Is it legal for a man to keep randomly cleaning the windows at the front of a house and demanding payment?

Question

For a few years now a man keeps turning up randomly and cleaning the windows at the front of the house. And leaving his note saying he's cleaned them. Then he comes back at a random time and demands you pay him £50 for it.

Now at first my family payed him between £10 and £20, cause he still did a job and it's nice to pay someone for their work. But then it kept happening. Eventually on one random time he came he was asked not to, and not to come back. He got really annoyed but left. And we thought that was that

However 5 months later he returned. And despite being asked again he keeps coming back at irregular intervals. He never announces his arrival. He never asks if we want them done. He just does it, then demands payment.

Is there anything we can do legally about this man?

Edit;t: We haven't paid him since he was told to not do it. That's about 4 years now. It hasn't stopped him.

Edit 2: There's no contract. He wasn't hired to do it. He's been asked to stop several times. He shows up randomly to do it and to demand payment.

Rhonda Cochran · Accepted Answer

Don't pay him. He'll either 
1. Claim against you in court (unlikely)
2. Get aggressive 
3. Never come again

If he claims against you, just respond with what you've said here.

If he appears to get aggressive, lock your door and call 999. Do not wait for him to escalate

You may also find your local authority licenses window cleaners. Certainly here in Fife they do. You could contact the licensing team and make them aware of these incidents.

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Don't pay him. He's not going to come back if you don't keep paying him - problem solved.

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Put a sign in every window saying “no window cleaners”, see how he reacts haha

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So he's been cleaning your windows for nothing for 4 year's that's extremely unusual i would be careful about speaking to him directly he doesn't sound very stable you could contact the police and tell them about his behaviour i would personally be very concerned about a man consently coming to my house after he's been instructed not to and working without payment.

Brendon Ramsey

4th February 2022

+273

276 upvotes

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Ideally you need to catch him in the act then you can call the police non emergency number. Very strange behaviour but I bet a lot of people pay him.

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Next time he comes reiterate that you didn't ask for the service, and that you won't be paying for any cleaning he does at your property.

I've been running a window cleaning company for ~12 years now and it's fairly rare that we go down the small claims route.  More often than not, the customer still doesn't pay,  and we just end up further out of pocket.

This guy doesn't sound like he is running a proper business anyway so it's highly unlikely he'll go down the court route.

In the meantime,  you're getting some free cleaning.

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It sounds to me like this is possibly a tactic on his part?

He goes around cleaning windows no one asked him to do - then subsequently asks for payment.

Whats the betting that most houses react similar to how you reacted and just pay him because he had done the job. You can imagine a lot of older people perhaps feeling obligated to pay.

He probably keeps on doing the same to lots of other houses and maybe has figured out he can make a decent living this way even if only 70% of the houses he cleans actually pay?

He probably has your house marked as a “maybe” on his list because of the first few times you paid him so just keeps trying till you cave in?

Maybe post on the local facebook / Nextdoor app to check if he is doing it to anyone else?

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He's charging £50 for a £15 service, if only half the people pay then he's still £10 up on every job

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My concern would be how many other people is he doing this to to maintain an interest in coming back. Others may be paying under duress. Question to others with more knowledge, could trading standards or council help? At least go into a police station and ask.

Jama Spannaus

4th February 2022

+3

6 upvotes

Answer

After four years, I think it's unlikely that it's a scam. Unfortunately it's more likely that he has a mental conditio.

My advice would be to advise him that he's trespassing on your property when he next arrives, and report it to the police online, most forces have a form for reporting issues like this.

Next time he arrives, call 101/999 to report the trespass and they'll turn up. Chances are they might even know him.

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I had a similar experience years ago. I'm sure he had mental health issues from the way he would write the letters he posted through the door and the way that he spoke. 
Luckily he would come when I was in most of the time so I just spoke to him politely everytime. "Not today mate, clean enough." I sort of got on his good side and he eventually stopped and would only clean them unless I asked him. Like I said I think he had some mental issues so I tried to show empathy with him. He did carry with my other neighbours though. Eventually he stopped doing to road. Haven't seen him a years now. I hope he's okay, he was only trying to make a living. I felt sorry when the whole road was aggressive with him for it but showing understanding helped alot. Don't know if that helps your problem but helped me.

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Does he have a vehicle? I'd suggest taking the registration next time (and any other details) and reporting it to the police on 101.

It's highly likely they are basically a scammer and clean windows (badly) in the hope of getting some money.  They keep coming back because they aren't running a proper business and don't keep records of customers, they just wash windows and make people pay afterwards.

The police may be interested because it's likely they are mostly scamming elderly people out of money. It might be something they pass to Trading Standards.

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Have you considered that this person may be scouting houses to burgle or worse using the 'not paid complaint' as a cover story.

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Just don’t pay him, you asked him to stop and he continued. If he reports you to court then you just tell them that you didn’t ask him to do it and you may be asked to show that you have another window cleaner to confirm.

If he is being threatening or trespassing then contact the police. If you can afford it then I suggest you get a cctv camera so you have a video footage of him doing it and then demanding payment.

Also £50 is way too much unless you live in a mansion/ maybe London.

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Do you try and stop him cleaning your windows when he shows up? Like tell him to stop or threaten to call the police?

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That's weird but of anything bad was going to happen it probably would have already.

Does he only clean your windows or anyone else in local area?

Does he seem okay?

What I would do: ask around see if your neighbours know anything. Next time he comes ask him for some contact info or better, an address. Phone non emergency police, explain the situation and say you are concerned about his safety \ wellbeing.

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Tell him you politely don’t want it done anymore and make sure to document and record it. If he cleans them again do not pay him… he will either get the message or if not you still have proof of the agreement. Leave a sign where he can see it saying ‘No cleaning or services required’ and photograph that too.

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Log a complaint with consumer direct (the customer side face of trading standards). They may ignore you or they may take it up as a cold calling case (which is now an offence for which enforcement options are available)

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Silly question but why can't you call the police when he comes?

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Have you asked him why he keeps coming back although you've asked him not to?

Maybe he has memory issues and thinks you're a different house?

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😂🤣😂Omg I used to clean windows with 2 different people at 2 different times in my life and Im blown away words escape me to imagine trespassing on a random member of publics property and just demand payment for doing a job that was never agreed... Just wow... My advice is get his registration report to police for trespassing and put a note in the window SAYING POLITE NOTICE.. NO CANVASSING, NO TRADE, NO LEAFLETTING, TRESPASSERS WILL BE REPORTED TO POLICE... Maybe get a ring doorbell for security I can only imagine these people are con men who prey on the vulnerable

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NAL but strictly speaking there’s no contract and you’ve apparently clearly told him not to do it. I’d suggest documenting when he turns up (keep a log and record it) and you telling him to go away. Could always report him to the police for trespassing too.

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Is there not a privacy angle here? Like if you leave your bedroom curtains slightly open, or even fully open, you expect to have a bit of privacy in there, because you wouldn’t be able to see in from the street. If you had a regular window cleaner, you’d expect them to turn up on whatever day so that’s not an issue, but I’d be bothered, as a single mother of a 10 year old daughter, of their being a random man up against my window.

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Sounds like the poor chap has a mental problem or something.

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“It’s nice to pay someone for their work.” There’s your problem right there. You didn’t employ a window cleaner so don’t pay a window cleaner! You became a “mark” right then and there so he keeps coming back.

Legally, tell him he’s not welcome at your home and he’s not to ever come onto your property again. Then if he does he is harassing you and you can call the police.

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Call the police and file a report. No need to endure harassment. Eventually they'll chat to him and give him a warning.

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I'd say if he's still coming back without u paying him then he might just be scoping the place out for a burglary but if it's been 4 years then he must be a very slow burglar

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He's a scammer.  You didn't solicit the work.

If he gets aggressive, report it to the police.  It's likely you aren't the only person he is doing this to.