Electrician problems

[ajg029]

Last year whilst they were rewiring our kitchen our contracted electrician broke our oven and replaced it with a new one.
He has now emailed us claiming that the oven broke due to its age and the replacement was only a loan and he wishes to have it returned as we had previously indicated that we would be renovating the kitchen in March which due to circumstances we are not in a position to do. He also stated that he loaned us the oven in order to prevent the work running over time and budget.
At the time he stated that the oven was a replacement for the one that he had damaged.*
Where do I stand legally if I do not return the oven?*

[des8]

Well you stand there with an oven to cook your dinner in.
If he wants it back he will have to negotiate with you or in a last resort make an application through the courts.

Was the replacement the equivalent of the one he broke?
Was the broken oven about to be replaced? If it was you have benefited by betterment and he could argue you should make a contribution to its cost if he doesn't recover it.
If he does recover the oven, its value will be lessened due to the use you have had from it and it is now second hand. Use that as an argument to lessen your contribution.
*

[ostell]

Do they really do contract work in the UK from USA ?

[ploddertom]

Do they really do contract work in the UK from USA ?

They use extra long wires!!