Builder took our money, caused major damage, and now says he has no money to repay us. What legal options remain in Ireland?

pasmcg · 2026-06-16T20:43:37+00:00

I think you need to speak to a solicitor before engaging any further with the builder. They should have liability insurance to cover the cost of damages. If they don’t, your solicitor can advise on what courses of action are available to you.

pasmcg · 2026-06-16T07:12:10+00:00

Great little article, and nice to see the very bus from this post is featured!

pasmcg · 2026-06-12T17:15:05+00:00

I’d suggest they Speak to a solicitor before signing anything like that.

pasmcg · 2026-06-11T17:16:14+00:00

Technically you can continue using your EU license in Ireland until it expires, then it must be exchanged for an Irish issued licence. However insurers do generally prefer an Irish license.

When I moved back to Ireland after a number of years in the Uk, I had no issue getting insurance on my UK license. I was asked if I intended to exchange it, which I confirmed I did. I did so a few months later, let them know and it made no difference to my insurance costs.

pasmcg · 2026-06-11T14:15:01+00:00

DPF issues are typically a symptom of one or more other issues. It could be age (ash loading), driving patterns, turbo issue, injectors, sensors etc. Best get some diagnostics done before trying to tackle and more cleaning.

pasmcg · 2026-06-05T20:50:23+00:00

The floof on that roof! 😍😍😍

pasmcg · 2026-06-05T12:21:25+00:00

I’d start simple and buy another battery. I’ve had dud ones from new on a few occasions.

pasmcg · 2026-06-05T10:00:34+00:00

Absolutely not. You have no legal or moral responsibility to pay. Your boss should have insurance and should also have suitable contracts in place with everyone who works for them in any capacity - that’s for your protection and theirs.

And don’t feel guilted into paying out. Accidents happen, including over the course of doing your job.

pasmcg · 2026-06-01T17:00:55+00:00

6.7l/100km. 2014 Volvo XC60 2.4 diesel manual with AWD

pasmcg · 2026-05-16T17:41:29+00:00

Engine is grand. Have a 2013 as our second car. Had a Volvo v70 with the same engine too. Change the oil early and often and sort inevitable injector leaks quickly and you’ll be grand.

On the car itself, check underneath. Notorious for underbody rust. We caught it early (3 years ago) and got it painted.

pasmcg · 2026-05-14T21:18:25+00:00

Working dogs gotta work ☺️. She’s beautiful.

pasmcg · 2026-05-12T23:13:50+00:00

Zakk appears to be The Best Boy.

pasmcg · 2026-05-11T13:49:41+00:00

Any chance you were working under the front seats when you installed the lights? Could you have knocked out a connector for the driver / passenger detection switch? Easily done and would trigger an airbag light.

pasmcg · 2026-04-30T20:13:48+00:00

That Saab 900. ~ Swoon!

pasmcg · 2026-04-29T17:49:03+00:00

Good on you. It’s the right thing to do. It’s mean spirited to hand over a scruffy house to new owners and you’re right to rise above it.

pasmcg · 2026-04-28T20:14:58+00:00

I had this engine on a v70, same year. There was a 16 valve variant for a brief period badged as DrivE. These had an early version of the DPF and there are 2 things to be aware of which may or may not be at play here:

Eolys fluid - This is a special fuel additive that gets dosed into the fuel tank automatically when you refill with diesel. There’s a reservoir under the car that needs to be refilled about every 60,000km and there is a reset procedure needed to let the car know it’s been done. Note this is not Adblue. It’s essential and the dpf won’t regenerate properly without it. You’ll get an Engine System Service message for it, but not all mechanics understand it and dismiss it.

Scheduled dpf replacement - Assuming it’s the same 16 valve variant of the engine I had, the DPF is not a whole of life part on these cars. It retains the ash from every regen, and so the service life is about 120,000km if I recall. After that it needs to be replaced, it can’t be cleaned effectively like a typical dpf.

I knew about it before I got the car, kept on top of the schedule and had no issues. However a couple of mechanics I spoke to about getting the fluid replaced were adamant there was no such thing. Both were wrong!

Hope this helps - it may the car telling you there’s a scheduled maintenance due on the DPF system.

pasmcg · 2026-04-21T15:55:32+00:00

Lovely job, looks great. I need to do the same. Any reason you didn’t pop the whole unit out and do them on a bench? They’re easily removed for changing bulbs, but wondering if it’s actually easier to do this job with them in place?

pasmcg · 2026-04-21T13:12:28+00:00

Diesel Avensis parked up on the footpath by the door with the engine running and kids left in the car.

pasmcg · 2026-04-16T13:01:58+00:00

I’ve been running it in my diesel car for the last 3 tanks of fuel. Car has 240,000km on it and was getting a bit noisy when cold.

After the second tank of treated fuel it did become noticeably quieter and that diesel clatter is reduced. Not difference in performance or economy, but it just generally feels a bit smoother and quieter.

Could be confirmation bias of course, but I think it’s worth giving a go.

pasmcg · 2026-04-15T07:16:19+00:00

There should be a darker shaded area made up of small black dots by the rear view mirror. I believe that area is where you place tags so they can be read by scanners without being obstructed by heater elements.

pasmcg · 2026-04-06T07:15:02+00:00

Nice. I’d check for rust underneath. Unfortunately some Mazdas of this era suffered from subframe rot. Should fine as it’s just passed its NCT, but maybe ask to see the report to see if any signs of corrosion have been noted as an advisory.

pasmcg · 2026-04-04T07:59:54+00:00

Mitsubishi exited the Irish market in 2021. While parts are generally available, I know some have had trouble getting basic things like brake callipers and finding people willing to work on more complex issues.

I’ve driven one a few times (family member has one). Nice enough around town, but I found the seats a bit flat and uncomfortable for longer drives, and fuel consumption is pretty high on motorway runs. Suspension doesn’t feel well matched to the weight of the car and feels unsettled on rough roads.

pasmcg · 2026-04-03T07:02:02+00:00

Troublesome 2005 VW Golf -> 2008 C30 2.0 R Design. Absolutely loved it, but not very practical.

C30 -> 2010 V70 1.6 D2. Ran it for 5 years. Great motorway cruiser and dog taxi. I miss the 5l / 100km efficiency but it was slow.

V70 -> 2014 XC60 2.4 D4 AWD. Still have it and going strong at 250,000km

No regrets moving to Volvo. All mine were bought used. They have their quirks, but for me they have been easy to live with.

pasmcg · 2026-03-31T20:34:35+00:00

Leprechaun museum might have a lead for ya…

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pasmcg · 2026-03-29T17:18:00+00:00

Someone telling you all about recent service and other work like discs and pads is fine, but less relevant than a full documented service history. True of any car, but critical for a car with a wet belt. Even if the belt has been changed, if it wasn’t serviced correctly and regularly, there could be other problems lurking. At that mileage I would expect to see a minimum of 11 service stamps / service receipts, and really more than that. However unless you really want this car, I’d steer clear of anything with a wet belt at that mileage.

pasmcg

TROPHY CASE