Abbey Kitchens & Joinery Ltd

Beware of this company. I bought a kitchen from them in July and it still isn't finished. When I complained of the length of time it was taking I was told it is my fault for living so far away and they had no intention of finishing it unless they received another order in my area (btw I live 1 hr 45 mins away and was never told this would be a problem until they started installing the kitchen)! Funny how distance wasn't a problem before they took my money. I am now saving up for a new kitchen as it is obvious that they have no intention of doing the right thing.

Abbey Kitchens & Joinery Ltd, formally known as Brattleby Kitchens Ltd, formally known as Paul Tompkins Joinery, which is what we knew him as when he did work for us.

These businesses were/are registered at:

5 Lancaster Way

Skellingthorpe

Lincoln

LN6 5UF

They must not to be confused with any similarly named companies; the newest being Abbey Kitchens & Joinery Ltd is being fronted by his wife, so that her husband's appalling reputation/name is absent.

In 2007 they were contracted to fit our kitchen, kitchen laminate floor and to construct a loft conversion. This was the bigest mistake of our lives.

The kitchen laminate floor is fitted underneath the kitchen cupbords and right up to the walls without any expansion gap at all causing the floor to buckle and bow with the joints splitting. He also refused to level the floor before fitting the flooring, which is now cracking because the floor moves being un-level.

He dropped a wall cabinate on the floor causing considerable dammage to the top but he still fitted it trying to fill holes and cracks with decorators calk. the cornice and light pelmet joints are poor and have chips. The worktops also have poor joints and appalling fitted ends, chipped and ragged. He did not use the manufacturer's screws to fit the dishwasher door deciding to use his own, which were too long and came through the front pushing out the facia on the door so you could see the screws. He also dropped a tool onto the newly laid laminate flooring creating a hole.

The loft conversion is the worst experience of all. On the second day after removing the rear roof he failed to provide suitable protection from the weather and in the early hours we were awoken with floods of water requiring the entire property to be repaired, re-plastered and re-decorated; his insurance paid out £17,000 the dammage was so severe.

Part way through the loft conversion a contentious building control officer requested a structural report from a structural engineer, which we had done. The engineer's report was damming at best, stating there were too many structural defects to list. It was the second worse building he had seen in his entire (considerable) carrer.

The 11m (36 feet) long rear wall was moving/falling away into the rear garden. The entire construction deviated from the architectural drawings passed by building control. When confronted with the report, they refused to believe the engineers report. We explained we had lost faith in his abilities and he would not work for anybody who did not believe he was a good workman; he left the property immediately never to return.

We found a competent, professional joiner to carry out the remedial works, which required an almost total re build; the only single element saved was the felt flat roof.

We have been suing the owner since September 2007 and finally went to Lincoln County Court 21st May 2012 where he attended but decided to settle out of court for £23,000 + costs to be evaluated but are expected to be above £50,000.

On 21st May 2012 he was given a court order to pay £23,000 damages and an interim £20,000 in lue of costs by no later than 4pm Monday 11th June 2012, he did not pay. When confronted he said he has no intention to pay any money at all.

We found out they were trying to sell their home where the businesses are registered in an attempt to flee. We have placed a charging order on the property to prevent sale without his debts be paid, which have a potential to be £73,000+.

People be aware of this man and his companies, we have suffered five years of absolute HELL. Neither he or his wife care less about their customers, the state they leave your property, the pain and suffering they inflict or the debt they owe and cause their customers in order to put their mess right.

These people have no respect for law having no intention to meet their obligation set by a county court judge, BEWARE!