Hi Jayne,
She may have had problems with repairmen before and just cracked on your husband. I've been living in France for over twenty years now and getting thing repaired has always been a headache here. I've been waiting for over two month to get a broken window replaced but that's another story. It's usually the client that signs the devis isn't it. Did she pay anything up front? If not I would think that your husband has no obligation to do the work. Good luck!
Penny