there I gave him 14 days to pay up so... If it goes on any longer I'll get legal advice again.

He said he'd formally reply to the letter I wrote.

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by StatusRed

Nah if it goes on any longer I'll be following up legally, I've also sent him demands for the money by recorded delivery to both the building site and his home address (found that out courtesy of Company's House), and in there I gave him 14 days to pay up so... If it goes on any longer I'll get legal advice again.

He said he'd formally reply to the letter I wrote.

You sound quite knowledgable here so I will leave it to you.

I do run a small business and assume you know that the Citizen Advice will take weeks and weeks, probably months in this climate. And you also won’t get a court date.

I would say that you have probably left it too long now and he will kick the van down the road over and over with you seeing nothing.

Really the time to start legal proceedings (you won’t see change from £800 in reality) was about 7 days after he didn’t pay.

As I say, you may know more than me here but I would expect to see you now pushed from pillar to post before he claims that actually the damage was minimal/not actually present and that it elevated so long ago he is not willing to ph.

Also, unfortunately if he is registered with companies house that is likely to be as he is Ltd company. Accordingly, whilst you may be able to get his registered office (sometimes their home address) he will not be personally liable his company is and you won’t find it at all east to get the cash from him.

I do hope I am wrong but giving it time between noticing the damage and accepting promises for future payments may not help.

Of course, if it were me, and I KNEW I had done the damage I would without doubt pay you the £800 as it’s the right thing to do. But 90% plus of these firms will probably not.

I would also not for 1 minute expect his insurances etc to pay.

[StatusRed]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

You sound quite knowledgable here so I will leave it to you.

I do run a small business and assume you know that the Citizen Advice will take weeks and weeks, probably months in this climate. And you also won’t get a court date.

I would say that you have probably left it too long now and he will kick the van down the road over and over with you seeing nothing.

Really the time to start legal proceedings (you won’t see change from £800 in reality) was about 7 days after he didn’t pay.

As I say, you may know more than me here but I would expect to see you now pushed from pillar to post before he claims that actually the damage was minimal/not actually present and that it elevated so long ago he is not willing to ph.

Also, unfortunately if he is registered with companies house that is likely to be as he is Ltd company. Accordingly, whilst you may be able to get his registered office (sometimes their home address) he will not be personally liable his company is and you won’t find it at all east to get the cash from him.

I do hope I am wrong but giving it time between noticing the damage and accepting promises for future payments may not help.

Of course, if it were me, and I KNEW I had done the damage I would without doubt pay you the £800 as it’s the right thing to do. But 90% plus of these firms will probably not.

I would also not for 1 minute expect his insurances etc to pay.

He's admitted liability in an email and I have that in writing, the lawyer I spoke to seemed quite confident that's conclusive evidence.

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by StatusRed

He's admitted liability in an email and I have that in writing, the lawyer I spoke to seemed quite confident that's conclusive evidence.

Oh that’s good, yes admitting liability in an email is pretty conclusive!

You did well there!

[StatusRed]

He paid up! It's a miracle First thing I'm gonna do is put a cover on that car now.

[andy_d]

nice to hear a "result" in your favour
far too many do the "drag it out" game and other games to avoid legal responsiblities.
car cover sounds a good idea tbh
try not to get one with
"the builders wrecked my car" printed on it in dayglow lettering

[StatusRed]

Originally Posted by andy_d

nice to hear a "result" in your favour
far too many do the "drag it out" game and other games to avoid legal responsiblities.
car cover sounds a good idea tbh
try not to get one with
"the builders wrecked my car" printed on it in dayglow lettering

Haha definitely not.

[Familyman 90]

Pressure washer?

[StatusRed]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

Pressure washer?

Does not come off lol.

[DaveNP]

I would have been more worried the other way round, I used a pressure washer to get the mud off of my bicycle and started taking some of the paint off too, definitely go gently with a pressure washer on my car.