Legal Question in Construction Law in California

My ex boyfriend did some work in my house though he is not a licensed general contractor. I was turning a large closet into a bath. There was no implied or written contract. I broke up with him mid project because he had an addiction problem, was inappropriately aggressive and because he was dishonest. At the end of the relationship, he tried bullying me into having sex with him while simultaneously trying to get back with his ex. I wound up being quite afraid of him. After he left, I hired licensed contractors to assess the work he did. His work was shoddy and not to code and has cost several thousand dollar to repair. Now months later, I've received a bill from him for the work he did (he is asking for ($2,500). I never talked to him after we broke up because I am frightened of him and have never shared that in his drug addled state, he left a terrible mess. I'm assuming that the bill is the precursor to a small claims action. Could you please give me advise on my next course of action?


Asked on 6/28/16, 11:03 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

The law is very clear that an unlicensed contractor is not entitled to ANY payment for construction work. In fact the current state of the law even allows a property owner to sue the unlicensed contractor and recover any and all payment already made if anything has been paid. On top of that, it is a misdemeanor to do contracting without a license. So if he does sue you, you should counter-sue for the cost of repairs and contact the Contractor's State License Board for information on what laws and regulations to cite to the court showing that he cannot collect anything.

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Answered on 6/28/16, 11:07 am


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