Rogue Trader Charged £4,600 for Painting Ridge Tiles

A ROGUE TRADER charged a vulnerable customer £4,600 for replacing their home’s roof ridge tiles when in fact he just painted the tiles orange to make them look like new.

Peter Billydean Price of Broadmoor Nurseries, Kilgetty, in Pembrokeshire, pled guilty to two fraud offences while trading as Priced 2 Improve Property and Landscaping Services.

In the case brought by Ceredigion County Council, Aberystwyth magistrates heard how in January 2022, Price dishonestly took payments totalling £4,600 to replace all the ridge tiles on the roof of the victim’s home.

Rogue Trader

Peter Price, 25, and his two male associates painted the existing ridge tiles in orange paint – which was caught on a home CCTV camera.

The CCTV showed Peter Price and his associates arriving and leaving with paint and painting tools. He spent less than 3½ hours at the victim’s home in total.

Price then ignored telephone calls from the victim leaving them no choice but to seek legal advice.

Deceived Victim

Aerial drone footage enabled a Chartered Quantity Surveyor to conclude that Price was evidently not a professional, competent and reputable roofer.

Price had merely used orange paint as a way to deceive his victim into the perception that new orange clay ridge tiles had been used.

Price’s solicitor stated that his client had relied on an ex-employee who had knowledge of roofing to lead on the job as in the main, Price’s work is primarily in ground work and paving. Price acknowledged the fee was excessive and was remorseful for his actions.

On 20 July 2023, magistrates sentenced Price to a 12-month Community Order with 150 hours of unpaid work, and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirements (RAR) days. He was also ordered to pay £4,081 compensation to the victim, £1,000 prosecution costs, and £95 court surcharge.

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