Refusal of building acceptance due to outstanding work?

Dear forum members,

our new building is in its final stages. However, due to a legal dispute between the general contractor (GU) and a trade, the interior plaster is still missing on over 4 windows in the living room, as these windows were relocated afterwards. The interior plasterer currently refuses to carry out this work for free.

Nevertheless, my GU would still like to proceed with the acceptance, even though these works have not yet been performed. These remaining works should then be assigned a completion date by when they are to be carried out.

The painter is already working for us and is also being held up because of this (possibly additional costs?).

Now the question is, should I refuse the acceptance or just withhold the final payment until these works are completed? Or is it legally acceptable for the house building company to demand acceptance and only withhold the amount corresponding to the cost of these works?

Thank you very much for your help.

You should have been reading along here long enough not to accept anything that is not finished / cannot be finished yet. "When in doubt, favor the good contractor" would be wrong here.

What does he expect from the acceptance? There is something behind it. No, as long as there are such massive defects, there will be no acceptance and definitely no final payment. Don’t agree to anything, I have experienced it myself often enough. Once paid, you won’t see anyone again or you’ll wait forever for an appointment.

well. How did the construction go overall? Good relationship?

The remaining work has a value of max. 500€. Agree on an additional retention of 1000€ for this and that's it.

500 euros? I'm seriously laughing myself to death. A craftsman won't get up for that. For such small stuff, you're already paying for the trip, not to mention for something like that no one will come before 2022.

Keep at least 3 bills, better 5.

I also believe that no one will come for something like that as long as there are other things to do and no one is being forced in any way [die Pistole auf der Brust sitzt].