Liability of handyman company: Your rights

Questioner

How long after the work has been completed can I hold a handyman company liable for the damage they have caused? For example, holes drilled for nothing, clapboards not replaced or broken, failure to earth a boiler and a bathroom radiator, etc.

Lawyer

Based on this brief description, I cannot give a clear answer. Whether you can do anything further depends on (a) whether there has been any form of delivery or approval of the work, (b) whether the shortcomings are 'hidden defects', (c) how long ago the handyman company was working on your property, (d) whether you have already protested the shortcomings in writing, and (e) how much time has passed since the written protest. If you can provide that information, it may be possible to make clearer advice.

Lawyer

The main rule is that you must do this within a reasonable period. Do not wait if you know what you think is wrong. According to established case law, what is a reasonable period in the context of the 'complaint obligation' depends on all the circumstances of the case. For example: from when did you know about the defect. Waiting longer than two months to complain may be too late, but that does not have to be the case. So: complain first, then ask whether you are on time!

Questioner

Thank you for your response! My mother passed away at the time of delivery, so I didn't pay much attention to the finishing. There has already been email correspondence between the handyman company and myself, I have also complained. An appointment has been made twice to come and solve the problem and both times the handyman company cancelled it. I then suggested that a third party make a quote for the costs of repairing the damage, with the knowledge and approval of the negligent handyman company. I then sent the quote to the handyman company and have not heard anything since. I would like to know whether I can take legal action, of course I still have all the emails in which he promises to come, and in which he approves the idea of ​​a quote and execution by third parties.

Lawyer

No high demands are made on the manner of complaining for the question of whether the complaint was made in a timely manner. E-mails are of course nice as evidence, but I assume that you can do something with this matter. The quote that was requested is useful to me because it quickly becomes clear what it is about and there is a concrete starting point for calculating the damage suffered. If the financial interest justifies it, I would hire a lawyer.