Petty Debts dispute over plumbing works

Tuesday 09 June 2020

The owner of a property on the iconic Cobo Alice field has been taken to court by the owner of a plumbing firm, who claims to be owed £8,000 for unpaid work.

The petty debts claim has been made by All Aspects Plumbing and Heating against Paul Annegarn and Simona Casella, who jointly own the new build by the junction of the Cobo Coast Road and Route de Cobo.

All Aspects Director Jed Le Page said the company was due £8,244 on top of the £20,000 the firm has so far been paid for plumbing works at the house, which caused a stir when it was the subject of a high-profile planning approval. 

Mr Annegarn, who was initially listed as the sole defendant, said his wife was the project manager and that this was his first direct dealing with the claimant. 

He had refused to pay the £8,000 claimed because the invoice provided to him was "not clear either in time or materials".

Having spent two weeks at home whilst the works were ongoing, he said the amount of time Mr Le Page's firm claimed to have worked was "completely incorrect".

"In essence we are fundamentally disputing the hours Jed says his staff were on site," he said. "The invoice is so far off and is contrary to what we have recorded and observed on the site."

Pictured: The house at Cobo during the construction stage. All Aspects was one of a number of firms that worked at the site building the house, which is now near to completion, from scratch. 

The Judge decided that neither party had brought with them enough documentation to back up their claims, saying that Mr Le Page needed to provide a description of the works that have actually taken place and what has been billed for, and that Mr Annegarn should get a surveyor to assess the work carried out or provide some other form of evidence that All Aspects had not worked the hours claimed. 

The absence of a formal, written contract was a further sticking point.

Mr Annegarn and Mr Le Page requested 10 minutes during the hearing to try and come up with an agreement. 

Mr Annegarn offered to pay 50% of the sum Mr Le Page was asking for. However, Mr Le Page rejected that offer, holding out for at least £6,000, which Mr Annegarn was not willing to pay. 

The case has been adjourned until 17 August, with Mrs Casella now listed as a co-defendant, unless the two parties can reach a mutual settlement before then.