How can I claim compensation from an unregistered plumber?

Q Last August I bought a house which needed central heating fitting. A friend of mine recommended a plumber. I requested an estimated cost of the new central heating from him and he sent me quote of £3,500 excluding the boiler.

I paid him £2,500 in advance and later another £150. By Christmas time he left the house in a mess and he did not finish the job.

I have asked another plumber to restart the plumbing; the new plumber tells me that it will cost over £3,000 to finish the job, because he has to start from scratch. I contacted CORGI they came and visited the place and they were absolutely flabbergasted at scale of the damage he has done to floor boards and bad workmanship. They told me he is not a CORGI registered.

I know he is not a tax payer and not a VAT registered.

What are my options?

AR

A Your letter highlights the problems of paying for home improvements in advance. I have no doubt that you have a claim for the return of your money, but the problem is how to get it back from someone who has been working illegally.

Since the original plumber did not carry out the work with reasonable care and skill he is in breach of the requirements of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. You are entitled to claim from him however much more it costs you to have the work done to a reasonable standard by another plumber.

Unless you paid by credit card (which seems unlikely) your only option would be to take the plumber to the small claims track in the county court. This court is informal and cheap. Since you can represent yourself you'll save on legal costs..

However, winning the case is only half the battle. Once you get judgment in your favour you then have to enforce it. If the man you are suing is made of straw then it may not be worth the bother since you will be throwing good money after bad.

Before taking the plumber to court find out if he has any assets such as a car or other property that he would not need for his business. Bailiffs cannot take the plumber's tools of his trade.

Also see if your local trading standards department has any information about his financial standing. If he is still trading you can proceed with confidence, but if his business has collapsed you might want to think twice before taking him to court.

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