A doctor is taking legal action against a Norwich builder after paying him £16,000 for work which he claims was never completed.
David Spackman, 55, is the latest customer to hit out at Mark Bye, of M.Bye & Sons Ltd, over renovation works at his rental property in College Road, Norwich.
He claimed Mr Bye carried out poor quality work at the three-bedroom house, including plastering shut an oven door and depositing rubble beneath floorboards without consent.
Mr Bye has also been accused of leaving two families in Costessey and Thorpe St Andrew with £76,000 of unfinished work, which this newspaper reported in September.
The complaints prompted Norfolk County Council trading standards to investigate him.
Mr Bye said he has been advised not to comment further while he pursues his case through legal channels, but said there were inaccuracies in the accusations made against him.
"I have amassed many satisfied customers over the years in the residential building sector," Mr Bye said. "So much of my work comes through customers, their friends and families recommendation, many who return time and again for my quality of workmanship, creative building vision and fair pricing."
But Dr Spackman, of Cedar Grange, Hethersett, said this was not the case for him, after he hired Mr Bye in April 2018 for an extension which was scheduled to last three months.
He said the work was still unfinished one year later, despite paying Mr Bye £15,000 of the £18,000 quote and a further £1,044 for kitchen appliances which he claimed he never received.
Dr Spackman, who works as a consultant anaesthetist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said he hired another builder to rectify the problems and finish the work.
"Not a lot happened for several months, I lost my patience with him," he said. "I couldn't get anyone else to take over the work until April this year."
He said the house had no central heating for six months over the winter period which led to damp damage, and that it was left insecure due to the gaping hole where the rear wall had been knocked down.
Dr Spackman submitted a claim to the small claims court in June this year to recover £10,000.
On October 22, trading standards said it was investigating Mark Bye and encouraged anyone affected to come forward.
Sophie Leney, head of trading standards, said: "We are aware of complaints made about this trader and we are following up a number of lines of enquiry."
-To make a report to Trading Standards, contact the Citizens Advice on 03454 04 05 06 or www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer.
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