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Hi all,
New to this.
I engaged a landscaper to landscape my garden: Lay Indian Stone Patio, Base for a shed, Indian Stone pathway all around the shed and a Indian Stone path up the garden to the shed, and
Raised beds to 3 sides( Landscapers advice to put in raised beds) 1 washing line pole.
I received a Quotation for the work and had to put down a 10% deposit to secure the contract. It also stated in an email that this was non refundable and that he had the option 1 to 2 weeks before to increase the price should things change.
My garden is waterlogged. I live in an area of Wetlands and my property was build on a Pond - obviously with the proper foundations. The builder did not put any drainage in the garden, hence water logging problem.
When the landscaper came to look at the job, the garden was waterlogged and if you put your foot on it it sank. It had been turfed by the builder some 3 months before. The turf was in good condition.
The landscaper was aware of the condition of the ground. He was aware that the drainage was poor, hence have a large patio installed to take away part of the garden and when the rest of the work was done it would make the lawn half the size. I asked if the condition of the ground would make any difference to the work that needed doing. He said no.
A plan was drawn up with the garden design.
He came 2 weeks ago to go over the design and bring samples of the stone etc. He didn't say he would need to increase the quote. The garden was still water logged.
Last week he started the work. Right away he complained that he could not put the shed base where I wanted it to go because of the water in the ground and he would have to reverse the plan of the garden, I accepted this. He then complained that the other side of the garden was also very wet and he would have to dig down twice as far and put in more hard core base to take the slabs for the shed base and I would now have to pay extra for this.
When he had prepared the ground for the slabs I right away said it was too small. He said it looked small but was the right size.
His labourer laid the slabs and I said the area is too small and the wrong shape. He said I thought it was not the right size but the 'boss' said it was. I now have a base of 9ft by 9ft instead of 10ft by 12 ft. The landscaper refuses to change it as it means more digging. They then left for the day.
That night I got a call to say a relative had sadly passed away so I wasn't at home when the landscaper came the next day. I came home to then find that he had put in one of the raised beds so close to the shed base that because the base is too small and no path, I will not be able to get between the raised bed and the shed. The raised bed is double the height as I am disabled and cannot bend down to tend it.
He came the next day and said he wasn't going to do the other 2 raised beds as it will cost more than the quoted amount and take him too long as it is too wet and is the builders fault, not his. So he left.
Now, bearing in mind that I had a perfectly turfed lawn albeit wet, this landscaper has left me with an awful mess as instead of using my driveway to work on, and knowing that my turf sank if you tread on it, he took all his equipment, waker plate, concrete mixer, 3 industrial wheel barrows, digging equipment etc etc, and dragged them though the turf and completely destroyed it.
He had dug a 2 mt square hole on one side of the garden that looks like a pond as it is so deep and water filled, and has just left it.
He did not use ply working boards or lawn matts to stand on or as I said, my driveway. He said he always used the customers garden as a builders yard so his equipment doesn't get stolen and to provide working boards would cost him a couple of hundred pounds.
So now, I have a shed base which is too small and a shed waiting to be delivered, no washing line pole ( a more minor issue), no raised beds to 2 sides of the garden, a great water filled hole and a destroyed lawn.
I have a small dog that now cannot go onto this muddy mess to relieve herself. I have had to go out and spent almost £100 on temp fencing to stop dog going into the mud and buy a length of artificial grass to make a toileting area on the patio.
He sent me an invoice which he insists I pay even though he has not completed the work and destroyed my garden. I had an hours discussion today to try to get him to come back but all he had was excuses. He has now just resent this invoice.
I am struggling to know how to deal with this. My understanding is that a Quotation- unlike an estimate, is a legal contract to do the work described for the price quoted.
Anyone help or advise me please.
Thanks
New to this.
I engaged a landscaper to landscape my garden: Lay Indian Stone Patio, Base for a shed, Indian Stone pathway all around the shed and a Indian Stone path up the garden to the shed, and
Raised beds to 3 sides( Landscapers advice to put in raised beds) 1 washing line pole.
I received a Quotation for the work and had to put down a 10% deposit to secure the contract. It also stated in an email that this was non refundable and that he had the option 1 to 2 weeks before to increase the price should things change.
My garden is waterlogged. I live in an area of Wetlands and my property was build on a Pond - obviously with the proper foundations. The builder did not put any drainage in the garden, hence water logging problem.
When the landscaper came to look at the job, the garden was waterlogged and if you put your foot on it it sank. It had been turfed by the builder some 3 months before. The turf was in good condition.
The landscaper was aware of the condition of the ground. He was aware that the drainage was poor, hence have a large patio installed to take away part of the garden and when the rest of the work was done it would make the lawn half the size. I asked if the condition of the ground would make any difference to the work that needed doing. He said no.
A plan was drawn up with the garden design.
He came 2 weeks ago to go over the design and bring samples of the stone etc. He didn't say he would need to increase the quote. The garden was still water logged.
Last week he started the work. Right away he complained that he could not put the shed base where I wanted it to go because of the water in the ground and he would have to reverse the plan of the garden, I accepted this. He then complained that the other side of the garden was also very wet and he would have to dig down twice as far and put in more hard core base to take the slabs for the shed base and I would now have to pay extra for this.
When he had prepared the ground for the slabs I right away said it was too small. He said it looked small but was the right size.
His labourer laid the slabs and I said the area is too small and the wrong shape. He said I thought it was not the right size but the 'boss' said it was. I now have a base of 9ft by 9ft instead of 10ft by 12 ft. The landscaper refuses to change it as it means more digging. They then left for the day.
That night I got a call to say a relative had sadly passed away so I wasn't at home when the landscaper came the next day. I came home to then find that he had put in one of the raised beds so close to the shed base that because the base is too small and no path, I will not be able to get between the raised bed and the shed. The raised bed is double the height as I am disabled and cannot bend down to tend it.
He came the next day and said he wasn't going to do the other 2 raised beds as it will cost more than the quoted amount and take him too long as it is too wet and is the builders fault, not his. So he left.
Now, bearing in mind that I had a perfectly turfed lawn albeit wet, this landscaper has left me with an awful mess as instead of using my driveway to work on, and knowing that my turf sank if you tread on it, he took all his equipment, waker plate, concrete mixer, 3 industrial wheel barrows, digging equipment etc etc, and dragged them though the turf and completely destroyed it.
He had dug a 2 mt square hole on one side of the garden that looks like a pond as it is so deep and water filled, and has just left it.
He did not use ply working boards or lawn matts to stand on or as I said, my driveway. He said he always used the customers garden as a builders yard so his equipment doesn't get stolen and to provide working boards would cost him a couple of hundred pounds.
So now, I have a shed base which is too small and a shed waiting to be delivered, no washing line pole ( a more minor issue), no raised beds to 2 sides of the garden, a great water filled hole and a destroyed lawn.
I have a small dog that now cannot go onto this muddy mess to relieve herself. I have had to go out and spent almost £100 on temp fencing to stop dog going into the mud and buy a length of artificial grass to make a toileting area on the patio.
He sent me an invoice which he insists I pay even though he has not completed the work and destroyed my garden. I had an hours discussion today to try to get him to come back but all he had was excuses. He has now just resent this invoice.
I am struggling to know how to deal with this. My understanding is that a Quotation- unlike an estimate, is a legal contract to do the work described for the price quoted.
Anyone help or advise me please.
Thanks
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