Legal Question in Construction Law in California

Re: Unlicensed contractor

Welcome to the real world. Other than going to the law enforcement officials, you are really out of luck, I think. Mr. Redenbacher's reply is accurate.

Re: Unlicensed contractor

If you can track him down you can have your money refunded. Call me directly at (619) 222-3504.

Re: Unlicensed contractor

Sigh...another unlicensed contractor story. The short answer to your question is "yes" and "no". Yes, you can sue him, get a judgment against him and theoretically get all your money back. No, because there's no practical way to get blood out of a turnip. The vast majority of unlicensed contractors are guys that are here today and gone tomorrow. If the unlicensed contractor had a home and regular job, you could likely get your money back, but this is rarely the case. I don't know how many unlicensed contractor cases I have gotten over the years, but I can only recall a couple where we managed to get any money out of them. The rest are gone to the next town, looking to fleece the next victim.

You can try reporting him to the police because contracting without a license is a crime, but my experience is that the police are going to tell you that "it's a civil matter" and won't help you. It isn't true that "it's a civil matter," it's also a criminal matter, but the cops get busy with murders and rapes and they don't want to bother with unlicensed contractors who are ripping off the public. If, however, he has a history of ripping people off in the area, the cops are more likely to get involved.

The other avenue you can try is to contact the Contractors State License Board. If you're lucky, they already know about this guy and might know where to find him.