Commissioning paperwork

[Percy84]

Hi guys new member here. I've got a problem with a landlord refusing to pay me what was quoted plus an additional days labour for installing a new boiler. The extra day was due to the tenant being unreasonable and asking me to start work at 10.30 and leave at 16.00. I initially quoted for 2 men for 2 days as the old non condensing boiler was on the top floor of a 3 storey flat roofed property. I needed the second man just for lifting and shifting. It dragged on for nearly a week and already gave an extra day free of charge to complete the commissioning process. I was wondering were I would stand in regards to withholding the benchmark paperwork until payment is made?. I already did the job as cheap as possible due to the fact I've just become self employed and could do with any work at the moment. The landlord says he normally gets a boiler changed and commissioned in 5 or 6 hours for £250 which I highly doubt. Any help from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Thankfully I have not had this issue as yet. But I am sure one of the other lads or lasess will be around at some point to point you in the right direction

 

[Percy84]

Thankfully I have not had this issue as yet. But I am sure one of the other lads or lasess will be around at some point to point you in the right direction

To be honest it's the first time I've had someone refuse to pay me and just setting up on my own it's not something I can afford to just take on the chin. Since doing work for the guy I've heard nothing but bad things about him and how he's not payed other people.

 

[king of pipes]

When you register the boiler you can have the registration certificate from gas safe sent to your address i would hold on to it till payment has been resoved , gentlemans agreement means nothing if you havent got it in writing what you are charging then its the small claims court but be aware you could loose , always cover your bum bud you must have proof of what they agree to pay especially working for dodgy landlords. Cheers kop

 

[Stoney Ground]

I had a Customer who hadn't paid for no reason, so I did not register the boiler. They complained to gas safe who then investigated, I explained to them that part of my contract states that registration and garauntees are only enforceable and completed on final payment. They said I had to register boiler after install.

I now register and hold all paperwork until full and final payment.

Tell Landlord to pass extra cost on to his tennant, in future state that out of hours or restricted access will incur further costs.

 

[king of pipes]

Good for you stoney i would do the same keep it all the benchmark, manual , boiler guarantee and gas registration .

 

[moonlight]

If you have quoted for the work and the customer accepted the quote he is legally bound to pay. I would register the boiler as that is your legal responsibility but keep all paper work accept the user guide( hand that to tenant) until payment.

 

[Vee]

Money Claim Online worked brilliantly for me to get my money. Read the guidance and make your claim. Regarding the extra time I would think you take the loss unless you covered your back in your paperwork. Working for stingy landlords is always fraught and you don't go there if you can help it or price accordingly. A lesson learned with a landlord who clearly takes advantage of the inexperienced. Good Luck.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...jlr3EdSNRaOvjz5Gw&sig2=YeSYPTrR1BUatMHMt8HSeg

 

[jtsplumbing]

Hard lesson to learn but you've not lost to much, just get what you are owed, & mark it down to experience, Landlords like letting agents will stich you up without even thinking about it, Reason they know lots of new start ups are eager for the work and are a little green about pricing etc.. But you will soon learn to spot them and walk away.

 

[Percy84]

Thanks for all your help guys. If gas safe say I have to register it then I suppose I'm tied in to doing that even if I've not been paid. I'll have to look at where the paperwork gets sent. It's a vokera boiler I fitted which by the looks of their paperwork I send off all the benchmark stuff to them and they inform gas safe and activate the warranty at the same time.

 

[Scott_D]

Keep all paperwork and don't register anything til gas safe instruct you to.

 

[Percy84]

Think I will give gas safe a call today just to see where I stand legally about registering the boiler then withholding the paperwork. Don't want to land myself in trouble with them.

 

[oz-plumber]

If your system works like our, Gas Safe will only care about you registering the boiler.
They won't get involved with contracts between installer and owner.

If you can get the paperwork sent to you - that will be your only bargaining point with the Landlord.
Gas Safe won't listen to him, due to you fulfilling your legal requirement of registering the boiler with them.

 

[Percy84]

If your system works like our, Gas Safe will only care about you registering the boiler.
They won't get involved with contracts between installer and owner.

If you can get the paperwork sent to you - that will be your only bargaining point with the Landlord.
Gas Safe won't listen to him, due to you fulfilling your legal requirement of registering the boiler with them.

That's what I'm hoping. If I cover myself legally by registering the boiler it will then be down to the landlord to recover the paperwork from myself.

 

[Scott_D]

Or he can just request a copy from them once he knows it's registered

 

[Old Account]

I would definitely do all the later work as mentioned many times above but also too claims court. It works very well, it's very fast problem solving. If you have got everything in writing or via email or text messages than you are on the safe side. Once they receive the first letter from a claim court they'll start trying to look for a negotiation out of the court. But make sure you've got more things to proof than them because they only judge on who can proof more. But you also could call the citizens advice bureau and ask them what steps you should go.

 

[Percy84]

Or he can just request a copy from them once he knows it's registered

That's the thing I was worried about. If he does that I've basically got nothing to use against him. Is it easy for the landlord to just request a duplicate copy?

 

[oz-plumber]

Start from the beginning:

1- Did you provide a written formal quotation for the works?

2- Did you inform the Landlord of the tenants requests due to start times?

3- Has your price changed from the original quoted price due to requiring 2 men to do the works without informing Landlord?

4- Has your price changed due to the tenant requirements without informing Landlord?

 

[jtsplumbing]

Just register with GS , but don't register boiler with Vokera, that way he wont get the extended warranty, That's down to owner to do anyway.

 

[Percy84]

Start from the beginning:

1- Did you provide a written formal quotation for the works?

2- Did you inform the Landlord of the tenants requests due to start times?

3- Has your price changed from the original quoted price due to requiring 2 men to do the works without informing Landlord?

4- Has your price changed due to the tenant requirements without informing Landlord?

Yes I supplied a quote initially which included 2 men for 2 days.
I rang the landlord on the first day telling him the tenant wasn't being reasonable with working hours.
The original quote was for 2 days but with the tenant being unreasonable with working hours and then one day informing me he was running late in the morning but actually calling me a 2.30 in the afternoon to say he was back. I basically lost a full day waiting for the tenant to be at the address.

I informed the landlord that there would be 1 extra days labour due to the tenant messing around and the flue which the landlord had already purchased along with the boiler was incorrect.

I even took a 4th day to go back and finish the commissioning which I didn't charge for.

 

[Percy84]

Just register with GS , but don't register boiler with Vokera, that way he wont get the extended warranty, That's down to owner to do anyway.

I'm sure he could just request a copy of the benchmark and just register the warranty himself though once gas safe have it.

 

[jtsplumbing]

I'm sure he could just request a copy of the benchmark and just register the warranty himself though once gas safe have it.

He could but most customers forget to do it, that's why I register boilers for them, + if you belong to there loyalty scheme some register with GS for you FOC + you get your reward points/money

 

[Percy84]

He could but most customers forget to do it, that's why I register boilers for them, + if you belong to there loyalty scheme some register with GS for you FOC + you get your reward points/money

He won't forget. He's a penny pinching landlord that apparently has 40 houses so he probably knows exactly what he's doing. After doing the work I've heard nothing but bad reports about him. He's tried telling me he gets a boiler swapped and commissioned in half a day.

 

[jtsplumbing]

He won't forget. He's a penny pinching landlord that apparently has 40 houses so he probably knows exactly what he's doing. After doing the work I've heard nothing but bad reports about him. He's tried telling me he gets a boiler swapped and commissioned in half a day.

Think you are just chasing mist on this one ! get what you quoted for & walk away, mark it down as a learning curve , if he asks again tell him to use the Co that does it in half a day, you can bet he will stich up some one else on next job

 

[Percy84]

Think you are just chasing mist on this one ! get what you quoted for & walk away, mark it down as a learning curve , if he asks again tell him to use the Co that does it in half a day, you can bet he will stich up some one else on next job

I'd be happy if he just payed what I initially quoted really and at least get some money back.