Legal Question in Construction Law in California
I hired a contractor from Los Angeles county to come to Kern county to work on my swimming pool. I already paid him but he did not do the work we talked about and documented on the written estimate. He is not returning my calls. What is my next step to take him to court and would I file in Kern county where he did the work or Los Angeles county?
2 Answers from Attorneys
File a complaint with the Contractor's State License Board. The complaint procedure is on their website. Make a claim against his contractor's license bond. That info is available from the CSLB. If that doesn't get your problem taken care of and you have to sue him, you can sue in the county where the contract was to be performed on any contract case, so Kern is fine.
If necessary to sue, remember that you can ask for up to $7,500 on an individual's suit, so even if he owes a bit more, you're better off avoiding Superior Court costs, delays and formalities by cutting back your claim and getting it heard earlier and cheaper. I suggest Nolo Press's book "Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court in California" by attorney Ralph Warner.
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