Builder's promise
Post categories: home
| 16:55 UK time, Monday, 27 February 2012
Rhodri catches up with Les Thomas
A woman from Malpas near Newport is fighting to get thousands of pounds back from a builder who did substandard work at her home.
Linda Vokes paid Leslie Thomas of Maindee, Newport 拢5,600 to lay a block-effect driveway, erect two walls and build a flight of steps in December 2008.
But within a year the driveway鈥檚 protective concrete layer had started to disappear, render on the walls was flaking and coping stones were loose.
Mr Thomas returned to the property at Mrs Vokes鈥 request and she says he promised to carry out repairs as soon as the weather was better.
鈥淲e were grateful that he said he would come and do it but when nothing materialised we became very disgusted with him,鈥 said Mrs Vokes.
She continued to pursue Les but he still didn鈥檛 fix the wall and driveway so Mrs Vokes obtained quotes from other builders on how much the repairs would cost.
Mr Thomas disputed the amount but when Mrs Thomas took him to court he was ordered to pay her 拢4,299.
But he didn鈥檛 paid up so in June last year bailiffs visited his home to try and reclaim the money.聽 But Mr Thomas still hasn鈥檛 paid Mrs Vokes.
鈥淪ince court nothing has happened other than we鈥檝e got an even more deteriorated driveway than when we started,鈥 she said.
X-Ray wrote to Mr Thomas to ask for an interview about the driveway but he didn鈥檛 respond.
Presenter Rhodri Owen confronted the builder as he was leaving his house on Christchurch Avenue and asked him why he hadn鈥檛 paid.
He said that he was in the process of 鈥渟orting it out鈥 and would pay 鈥渁s soon as possible鈥.聽 We鈥檒l be checking to see if Les keeps that promise.
