Builders Demolish Driveway After Homeowner Refuses To Pay The Full Amount For Their Work

Two tradesmen from Australia found themselves in a bit of a sticky situation after they decided to tear up a driveway they had laid down.

They did this because they claimed they hadn't received the full payment for their work.

Damian Hallett and his business partner, Jamie Sommerville, who are from Clare in South Australia, took a bulldozer and some power tools to dismantle the work they had done.

This was all due to a disagreement over an unpaid bill.

Working under the name Clare Concreting, the two tradesmen made it clear that they 'don't condone' what they did.

Credit: 7News

However, they felt it was necessary. This was because the homeowner had only coughed up $10,000 of the $13,500 they owed.

The homeowner was not budging on paying the remaining amount.

Videos that found their way to Instagram show the police turning up.

They tried to reason with Damian and Jamie, urging them to have a chat with the homeowner.

The homeowner was desperate for them to stop the destruction.

In one of the videos, the homeowner is seen trying to reason with the men.

Damian tells him quite bluntly: "I'm ripping the whole f---ing lot out."

The homeowner attempts to calm things by saying: "It's not going to help anybody." However, Damian fires back:

Credit: 7News

"It's not going to help me by leaving it here. I don't care, I'm pulling this out. At the end of the day you owe me $3500."

"I'm pulling this out, you've had your chances. You said you're not going to pay me the money. If you're going to pay me the money I'll stop, if not I'm going to bulldoze now."

"I've tried to bargain with you. If you're going to pay the money talk to me, if not f--- off. I don't care. I've never done this before in my life."

The interaction between the homeowner and the tradesmen saw a lot of back-and-forth. 

At one point, a police officer stepped in to clarify the amount still owed for the driveway work.

The officer asked: "Hang on, how much do you owe him?" To which Damian replied: "$3,500." 

The officer then suggested the homeowner should settle the debt.

Later, on Instagram, Damian confirmed that the homeowner had settled the remaining bill thanks to the intervention of the South Australian police.

He expressed his gratitude towards the police for their help.

However, the homeowner later contested the sequence of events that led to the bulldozing.

The homeowner, who preferred to stay anonymous, recounted being at home with his young daughters when he heard the noise of the digging.

Concerned for his distressed children, he attempted to call the police for help but was informed that the matter was a civil issue beyond their immediate intervention.

The police were there to make sure things didn’t escalate into physical confrontation.

Faced with the potential for further damage to his property, the homeowner felt compelled to pay up.

He stated that he had already paid $30,000 and had plans to pay the outstanding amount.

He pointed out that the tradesmen hadn't completed all the agreed-upon work, which included tasks like leveling the ground, building a retaining wall, and some plumbing.

The homeowner had even texted the tradesmen to dispute the amount owed and to question them about the incomplete work.

Following the incident gaining widespread attention, the homeowner has had to deal with not just the physical damage but also racist abuse online and people driving by his house to see the damage, leaving him and his children feeling vulnerable.

Clare Concreting later offered to fix the driveway and complete the remaining work.

However, the homeowner has refused their offer and is now considering legal options.