Rogue roofers

[singalto]

Beware! A man rang the door bell on Friday telling me about a problem with my roof which I know about. The email address on the website is fake and the landline is actually a mobile. I got caught because the man did the work while I was out then demanded to be paid in cash. He was pretty threatening and he was with another man. He is supposed to have come to finish the work today and remove his ladders but hasn't been which makes me nervous. He claims to be called Johnny and is Irish.

[d.b]

I just don't get it. Why would you ever ask a guy who just knocks on the door out of the blue to do anything like this? Take their card, say thanks I'll call you, then go find out the best reputable person to do it. So many scams and cowboys out there.

[worldwiser]

Did you actually ask him to do anything? If not you don't owe him a bean. And no doubt can have him prosecuted..

[singalto]

d.b I did say no, I did take his card (the company doesn't exist). As I said I came home to find him having taken the fascia and gutters off. I insisted that he fix what he had dismantled and gave him a portion of the money he demanded because he was threatening.

[monkeylite]

Contact trading standards and the police. It sounds like the same rogue builders that has been scamming people in Crofton Park:

http://brockleycentral.blogspot.com/2016/04/crofton-park-homeowner-slipped-roofie.html

[first mate]

Doesn't this constitute some sort of trespass and criminal damage to property? Signalto that is awful, I feel very sorry for you.

[James D]

This very much sounds like the gentleman who extorted ?1000's out of an elderly neighbour of ours. Same MO and description. He charged way over the odds for very little work and kept on coming back for more money. I called the police as soon as I found out about it. I know they visited the culprit and got some money back for our neighbour. But the police said it was a job for Trading Standards. The man needs stopping.

[singalto]

I called the police but they were not interested. However, the lady at Trading standards has been brilliant and she has involved the police.

The man who knocks on the door is about 6' tall, early 50s, Irish and is rather threatening. The man who works with him is in his 20s, about 5'9, less fair skinned than the Irish one, dark hair and a moustache. The Irishman claims he's called Johnny and the young one calls himself John or Jonathan. They drive an old blue flatbed lorry.

[James D]

Could these be the same people: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?30,1666596,1666596#msg-1666596

Might be worth collating information to give to trading standards. There is definitely a crime number from when we reported this to the police. I'm happy to share information by PM.

James

[easytiger]

Get a photo of him and their lorry. Good luck.

[singalto]

easytiger, having mentioned the police to them, I doubt they'll be back....

[Saffron]

first mate Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Doesn't this constitute some sort of trespass and

> criminal damage to property? Signalto that is

> awful, I feel very sorry for you.

I think once any money has been exchanged, then it's considered an informal contract. Police refer people to Trading Standards.

However, perhaps if enough people continue to report it to the police, a better criminal case can be built? I agree that it should be considered trespass and criminal damage.

Imagine if you climbed up on the roof of Parliament and removed the gutters, then demanded money?! Hmmm, actually with a fluorescent vest, a clipboard, and a ream of meaningless paperwork, you could probably make an expenses claim... :-/

[first mate]

Saffron, or when someone's car was parked you told the owner their wheels needed fixing and then when they were out if sight you removed the wheels putting only three back, telling the unwitting owner on their return that they now owed you money....or else. Isn't that extortion as well? Three crimes then?

[singalto]

To top it all, I now have to get the decent roofer I know to come and make good the damage the rogue has done..

[Earl Aelfheah]

I'm sorry to hear that singalto, it's really unpleasant. It's very disappointing to hear the polices (lack of) response to this.

[Azira]

There isn't any such thing as an informal contract. You either have a contract or not. This sounds like trespass, criminal damage and potentially extortion. Be insistent with the police. Point out that they did not have your permission to be on the property, and that you feel threatened by their demands (assuming both of those things are true of course).

[singalto]

Azira, I couldn't get to my front door at first as their ladder was in the way. They then accessed my roof by putting their ladder on the pavement and going over the hedge.

[Saffron]

English case law does appear to support non-written contracts as enforceable where acceptance has been given, in this case money. I'm not saying I concur, simply that this may be the premise under which the police initially turn away such complaints.

I think this is clearly criminal behaviour on many counts, but it may take strenuous complaints to get police action.

I think don't even engage these criminals in any way, even if they are on your property. Phone the police and report it as a crime in progress.

Of course it's very easy to be caught off one's guard, and easy to look back and say things could have been done differently. So, all-in-all it's good to hear that you weren't physically hurt S. Hopefully the police will take this seriously if you persist. xx

[P.O.U.S.theWonderCat]

To have a contract you need agreement (usually described in terms of offer and acceptance), consideration (which is a legal term basically meaning that you need to change your position in some way, like making payment) and intention to create legal relations (meaning you intended to be legally bound by your promises).

There are a couple of instances where you have to have a written contract like land dealings but otherwise there is no presribed form.

Some con artist turning up on your doorstep and doing work to your property without your prior agreement is not a contract.

[chezare84]

This story almost identically matches what happened to friends of mine near the end of last year/beginning this year. They are in Deptford on the border of Brockley and Lewisham. They seemed to think that this man targets women/elderly as he perceives them as more susceptible to his 'advice'. But initially they agreed to his fee because they had planned on getting work to the gutters done anyway. Once he started work he kept telling them more and more had to be done and he became threatening when they said they didn't want him to do any more work. He then left without putting up new guttering, and refused to take down the scaffolding unless they paid him even more money. In the end they had the locks changed because they were so threatened by him and he had had access to their house. Awful!

[singalto]

Chezare84 do you have a description of the people who ripped your friends off? I had not agreed to the work being done as I have a very good roofer already.