Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in California
Charging for Estimate
My boyfriend had a contractor come
out to give us an estimate on
installing a sprinkler system for a
house that we are renting. They
wanted to charge $65 for the
estimate. I said no, because we
have had many other estimates
done for free. The employee said
that his boss would send the bill with
my boyfriends name on it to
collections and put a lien on the
house. We never signed anything.
Is what this guy is saying true.
Should we just pay the $65 to avoid
messing up my boyfriend's credit?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Charging for Estimate
I would not pay it.
Contact the contractor's licensing board
Joel
Re: Charging for Estimate
Contractor is wrong. He cannot obtain a lien like this. There is no written agreement authorizing it, and moreover, there is insufficient basis for a lien.
If he persists, file a claim against him with the Contractors State License Board.
If that doesn't work, we can help. We've sued many contractors over similar nonsense.