Just thought i would warn all of you in the Villa Real and surrounding areas. We have been trying to build our house, just outside the Portuguese border . We have been completely ripped off by a builder
He has taken our money and wont return calls or respond to e mails, The whole process has been so stressful .We are devastated. Has any one else had any dealings with him ?
Also a German is reported to be living in the Tavira area, any sightings?

I appreciate that you are frustrated by your current experience but please do not use the BritishExpats.com forum for naming and shaming. If you need help concluding things with your old builder, perhaps a local lawyer would be a good idea.

We are a peer to peer network here; you may have to wait more than a day to get the answers you're looking for.

thank you.

How would we know a German from any other nationality if we saw one?

Sorry but i just wanted to prevent him from doing the same to others, we already have a lawyer working on it.

Ahh yes you have a point ! I should have said does anyone know him, we knew him in Ayamonte and became good friends, just tring to trace him.

Thanks Donna

Easy... you will see the bastard up early covering the sun loungers will beach towels before he heads off to the building site

On the subject though... we got our X friend to build our house and have learned the hard way of useing a trusted friend! I suggest to anyone who is going to use a builder to ask to go and see a couple of the houses they have already built (preferably ones that are already a couple of years old) and if possible speak to the owners to see if they are happy!

Our house is less than 3 years old is now and we are still waiting for problems that it had in the begining to be resolved. Stupidly we paid the house in full trusting the wanker...sorry... "x friend" that he would put it right without issue

Yes I can imagine your frustration. The old saying 'never mix business with pleasure ' is so true, unfortunatly i keep making the same mistake !!
Our Builder in question is actually Portuguse , the German ( who may very well be in the covering up sun bed business, as he has done everything else) sold us the land then became a friend, he offered to project manage the build and basicaaly screwed it up ! Long story but he was friends with the builder ! Draw your own conclusions.
We are battleing on though and hope to complete it a bit at a time. Still looking for another builder .
I hope your w***** x friend eventually sorts out your house.

Donna - just wondering - was your German at one time anything to do with an estate agent in Ayamonte just off the Square, now defunct?

Does the Germans name begin with H?

Yes !! Why do you know him ?

No not H its a J.

Donna - yes I think I might. He was always a bit Over The Top!

If it's the same guy, don't know where he is now, but about four years ago he sold us our apartment in Cabanas. We had no problems with him, loved (and still do) the apartment and like you, we got quite friendly towards the end. Then we went to seek him out in Ayamonte during one of our trips here about 2 years ago, found the shop shut up, no reply from his mobile, and have been wondering what happened to him ever since.