Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Massachusetts
I hired a contractor to tear down a damaged garaged due to poor workmanship and underground water. He gave me an estimate (no contract). He conned me into pulling the permit my self with my name on it. He then kept asking for payment at the end of each week. Then he threw an $8,000 bill at me and said payment due the next day. That was not part of the estimate. He was trying to double the price of windows to put more money in his pocket. He put $20,000 of my money right in his pocket before he bought the materials. I have a garage with no floor or roof and have paid him $44,000. I also have property damage. He then decides because I started question him about my money, decides to quit the job. I believe that his intentions were to take as long as he could to get the job done and get as much money out of me as he could. He was very dishonest and it was a total scam. Is this illegal and am I able to sue him to get my money back?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Yes you can sue him. You need to prove your case. If he has a contractor's license you can file a complaint with the MA Licensing Dept and call the MA AG's office. I would find an attorney in your area who handles these kinds of claims and take all the information, including the bills etc. The more documentation the better.
You have learned an important lesson, you need to get repair contracts in writing.