The Builder accompanied Lynn a potential purchaser of the Viaduct Bistro on a tour of inspection when partner Debbie Webster put up her share in the business in November 2022. Her business empire was still struggling after the disastrous fallout over her dealings with crooked Ray Crosby two years before and she was forced to divest herself of some of her holdings to stay afloat. Nick Tilsley and Leanne Battersby, the other shareholders, were not pleased to be saddled with another partner.
The builder made his own inspection while Leanne put off Lynn with claims that the restaurant was struggling, there was a vermin infestation, and that Debbie was an alcoholic who wasn't to be relied upon. Lynn pulled out of the deal, leaving Debbie furious when she found out the stunt that Leanne had pulled. She tried to get Lynn to change her mind and was told that the builder had found wet rot in four different places. Seeing an advantage, Debbie accepted Nick and Leanne's offer of £20,000 under the asking price, claiming she couldn't find another buyer.
They discovered that they had been stitched up when the builder called in later the same day to collect his tape measure which he had left behind. Discovering that no deal was going ahead, he assumed it was because of the wet rot and Nick and Leanne found out for the first time the scale of the problem that they had been left with which, by coincidence, would cost them almost £20,000 to fix.