Hello,
I hope anybody can give me some advice how to handle following situation:
I planned and arranged the installation of my colorbond fence (no choices as council/estate in Point Cook, VIC request 2m grey fence with black poles) right at the time when the block behind our house was sold (around end of September 2010).
As soon I received the contact details from the council, I sent middle of September 2010 the quote (Jim's fencing) for the neighbours share (about $450) inclusive a polite letter to the owner via mail and explained that I can't wait until his house is built and that I see the necessity to have the fence build within the next 2 or 3 weeks.
I offered the neighbour to shop around for a better quote; otherwise I would go ahead with “Jim’s fencing”, would pay the complete amount and would send his invoice incl. my bank details after the installation would be done.
My neighbour who is building an investment property behind our house contacted me by phone about a week later and explained that his contract with the builder (all managed by a “friend” of him as he is too busy to look after that) would include all fences as part of the complete package.
Although this is not my business I offered him to request his builder to call me within the next 2 weeks in order to arrange the installation by them or to do the payment of my neighbour’s share maybe directly by them. My neighbour agreed and told me he would send the quote to them.
Needless to mention that about 4 or 5 weeks after my first approach (meanwhile I got the fence built as I didn’t want to wait) still nobody contacted me.
I called my neighbour again middle of October explaining him that the fence is done now and sent the same day the invoice by mail to him and didn’t hear anything from him or his builder nor did I receive the payment.
I tried again and called him in January 2011 explaining that obviously something went wrong and I haven’t received my money yet.
Again I was told that his “friend and manager” would look after this issue but nothing happened.
I posted again a copy of the invoice including my bank details end of January and made myself clear that I contact him as the owner and responsible but it seems my neighbour is not willing to pay his share (haven’t received my money yet).
The amount is in my opinion too small to contract a lawyer so I am unsure what I could do.
Any advice is appreciated.
Regards, Chris