Week 15 : 17 - 23 Dec.

Monday
09:58
Email from Darren:
"Kevin has been trying to contact you this morning and has left a message for you to return.

Please refer to your contract for the break down of your invoices as these reflect the progress payments listed within, no further breakdown is required.

Also please be advised the invoices are released so clients can prepare payments for when they may be due and payable."

I'm still going to check the legality of this "pre-invoicing".

Asked what number the landscaper has because he hasn't tried the mobile. Also suggested that without clarification of invoicing we would withhold payments which we could not associated with installed components since we're not paying for that which we have not received.

10:30
Phoned Chemigen, the booking is still in place for Thursday (Yesssss!). Their installer will contact me Wednesday or first thing Thursday to arrange a time.

11:07
From Darren
"Kevin has your mobile number and will contact you later in the day when he completes his other works"

I so love the way he avoids the hard questions, like why the bloke didn't phone over the weekend. I'll believe it when it happens.

13:29
From ALT
"Please be advised that I have sent a breakdown of your account in today’s outgoing mail, as requested in your email to Darren ...

It highlights all payments as per the contractual agreement."

I just hope it isn't just a repeat of what is written on the contract. Still, if it is, they simply won't get paid for that which we cannot tie to a specific and completed portion of the contract.

14:43
Catch me before I faint... Kevin phoned!!!!

Wanted to inspect today or tomorrow. I pointed out that I work in the city and he could perhaps come Thursday otherwise it is Friday, he accepted Friday.

Will he actually turn up? We'll see, but now I have his mobile number...

Turns out the landscaper called the home number this morning but didn't bother to call the mobile.

[The weather meant that the builders couldn't quite finish the last few items on the roof and uncover the pool today, expect to do it tomorrow morning.]

Tuesday
[Builders turned up bright and early to complete the roof trim and remove the scaffolding. When I got home my wife told me that they had even take the trouble to remove the solar blanket and hose it down because of the dirt that had accumulated under the scaffolding!!! Just how much more professional can these guys get? Truly stunning.]

Thursday
The Chemigen installer phoned early on to arrange a time in the afternoon to install the hardware, then turned up mid-afternoon as arranged and connected up the Chemigen. Seems the handover is when the chemicals should be left for us, but this hasn't occured yet so he left us some to use in the meanwhile. Finally... we're getting there.

Friday
Kevin the Paver called to say he'd be here about noon, after finishing another job. I phone after one thirty to discover he's running late - he could have called at least - finally turns up about three.

We talked about the details regarding how the pavers should have been laid. I explain how I expected them to be parallel with the house as the pool is and how the paving around it highlighted the issues; I also pointed out the misaligned ones. We eventually agreed that he would replace the step pavers (parallel and balanced), the NE inner step end, the filler, the NE step outer and all to, and including the NE corner and its neighbours, plus the SE corner and its neighbours - I didn't push him on the south edge.

He agreed that it would all be completed by the end of the second week of January so the conservatory can be completed the following week.