My mom hired a contractor for some renovations, and he not only took items from her home without permission but also sold a kitchen table valued at $500 for only $50, even though it was never meant to be sold. We've already filed a police report, but no charges have been pressed yet. The contractor hasn't sent any invoices despite my mom paying him $7,300, and he claims she still owes him $1,800. We're unsure of the best way forward and what legal actions she can take against him. Any advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Have you thought about taking this to a small claims court? It sounds like you have a solid case with how he did everything under the table with no invoices or contracts. If you really want to hold him accountable for the theft and the poor business practices, going this legal route might pressure him to settle fairly. Just make sure to document everything!
Honestly, not having a contract is a big red flag. It sounds like this contractor was trying to do shady business, which is just wrong. Make sure to let him know that you'll pursue legal action if he tries to collect any more money from your mom. It's good that you’ve got recordings of his admissions and can potentially protect her from further issues! Just keep all your evidence in check for when you do decide to act!
Exactly! I feel like he underestimated us because we've known him for so long. It's heartbreaking to see someone take advantage of trust like that, especially when my mom's been dealing with so much. As soon as we gather all our evidence, we're definitely going to take action.
You really should think about pressing charges. It's shocking he hasn't sent proper invoices and it's even worse that he admitted to stealing. You could tell him that if he reaches out again, you'll press charges for "theft by taking." And since that table sounds like a family heirloom potentially worth over $2,500, you might even be able to escalate this to a felony charge! They have no contract and no proof, so you could argue that you've got the upper hand here!
I totally agree! He mentioned something about sending an invoice, but I told him I wouldn't pay anything without proper documentation. I have him recorded admitting to theft, and that feels like solid evidence. We're ready to take action once my mom is feeling up to it!
That's a really good idea! I think we're going to have to take a hard line with him once my mom's feeling better. We can't let him get away with this, it's just not right.