Heard of a scam where workman erect scaffold unsolicited?

[snedger]

Hello
Odd one this.
Live downstairs in an upstairs downstairs maisonette.
A couple of weeks ago some workman called and told my son that they were there to do some roofing - my son sent them away, suggesting it my for the upstairs people.

Well today, some scaffold has been erected - no one called to the house before the work started and no one spotted a van/truck. The scaffold has just been left.
The upstairs people are just back from France - they called round to ask about who ordered the scaffold and so it is nothing to do with them - it is also nothing to do with the freeholder.

Can anyone think of what possible scam is being attempted here?
Not really looking forward to confronting some thug who might try to march me off to the nearest cashpoint to pay for unsolicited work.
Cheers
Ian Gough

[g8ina]

Not heard of this, but I would certainly contact the police.

[Saracen]

Interesting.

Smells more like cockup than scam, though. Scaffolding is expensive, and slow to erect/remove, so not ideal, I'd have thought, for a scam.

Perhaps the work crew were told Acacia Avenue when it should have been Acacia Close, or some-such.

[Jay]

unless it stolen and then its a pretty good way to hide it!

[snedger]

Thanks for the comments.
Police and trading standards had been called.
Turns out that the people upstairs had asked for the work, but the man had briefly forgotten and the sight of 30 foot high scaffolding wasn't enough to jog his memory.
Unbelievable.

[jimbouk]

*insert some sort of face palm meme here*

Glad it's sorted though, I can image the worry it would cause!

[snedger]

Actually not sorted.
Man upstairs even dafter than I first thought.
No one has been invited to do any work. It really ought to be something that you know
They are bad people who have rolled up to try and coerce a roof repair. I suspect that have used the scaffold to gain access to be able to cause damage to an oldish roof. But can't prove it. They've even taken photos. There is no way that they could have known about the extent of any damage from ground level, on a property in a quiet cul de sac. Carefully selected victims.
I've only just heard that they persuaded one of my sons to go to the top of the scaffold to view the roof - not happy at all that he was bullied into risking his safety.
They've got one last chance to take the scaffold down before the police are called.
And then we'll have have the roof assessed. And I know which company will not be invited.

[TheAnimus]

Do you have any information on the company?

Who owns the land that the scaffolding is on. Myself I would sue them in small claims, but I would want to know who I am going to be sueing.

I would also contact the local press.

[Phaz0r18]

Call 101 and log a call with the police, at least then you have a record of the incident and that you were unwilling form the beginning should this go any further.

[Saracen]

If they haven't been asked, and have just rocked up and installed scaffolding, I would contact the police, immediately. If nothing else, get it on the record. I'd also take photos myself, including them, and their van, with licence plate, if I ever got the chance. You never know if it might be useful.

[Phaz0r18]

If they haven't been asked, and have just rocked up and installed scaffolding, I would contact the police, immediately. If nothing else, get it on the record. I'd also take photos myself, including them, and their van, with licence plate, if I ever got the chance. You never know if it might be useful.

"Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it"

[Saracen]

"Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it"

Exactamently.

[Barry]

I'd take it down and sell it, worth a fair bit as scrap!

[jigger]

I'd be tempted to find a publication like Roofing for Dummies repair my own roof, gutters, paint, fit solar panels etc and thank them for the help.

Id even take the scaffolding down for them after I was finished.