Urgent help needed on dodgy builders

[detoxdj]

Hi, this is my 1st post which im doing on behalf of my mother.

 

Right ill start from the beginning..... My mother wanted to have her garden completely ripped up and have decking and paving laid down, and to do this kind of work she was quoted from her mates husband, it would cost £6200 for parts and labour, and would take no longer than 3 weeks to do.

 

Putting her trust in the two men that was doing the work, she went and got a loan for £5000 and came up with the extra £1200 from working.

She had paid the builders for each day they worked and for the parts they needed, (just to make sure they came back each day).

When the job was supposively finished the builders took the remainder of the cash and wasnt seen from that day onwards, as a few days past a list of faults started to occur within the work.

She then tried ringing them but no reply, so my brother text them and basically said (if you dont get here and finish the job then ill sell your mixer that you left behind and use the money to get another builder in. With that one of the builders came down and assaulted my brother, no charges were brought up about that.

My mother has been to CAB and TRADING STANDARDS, which they told to write a letter asking them to either come and do the work or i will get someone to do the work and they have to front the money.

We had no reply to that even though it was sent recorded delivery and signed for. Trading standards have now said they want to put a hefty fine on them for not giving my mother a certificate of some kind before carrying out the work.

We have been told that the men are going to declare their company bankrupt so they wont have to pay for the work doing or pay the fine.

We have also had a proffesional come and price up the work that needs repairing and its going to be an extra £2000.

Can anyone help as im out of options and my mother is devistated, is there anyone or anywhere that could help with this situation????

[papasmurf1cx]

Was one of the two men actually the "mates husband"? Was there any paperwork at all? Did they use personal details in any correspondence? have you consulted a solicitor or do you have legal protection insurance cover (home contents policy?) they cover consumer problems.