You can only ignore a paying customer for so long before they decide to reclaim what’s theirs.

Imagine investing in your dream retirement home from abroad, only to be ghosted by the builder halfway through construction. Would you wait it out? Or would you cancel the contract and strip the property of everything you already paid for?

In today’s story, one man finds himself in this same predicament and decides he’s done playing games. Here’s what happened.

Fine, keep the house…but I want what I paid for

This was a situation my dad found himself in about five years ago when he contacted a builder for a humble little retirement unit outside Melbourne, part of a larger development in the area.

Being abroad at the time, he had to coordinate as much as he could remotely, but ultimately, he was able to visit the site after construction was underway.

The foundation was poured, brickwork and framing were going up—all the basics. He picked out the cabinetry, fixtures, appliances, and utility needs, checked on progress for another month, and then flew back abroad for what was supposed to be a few more months.

Everything was great until the builder stopped replying.

Well, you can imagine what happened soon after in early 2020.

Rather than bunker down in a hotel until the house was finished, they stayed at their second place in the US while keeping in touch over the phone. Despite the early setbacks from COVID, the house seemed to be coming together nicely. Pictures were sent, and family in the area would drive by occasionally for updates.

Until one day, when the builder started to be less communicative. Late replies, vague phrasing, timelines getting pushed egregiously. Things that couldn’t be explained, even considering the effects of lockdown.

Unfortunately, it seemed the father paid a lower price than everyone else.

Something didn’t seem right.

Family drive-bys confirmed neighboring units were continuing to completion while his was left untouched. Port-A-Loos were eventually seen in the front yard.

After a bit more digging, it turned out good ol’ Dad was one of the first contracts, at an agreed-upon price well below what the market was quickly turning into.

A couple of cheeky after-hours peeks showed they’d gotten the walls finished but not much else. Cabinets and flooring sat in the middle of their rooms, bath fixtures still boxed, appliances wrapped.

He made sure to get what he paid for.

It wouldn’t take much more to finish things up, yet they hadn’t moved on it for months.

After being ghosted for nearly three more months, with no noticeable progress, he cut his losses and had lawyers sort out cancelling the contract. The house would be on-market again after he’d had the chance to remove property he’d already paid for in advance, which wasn’t much in the end, but did include…the pipes. All of them. And he wanted them back.

The builder was suddenly very responsive, but the damage was done, and our family got to see what the house’s framing looked like again.

The pipes? A friend picked them up in the company truck for the metals recycler he worked for.

Wow! Builders like this are the absolute worst.

Let’s see how the folks over at Reddit relate to this story.

For this person, the whole story makes no sense.

Here’s another reader who feels the story doesn’t add up.

This is a great thought.

According to this person, the story is too incomplete.

That was a risky move. He would’ve been better off hiring an attorney and forcing the completion of the home.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.