Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Georgia

defamation

I own a painting business. I was hired to stain a cabin undergoing renovations. My foreman had a falling out with another subcontractor on the job. This subcontractor then filed a false complaint with the Better Business Bureau. The complaint stated ''apox.3 months ago we hired North Georgia Painting to stain a house, they did over half the work and had a sob story about bills and needed the money so they got paid for the whole job and promised to come back the next week and finish. Here it is 3 months later and we called to ask if they were going to finish the job. The owner got smart with me so I just told him that I expect him to finish the work he got paid for and hung up. He called back 15 min later and promised to finish the job, still no show. Would not refer them to no one.'' I spoke with the BBB and the complaint will remain on my record. Even listed as ''satisfied'' the complaint will do harm to future business. 80% of my business is vacation homes. People unfamiliar with local contractors will check the BBB especially with the amount of money we are dealing with (often in the tens of thousands). I would not hire a company with a complaint, resolved or not. Nothing he claims even happened he was never a customer.


Asked on 8/04/08, 2:17 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Glenn M. Lyon, Esq. MacGREGOR LYON, LLC, Business Attorneys

Re: defamation

Defamation can be difficult to prove, but if you can show that the allegations are untrue and affecting your business, you may have a valid claim. Speak to a business attorney about the all of the facts to determine your best course of action. Sometimes, the situation can be resolved with a simple demand letter with a reasonable monetary demand.

If you would like to discuss any issues further, please feel free to contact my office. My contact information is below. Thank you.

The foregoing is general information only, not specific legal advice. No attorney/client relation has been created or should be implied.

Read more
Answered on 8/04/08, 2:54 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More General Civil Litigation questions and answers in Georgia