Claimant Abdul Razak is grateful that the tribunal decided to uphold the original payment arrangement.
Johor Consumer Claims Tribunal has rejected a contractor’s appeal that he be allowed to refund RM17,695.07 to his client in monthly instalments over three years.
In his defence, the respondent claimed he was facing financial difficulties that would make it hard for him to settle the sum within two weeks as ordered by the tribunal.
“I admitted to my fault for failing to finish the renovation job and am willing to pay the claimant back the RM17,695.07 over a period of 36 months,’’ he said during the hearing.
In his judgement, tribunal president Hafez Zalkapli said the RM17,695.07 claim was based on the evaluation made by a quantity surveyor hired by the claimant Abdul Razak Ahmad Sharani.
In January, Hafez had awarded the sum to the claimant in the absence of the respondent, who had been given notice to attend the hearing.
“I’m very grateful that the tribunal upheld my original claim and rejected the request by the respondent to settle the sum in instalments,’’ said Abdul Razak, 61, when met outside the tribunal at Menara Ansar, Johor Baru.
The civil servant pensioner said he had borrowed RM25,000 from a bank to engage another contractor to take over the work left unfinished by the respondent.
The house renovation cost that had been quoted by the first contractor, with an office in Senai, was RM90,000.
Abdul Razak had agreed to the sum.
The project involved the renovation of the claimant’s two-room single storey terrace house in Taman Universiti in Skudai, Johor Baru.
The task included extending the kitchen, tiling the internal floors, replacing the roofs, and installing mosaic tiles as well as an awning for the porch.
Other works were the installation of door gates, sliding doors between the living hall and the dining areas, a kitchen safety door, door knobs and metal grilles for two windows as well as plastering of external walls.
“It was time to renovate the house after living in the place for about six years,’’ said Abdul Razak.
“I made a first payment of RM45,000 via bank transfer on Dec 30, 2023 and handed over the house key to the contractor on Jan 18, 2024,’’ he said.
The work started on Jan 26 last year.
The contractor had promised to finish the job a week before Hari Raya Aidilfitri last year which was then expected to fall on April 10 and 11, 2024.
On Feb 9, 2024, Abdul Razak made a second payment of RM36,000 as requested by the contractor who needed the money to buy building materials for the renovations to be completed on time.
“On March 17, 2024, the contractor then asked for another RM6,000 for the roof.
“Altogether, I gave him RM87,000,” remembers Abdul Razak.
Yet, the contractor failed to finish the job on time and then requested for the project completion deadline to be extended to end May 2024.
The claimant refused to agree to a new deadline.
The contractor then left the project with only 78% completed.
The unfinished work affected the sliding doors, tiling for the porch, metal grilles for two windows, and the kitchen cabinet, plastering and safety doors.
“I had to hire a registered quantity surveyor to estimate the value of the unfinished work,’’ said Abdul Razak.
The claimant lamented that the contractor had caused inconvenience to his family who had to rent a house from January to July last year for renovations to be done.
Hafez ordered the respondent to refund RM17,695.07 to the claimant within two weeks.
Those in need of assistance with regard to Tribunal matters can call 07-2271755 or 07-2271766.
