Tweet
Bit of a long read I know but hopefully it will give you an insight into this solicitor.
I heard a story today about a solicitor I had a run in with a couple of years ago, This solicitor who is a partner in a law firm is clearly manipulating costs to his clients wealth rather than to the work his company does.
I'll explain: When I met him two and a half years ago it was to do some refurbishment work in one of his many flats he rents out, he asked me what my day rates are so I told him it was £120 per day.
He said the job will only take me 1 and a half days to do and I told him no! it will take about 4 days as I had to fit a few kitchen units, fit new worktops, doors, drawers etc, trim all internal fire doors and do a little work in the bathroom, he said he want's me to cut the doors outside so I told him there's no way I was going to cut four fire door outside in the rain and then carry them up 4 flights of stairs so I either cut them in the flat and tidy up after or he gets someone else to do them. He agreed for me to cut them so I went ahead with the work, while working on the kitchen I'd just fitted the ceramic hob and the glass splashback and started connecting up the sink when the electrician turned up to wire in the hob. While I was under the sink I warned him that the splashback hadn't set to the wall as it can take upto 12 hours to properly adhere to the wall so be careful no to touch it, he knocked it and it came away from the wall and chipped the corner of the hob (not happy with him) I said I'll have to tell the solicitor what had happened and he finished up and left.
I dropped my invoice off in at reception and never heard anything for six weeks so I phoned him and asked when he's going to settle his bill, he told me he wasn't happy with the work as I had chipped the hob and left a mess in the flat so he want's £50 knocked off for the cleaner he employed because I cut the doors in the flat and not outside and £200 knocked off for the hob. I told him if there was a problem with dust then he should have contacted me first before employing someone else to clean up and besides the flat was spotless after I finished as I spent 2 hours cleaning it and as for the hob then he needs to see his electrician for that as he damaged it not me.
To shorten the story I sent letters with deadlines which came and went so did a little digging on FB found his profile and discovered that he is married to the partner of the solicitors firm so did a little more digging on her and found their home address so I sent them a letter giving 14 days to pay or I'll take it to the small claims court, two days later he phoned me up shouting down the phone at me 'how dare you send a letter to my home address' I said well it got you on the phone and I will take you to court over this if you don't pay within the time stated.
He paid on the afternoon of the 14th day.
Now the story I heard today..
I'm working at a house for a retired builder I know and he told me about the school which is located at the rear of his property, the school contacted him and his neighbours that they will be putting a fence up along the rear of his and his neighbours gardens. So he and his neighbours hired the same solicitors I had a run in with, it was an easy case as there had been a right of way to their back gardens in place since the 1930's.
Between him and his neighbours they had paid the solicitor £10'000 up front, it never went to court as the school admitted they'd made a mistake and was going to give each neighbour a key to gain access.
The solicitor phoned up asking for more money to draw up a legal document and hand over 5 keys and he wanted £4000 for the legal document and the remainder for the keys, my mate asked if the keys are made of diamonds cause they must be if it's costing £1200 per key to which he said 'well! your neighbours are all millionaires and can well afford it so there shouldn't be a problem'
He told the solicitor he's not getting a penny more as he's had more that enough for what little work he's done, it took one letter to the schools solicitors and the school backed down because they couldn't afford a lengthy legal battle.
Surely there must be something that can be done with this money grabbing solicitor because what he has tried to do is make more money because his clients are rich, it just beggars belief
I heard a story today about a solicitor I had a run in with a couple of years ago, This solicitor who is a partner in a law firm is clearly manipulating costs to his clients wealth rather than to the work his company does.
I'll explain: When I met him two and a half years ago it was to do some refurbishment work in one of his many flats he rents out, he asked me what my day rates are so I told him it was £120 per day.
He said the job will only take me 1 and a half days to do and I told him no! it will take about 4 days as I had to fit a few kitchen units, fit new worktops, doors, drawers etc, trim all internal fire doors and do a little work in the bathroom, he said he want's me to cut the doors outside so I told him there's no way I was going to cut four fire door outside in the rain and then carry them up 4 flights of stairs so I either cut them in the flat and tidy up after or he gets someone else to do them. He agreed for me to cut them so I went ahead with the work, while working on the kitchen I'd just fitted the ceramic hob and the glass splashback and started connecting up the sink when the electrician turned up to wire in the hob. While I was under the sink I warned him that the splashback hadn't set to the wall as it can take upto 12 hours to properly adhere to the wall so be careful no to touch it, he knocked it and it came away from the wall and chipped the corner of the hob (not happy with him) I said I'll have to tell the solicitor what had happened and he finished up and left.
I dropped my invoice off in at reception and never heard anything for six weeks so I phoned him and asked when he's going to settle his bill, he told me he wasn't happy with the work as I had chipped the hob and left a mess in the flat so he want's £50 knocked off for the cleaner he employed because I cut the doors in the flat and not outside and £200 knocked off for the hob. I told him if there was a problem with dust then he should have contacted me first before employing someone else to clean up and besides the flat was spotless after I finished as I spent 2 hours cleaning it and as for the hob then he needs to see his electrician for that as he damaged it not me.
To shorten the story I sent letters with deadlines which came and went so did a little digging on FB found his profile and discovered that he is married to the partner of the solicitors firm so did a little more digging on her and found their home address so I sent them a letter giving 14 days to pay or I'll take it to the small claims court, two days later he phoned me up shouting down the phone at me 'how dare you send a letter to my home address' I said well it got you on the phone and I will take you to court over this if you don't pay within the time stated.
He paid on the afternoon of the 14th day.
Now the story I heard today..
I'm working at a house for a retired builder I know and he told me about the school which is located at the rear of his property, the school contacted him and his neighbours that they will be putting a fence up along the rear of his and his neighbours gardens. So he and his neighbours hired the same solicitors I had a run in with, it was an easy case as there had been a right of way to their back gardens in place since the 1930's.
Between him and his neighbours they had paid the solicitor £10'000 up front, it never went to court as the school admitted they'd made a mistake and was going to give each neighbour a key to gain access.
The solicitor phoned up asking for more money to draw up a legal document and hand over 5 keys and he wanted £4000 for the legal document and the remainder for the keys, my mate asked if the keys are made of diamonds cause they must be if it's costing £1200 per key to which he said 'well! your neighbours are all millionaires and can well afford it so there shouldn't be a problem'
He told the solicitor he's not getting a penny more as he's had more that enough for what little work he's done, it took one letter to the schools solicitors and the school backed down because they couldn't afford a lengthy legal battle.
Surely there must be something that can be done with this money grabbing solicitor because what he has tried to do is make more money because his clients are rich, it just beggars belief
