Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Contractors Drink Customer’s Expensive Wine And Have Party Fights In His Home While He’s Away

Contractors Drink Customer’s Expensive Wine And Have Party Fights In His Home While He’s Away

Contractors Use Man’s House For A Weekend Party, Company Refuses To Compensate For DamagesContractors Drink Customer’s Expensive Wine And Have Party Fights In His Home While He’s AwayMan Comes Back To His House Turned Upside Down After Contractors Have A PartyClient Finds His Home Trashed After Builders’ Secret Party, Legal Battle BeginsBuilders Throw A Weekend-Long Party At Client’s House, Police And Paramedics Get InvolvedBuilders Wreck Client’s Place After Massive Party, The Company Tries To Avoid ResponsibilityContractors Party For Two Days And Wreck Client’s Home, Man Demands Company Be Held AccountableGuy Refuses To Take Company’s Apologies After Builders Wreck His House During 2-Day PartyContractors Use Man’s House For A Weekend Party, Police And Paramedics Get InvolvedContractor’s Wild Weekend Leaves Homeowner Seeking Legal Counsel As Company Refuses To Pay
ADVERTISEMENT

Professionalism is paramount when building trust between companies and their clients. While a bit of levity and wit can help you develop those relationships by showing your authenticity, mutual respect is still the foundational thing to focus on. And as a contractor, you can’t say that you respect your client if you don’t respect their property.

Case in point, one Brit, redditor u/garbfink, turned to the helpful r/LegalAdviceUK online community for some impartial tips on a sensitive situation he’s wrapped up in. He opened up about how some builders who were fixing up his home had a massive party in it, damaging his property. Read on for the full story. Bored Panda has gotten in touch with the author for further comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from him.

It can be extremely difficult to find honest and experienced contractors to work on your home. Trust is hard-earned but easily lost

Image credits: LightFieldStudios (not the actual photo)

One homeowner from the UK shared how a group of builders threw a secret party in his house while he was away. He asked for some advice

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: AnnaStills (not the actual photo)

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: garbfink

Reputation means everything when you’re a builder. Good references can put your clients at ease

ADVERTISEMENT

Based on data analyzed by Contractor Calculator, there are around 1.9 million contractors who live and work in the United Kingdom. However, just like in any other industry, not everyone is going to be as experienced and trustworthy as clients would expect.

According to Cornerstone Construction, some common red flags to look out for in contractors include a lack of experience or credentials. It’s always a good idea to ask a builder or a company for references from previous clients. Meanwhile, you can also check if they have the right qualifications.

Obviously, there are many skilled tradespeople who might not have official documentation or references.

However, until they prove their skills, they’re not exactly putting their clients’ worries at ease. Getting all the formalities in order is often time-consuming but worth it in the end. Reputation really does matter, no matter your line of work.

Something else that you should consider is how the contractor talks to you about pricing and timing. They should be very specific when it comes to the material and labor costs and timelines. A lack of detail and too much vagueness is a red flag.

Similarly, if you feel like a contractor or company is pressuring you to hire them ASAP, you should slow down and consider the situation cooly and calmly.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, another red flag is if there are no official documents or contracts involved in the project. It’s also suspicious if the contractor doesn’t have insurance to protect both themselves and their clients.

Image credits: Life Of Pix (not the actual photo)

The issue isn’t just about the money. The entire situation carries a lot of emotional weight, too

In these sorts of sensitive situations, it’s usually best to speak directly with a legal professional, such as a solicitor who has a background in working with similar cases. They’ll be able to weigh the situation and give you an analysis of what your next steps should realistically be.

Furthermore, they’ll also likely be able to give you an approximation of how much you can stand to pay in legal fees, should you ultimately decide to take things to court.

There’s no easy answer about whether you should or should not escalate things legally. It’ll all depend on your specific situation. Do you have the time, energy, and financial resources to take this to court? Are the damages you’ve faced worth even more stress? Is the unfairness of the entire situation so painful that you want justice no matter the cost?

ADVERTISEMENT

From our very subjective perspective, someone who has stolen and/or damaged someone else’s physical property should be taken to court if they don’t replace these items or reimburse the client.

However, it’s not just about the physical aspect of it all, is it? It feels very nasty to know that someone had a debauched, unhinged, off-the-hooks party in your home. It can be very hard to move past the fact that someone has been inside your home doing God knows what in the same areas where you and your partner relax and your children play.

There’s an alarming element of deception and sleaziness on the builders’ part there. And it makes you wonder whether we’re talking about “a few bad apples” here or if the entire contractor company has a culture of secrecy and disrespect.

What are the worst interactions you’ve ever had with builders and contractors, dear Pandas? Have you ever had strangers throw a secret party in your home? How would you have reacted in the situation that u/garbfink described? What advice would you give him if you could speak to him directly? Share your thoughts in the comments.

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Ono Kosuki (not the actual photo)

Many readers were shocked by this sort of behavior. They were happy to give the author some tips on what to do next

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Ic_polls

Poll Question

Thanks! Check out the results:

Share on Facebook
Jonas Grinevičius

Jonas Grinevičius

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Read more »

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

Read less »
Jonas Grinevičius

Jonas Grinevičius

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

Justinas Keturka

Justinas Keturka

Author, BoredPanda staff

Read more »

I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.

Read less »

Justinas Keturka

Justinas Keturka

Author, BoredPanda staff

I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.

How would you handle a situation where contracted builders threw a secret party at your home?
Add photo comments
POST
KatSaidWhat
Community Member
18 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Police report, insurance report, lawyer up. And make them liable for legal costs too. Sink that business, they sound like they shouldn't be in business anyway.

Michelle C
Community Member
18 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are certain things that don't require a AITA post first!!! Sue the s**t out of them!

Apatheist Account2
Community Member
19 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

UK is a bit different from the US - emotional distress isn't really a thing, due to our inherent stiff upper lip. If you have to replace the sofa and wine though, you're entitled to be compensated for that - as people have said, it is reasonable to expect to have what you had before the incident, in the condition in which it was (don't ask for upgrades).

Surly Scot
Community Member
11 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True, harder to sue in the UK for 'distress' or anything that mentally/emotionally affected you the way you can sue in USA for it.

Load More Replies...
Load More Comments
KatSaidWhat
Community Member
18 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Police report, insurance report, lawyer up. And make them liable for legal costs too. Sink that business, they sound like they shouldn't be in business anyway.

Michelle C
Community Member
18 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are certain things that don't require a AITA post first!!! Sue the s**t out of them!

Apatheist Account2
Community Member
19 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

UK is a bit different from the US - emotional distress isn't really a thing, due to our inherent stiff upper lip. If you have to replace the sofa and wine though, you're entitled to be compensated for that - as people have said, it is reasonable to expect to have what you had before the incident, in the condition in which it was (don't ask for upgrades).

Surly Scot
Community Member
11 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True, harder to sue in the UK for 'distress' or anything that mentally/emotionally affected you the way you can sue in USA for it.

Load More Replies...
Load More Comments
You May Like
Related on Bored Panda
Related on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda