J. Allan wrote:

"Richard Faulkner" wrote in message


snip

David seems to want to do something to make something happen. The
alternative to some kind of serious threat is to cajole the builder,


Damn right. That's exactly what you have to do.

Getting the legal remedy, namely terminating the contract then suing the
contractor for the cost of having the work completed by others is, as I
have explained in another post:
* procedurally risky,
* time-consuming,
* prone to problems in finding another contractor willing to take over
the work,
* likely to run up costs (if only psychic and in terms of the owner's
lost time) that can't be recovered.

As people in uk.legal will tell you time and time again:

* don't take legal action if there is ANY OTHER WAY of solving a
problem
* don't threaten to take legal action unless you are going to do it.

It's no use trying to make a builder fear you and your lawyer: builders
are fearless (or too dumb to know the difference).


and he will just carry on as normal.


By no means necessarily: most small contractors are honest people of
good will: they just don't do the job right: the cajolery comes in in
making them _want_ to do the job right for you and then "helping" them
and making sure that they do do it.


Indeed. Offer him a bonus if he gets it done on time, and THREATEN to
sue if he does not.



snip

John