I have to be in different parts of Dublin two days a week to meet clients, so I normally get a local taxi to and from the nearest train station, about 10km away. My boss says work will pay my taxi expenses but only if I submit receipts.
But there’s just one taxi driver in my area, and he’s in his 70s, only takes cash, and won’t give me a receipt.
I’ve gently explained to him a number of times the importance of getting a receipt so that I can claim expenses, but he just ignores me.
The fares amount to about €400 a month. Is there anything I can do?
Joe, Co Westmeath?
A Section 56 of the Taxi Regulation (Small Public Service Vehicle) Regulations 2015 requires taxi drivers to print a receipt at the end of a journey.
The receipt must include the total fare, the date, the start time and finish time of the taxi hire, the total distance, and the taxi licence number.
Ask your local taxi driver for receipts again and remind him of the law. If he still ignores you, you can complain to the National Transport Authority.
The NTA will review your complaint and may issue a warning or fine to your taxi driver or take another action to enforce the regulations.
In the meantime, if only one driver is available in your area, you could ask your manager if you can submit photos of your taxi meter readouts.
‘Can a forgotten expired cheque for €300 be re-issued?’?
Q My daughter was sorting through her stuff after graduating from college and found a cheque for €300. It was a refund of her deposit from the student accommodation complex she was in for three years. However, the cheque seems to have expired.
The bank has confirmed that no other cheque was issued to her. She contacted the student accommodation provider and asked them to re-issue the cheque, but they refused. What are her rights?
Noreen, Co Clare
A This is a useful reminder to cash any cheques you receive immediately. Irish banks consider cheques that are more than six months old to be “stale” and can refuse to honour them.
Ask them to reissue the cheque and put this in writing.
Although the accommodation company has refused to issue a replacement cheque, it still owes your daughter the €300.
Ask them again to reissue the cheque and put this in writing. Include written confirmation from the bank that your daughter hasn’t presented any other cheque from the company.
The accommodation firm may also want proof their first cheque was destroyed.
If you still don’t get a satisfactory response, you can complain to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), which also handles disputes related to student-specific accommodation.??
‘Will I have to foot the bill to replace a poorly built canopy?’?
Q In 2018, I contracted a local tradesman to build a canopy at the back of my house. When I asked at the time if there was a warranty against leaks, he said he’d take responsibility for the structural integrity from the time of completion onwards. But he didn’t provide a warranty for a defined period.
The roof has been leaking from day one and attempted fixes have never lasted long. My contact with the tradesman has always been cordial, and he’s always accepted responsibility for the leaks and has never charged me for repairs.
You have six years to seek a repair or other remedy. Stock image/Getty
I feel there’s a fundamental problem with how the roof was fitted — the tradesman said initially he’d used the wrong sealant.
He’s still agreeing to do repairs, but he has become less responsive over the years.
My patience has run out.
I want to get another contractor to replace the canopy roof, but will I have to foot the bill?
Conor, Galway?
A The tradesman’s original service is covered under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980.
Under this act, a tradesperson must provide a service with due skill, care and diligence, using materials that are sound and reasonably fit for purpose.
If this isn’t the case, you have six years to seek a repair or other remedy.
It seems the tradesman’s attempted repairs stem from his responsibilities under the contract you entered in 2018.
No repairs appear to have been done under any explicit warranty for a set number of years. And because all repairs were free, it seems you didn’t enter any new contract under which you could exercise your rights when the leaks persisted.
That means the six-year limit to get a permanent remedy started when the canopy was installed and you’ve run out of time. You could ask the tradesperson for a contribution towards repair costs, but any agreement to do so after all this time would be a gesture of goodwill rather than a legal obligation.
Email your questions to Gabrielle Monaghan, at gabrielle monaghan@independent.ie.
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