Builder who duped two homeowners with misleading advertising and ‘abysmal’ work is sentenced in court

Nelson Botton, owner of NJB Roofing & Building Ltd and NJB Roofing & Sons Ltd was prosecuted for scamming two residents who had contacted him after seeing an advertisement for his companies in a local publication. Both residents were drawn to the advert as it displayed a ‘Check A Trade’ logo which is designed to indicate legitimate businesses that guarantee quality workmanship. However, it was subsequently revealed that Botton was using the logo fraudulently, duping the two homeowners with misleading information.

The first resident, owner of a Grade II listed property, was conned out of a total of £69,700. She contacted NJB Roofing & Building Ltd for a quote to address a small leak she had noticed in her property. She went to the trouble of looking online to check reviews and was confident she was dealing with a reputable company.

When Botton initially visited in June 2021 he quoted £500 to repair lead flashing. He subsequently quoted £500 plus VAT to replace up to 20 tiles and check the whole roof and clear guttering.

Three weeks later Mr Botton turned up unannounced at the property and having inspected the roof said that there were some further issues. He quoted £4,700 for all the jobs and requested payment upfront.

Work started in August 2021 but within days Botton claimed further essential works were needed. When the resident explained that as a Grade II listed property, any replacement roof tiles would need to be reclaimed, Botton said he could source these and said the fee would be £20,000.

Over coming weeks works commenced, during which time, Botton claimed a number of additional works were needed. As claims for more work piled up, the resident became more wary. Botton would often turn up late at night demanding payment, leaving her feeling intimidated and scared. Finally, in February 2022, a visit from the homeowner’s nephew, prompted her to contact the Trading Standards service to make a complaint.

Specialists appointed by Trading Standards to review the work carried out by Botton concluded: The majority of the work was neither required or necessary and the works: “have been undertaken to an abysmal standard, there are extensive defects and extensive areas where new modern practices have been introduced and are completely wrong”.

The damage caused by Botton’s botched works, left the homeowner with a bill of more than £130k to repair.

In April 2022, the second resident appointed Botton’s company, NJB Roofing & Sons Ltd, to carry out works to her home having seen an advert in a local magazine. Once again, Botton visited to quote for the works. Botton submitted an initial quote of £5,975 plus VAT with a £3,000 deposit to be paid upfront and the balance due on completion.

Work began in early May but two weeks in, Botton told the resident that the entire roof would need relining requiring a further £5,880 inclusive of VAT. The resident had not previously experienced any difficulties with the roof but agreed to the works.

As work progressed the resident became more concerned about the quality of work carried out and the amount of work Botton claimed was needed. Despite requesting receipts and guarantees from Botton, none were given and eventually the resident contacted the Trading Standards service.

Independent sources confirmed the resident was right to be concerned with much of the work carried out not being needed and the quality far below required standards.

Nelson Botton was questioned by Trading Standards officers but denied any wrongdoing in both cases. He stood by his opinion that both properties were in need of the repairs quoted for and refuted the reports made by independent professionals. When questioned over the use of the ‘Check A Trade’ logo on his advert he claimed he was previously a member and hadn’t realised the logo was still being used despite his lapsed membership.

Botton pleaded guilty to seven charges under The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. At Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday 28 November, Botton was sentenced to seven and a half months in prison. He was also given a restraining order for five years, meaning he cannot contact the two complainants, and was disqualified from being a company director for five years.

Mark Winn, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing & Regulatory Services said: “Thanks to the efforts of our trading standards team this criminal will not be able to con any other innocent homeowners. The sheer audacity and scale of his deception defies belief and when challenged he used intimidation and threatening behaviour to get his way. He deliberately targeted vulnerable residents who placed their trust in him and he took full advantage for his own gain.”

Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards Service advice to anyone looking to hire a trader to carry out work for them is to make some simple checks before hiring them, including, if a trader is claiming that they are a member of any trade association, it is advisable to contact the trade association directly to ascertain whether they are a member and authorised to display the trade association’s logo on business literature.