Cowboy builders left me in a ‘war zone’ after I paid £60k to do up bungalow only for it to be left a derelict wasteland
COWBOY builders left a woman's home a "war zone" after she paid £60,000 to renovate her bungalow.
A Sheffield mum to two disabled men hired Mark Hawley and son Nicholas of Capital Construction and Roofing to do up her home.
The woman, who doesn't want to be named, paid the money to convert a loft and put up an extension back in June 2019.
Her sons live at home and so she paid £62,519 to create more space for the family.
But she said her house was left "derelict" and unfinished after six months of work and so called the police on the builders.
She said the builders disappeared and had left urine bottles, poured cement down the drains, and left exposed wires.
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"It was difficult to see the progression but the work was taking forever. The scaffolder even said it was taking so long," reported YorkshireLive.
"He [Hawley] kept saying he needed more money for steel and things like that. It got to a stage I confronted him because nothing was moving on."
The work was so bad that the woman went to the police and complained.
She said: "I told the police what he had done...It [the work on the property] was taking months and months and months and should have taken weeks...It was unbelievable. It was like a war zone."
Trading Standards prosecuted the pair and Mark was ordered top pay back £22,500, which has since been paid.
They were also given a 12-month community order with Mark ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work and Nicholas ordered to do 180 hours.
The pair had already featured on an episode of the TV show Cowboy Builders, but the woman failed to make sufficient checks.
Now the woman is warning others to keep their wits about them.
She said: "Knowing what I know now I would Google people to see if there is any past, ask them for ID and make sure they are registered - he was but some aren't."
She advised other people who thought they might have been stiffed by cowboy builders to reach out to the police and Trading Standards.
A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said since the Covid-19 pandemic many rogue traders are now operating online and display professional-looking websites which appear genuine, but many are not.
They added: "The work or services offered can sometimes be unnecessary, overpriced, of a poor standard or not done at all and in a lot of cases these traders will have no formal training or insurance to carry out the work.
"There are many genuine, reputable traders online who will be happy to answer questions and provide relevant documentation so members of the public should take some time to check and research the trader – regardless of what online directory platform they have used."
What to do if you encounter a cowboy builder?
If you’ve found yourself a victim of a cowboy builder then there are a few things you need to do, according to insurance experts AXA.
Firstly, you should report them to the police, although the lines between what is criminal and what's just bad practice can be blurred, it could constitute fraud so it’s worth reporting.
Make sure you provide them with as much information as possible, such as what the problem is, who the person was, any paperwork, photos or videos, and any notes of conversations between you and the builder.
Contact Trading Standards, as they may be able to help you negotiate a settlement, they can also give you advice on what to do next.
Trading Standards may also recommend you contact your local Citizens Advice centre, as they might have similar experiences from other households in your area.
They’ll then pass over your complaints to your local authority Trading Standards service.
If you can track your builder down, you can also take them to the small claims court if they refuse to refund your money.
However, the small claims court can only cover jobs up to £10,000.
This is also why having a contract in place is important.
If you do need to take legal action, you’ll be in a better position to fight your case with physical evidence of an agreement between you both.
