A Preston builder claims to have “lost everything” after his clients shared their experience of losing thousands – and called him a “cowboy builder” on social media.
In the last few months, residents have turned to Facebook to reveal the identity of the builder, who they say has left them in trouble when it comes to renovating their households. Three customers told LancsLive they received “lie after lie” from Michael Brennan.
But he says unfair comments have now forced him to close Ruby Constructions and Renovations Ltd, based in Bamber Bridge. And the comments in the Facebook group after several unfortunate experiences “blew everything out of proportion.”
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Brendon Hall, 56, of Lostock Hall, is planning an extension on the side of his home and says he has agreed to pay £ 12,400 with Brennan’s company. A three-stage payment plan with installments of £ 4,133 is on display. Happy with this, Brendan agreed to begin work on November 17, 2021.
Brendan Conlin of Lostock Hall, a victim of Cowboy Builder (Image: James Maloney / Lancs Live)
But Brandon says he soon found out he had a problem with work. He said, “He (Mr. Brennan) laid the cement very quickly, and I told him, ‘I’m sure you have to get the building inspector to inspect it before you put the cement in.’ and he was pleased with the photos and said we could go on.
“I’m not a builder, but I was involved in construction – I told him that you laid the cement, but where are the drainage pipes. He said: “When the concrete dries, we can cut the canal and bury the pipe in” I thought I certainly didn’t. I called the building inspector and said “no, I haven’t heard from the builder, I have to go out and inspect it before pour the concrete, “I said you’re late for that.”
The building inspector arrived and told Brendan that the work currently being done would have to be ripped out before any other construction – so far Brendan had paid the first installment.
Low quality work done on Brendan’s property
Brendan then told Mr Brennan that he no longer wanted him on the spot and asked for some of his money back. Later, after waiting for the money to be returned, he said “there is enough” and posted a post on Facebook, which he said was an attempt to “name and shame” Mr. Brennan.
Low quality materials used for the extension
After further controversy over the repayment schedule, Brendan said he felt he had no choice but to set up a Facebook group. Other clients then joined in on their own charges against Mr Brennan and his company.
One of them was 39-year-old Luke Parkinson from Walton-le-Dale. He also hired Ruby Constructions in July 2021 to extend the total cost of £ 20,000, divided into three payments of around £ 6,666.
Work began this month, which Luke said was “good” at first. At that point, the payment for the first stage was paid and, on top of that, Mr Brennan received an additional £ 800 due to a ‘pipe problem’.
Luke Parkinson of Walton-le-Dale, another alleged victim of a cowboy-builder (Image: James Maloney / Lancs Live)
While visiting the family, Mr. Brennan had told Luke that he had stood by the extension’s wall sign and demanded payment for the second stage. The payment for the third stage was made when they arrived home in August after seeing the progress.
“The first day we came back, he asked for the second payment and stupidly, we looked at him and thought, yes, he went to a certain height, so we paid the second payment, but I think it was the next day – our brother “Father-in-law came around,” Luke said.
“He looked at the brickwork and said – because his father is a bricklayer – he said there was something wrong with that masonry.”
Brickwork on Luke’s annex
Luke reached for a building inspector and arranged a meeting. He later said he had been told that there had been a number of construction errors so far, including an unstable inner layer on the wall and incorrect installation.
Luke said, “I stopped him that night and we gave him about two weeks to try to get something back … Anyway, it took two weeks and nothing came back from Michael.”
The work left on Luke’s property
At the time, Luke said he was unsure of his money back, so he left a negative review for trade aggregator Checkatade, outlining the money spent and the quality of the work done. Here Ruby Constructions replied: “I would like to apologize to the clients, I take full responsibility for the construction, I had other professions of their work and the work was of a bad standard [and I] there had to be more. I offered to return the money to the stage, but they refused.
“I’ve never had a bad client, as my reviews show, and anyone who knows me is an easy person. As for the accusations against the building inspector, there have never been any problems with the building inspectors. [Brickies] who can lay 800 bricks a day are house builders. Attempts to resolve the client issue failed. The built-in multiple extensions have never had a problem, this is my first. I offered them a refund, they refused. I wish them success in the future. “
Extension angles “didn’t look right”
About £ 14,000 out of pocket and with a half-built extension and a damaged driveway to show it, Luke says he doesn’t know what to do next. He said: “Now we are in a situation where even if we do something, it may be that we can only do the alley. We’ve probably lost too much money to go for the extension we wanted to do – for me, it needs to be stopped. “
Elsewhere, a Leyland mother claims she has been without a kitchen since November 2021, losing £ 11,000 in the process. Speaking on behalf of his stepdaughter, Paul Goodall told LancsLive that she had chosen to expand the kitchen and renovate the greenhouse into another room, for which she agreed to pay £ 15,400 for the whole work.
The mother also agreed to a £ 5,133 three-tier payment and work began on 22 October 2021. Paul says Mr Brennan told his stepdaughter that the job would take four to five weeks and that “he only does one job at some point. ” After hearing this and seeing herself and her team on the spot, Paul’s stepdaughter was convinced that the job would be done.
He said: “He (Mr Brennan) said he would not leave you without a kitchen for long … Christmas came and went and construction started to go slower and slower and eventually I went and looked at the construction work after he put the roof on and it just didn’t look right when I went together, “Luke said.
The walls of the extension were not straight
“I took the level and the tape measure and we started measuring and looking at the quality of the work and it was awful, absolutely awful, none of the walls were perpendicular – the brickwork was up and down, there were no wall connections, it just didn’t look right.
Two weeks later, he says no one showed up. But two installments were paid and an additional £ 1,000 for the kitchen fitters.
Completed brickwork in the property
An inspection report seen by LancsLive noted many problems with the work done so far, including “the slope of the roof was found to be 13.5 degrees instead of the 18 degrees the builder claims” and “the wall slab is also not was bolted to the wall or secured properly. “
Paul told Mr Brennan that he and his stepdaughter no longer wanted him on the spot and gave him seven days to recover. After not receiving a response from the builder, Paul and his stepdaughter say they had to stop work and look for another builder to start from scratch.
He added: “Not only do we have around £ 15,000 financially – my stepdaughter has a five-year-old child and is expecting, and she has not had a kitchen since mid-November. It was so stressful, absolutely incredibly stressful for everyone, to really try to deal with this guy who tells all kinds of lies, it’s just one lie on top of another. “
LancsLive contacted Mr Brennan after talks with the three alleged victims. He says the impact of Facebook posts and letters from customers has ruined his personal and professional life. On March 18, 2022, Mr. Brennan said that he had signed the documents to delete his company Ruby Constructions and Renovations Ltd.
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Mr Brennan told LancsLive that he was forced to make that decision because of the detrimental effects of Facebook posts on his business. The builder claims that the clients have given up work and his family life has also been affected.
“I didn’t deserve it, losing a business is not a problem, but losing your wife and boys is not good. As for construction, it will never happen again, I lost friends, family children, everything, absolutely everything, “he said.” To take everything away from me in less than two days and I will never forgive Brendan Conlin for that. and Luke Parkinson.
“They’ve shot themselves in the face with all this stuff on Facebook, because now – if they ever go to court and the business stops, they won’t get anything at all. They had to let me keep working and just let me go.
“My clients left me in one week, I lost over £ 100,000 in one week. they are Luke Parkinson and the other is Brendan Conlin. Brendan Conlin’s work wasn’t going fast enough, and the building inspector kept stopping us, stopping us for manholes and all that. One day he just turned around and said come to the house when this will happen.
“I was scattered too weakly, I was very …
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