QUESTION
Contractor did a horrible job tiling my outdoor porch steps. I refused to pay him. He''s taking me to court. What do I do?
Asked on Jun 26th, 2012 on Construction Law - Virginia
More details to this question:
I discovered he has no experience in this type of work after he did the job. I have had 2 experienced contractors out since the job was done to verify that his work was unacceptable in any way and give me quotes on what it will cost to tear out his work and haul away the garbage. He also poured out his excess mortar in about 10 places all over my yard. I''ve taken pictures. I do not want him to fix his work since it''s clear he doesn''t know how to do it. All I want is for him to reimburse me for the materials I paid for and what it will cost me to clean up his mess and tear out what he has done. I sent a complaint to the Better Business Bureau right away to try to settle through them but he has not responded to their correspondence. He left the day the job was done saying he didn''t want my money and wanted to forget he was ever there. Then he filed for a court date the day after the job was done claiming that he put in 3 days work and wants to be compensated.
1 ANSWER
Construction Law Attorney serving Virginia Beach, VA
at
Wolcott Rivers Gates, Attorneys at Law
Update Your Profile
Since he has filed suit, you will need to appear and defend. You will want to bring your pictures, but you will also need an "expert witness". Usually, an expert witness in this type of case would be a person who has a license from the state to work as a contractor ,(a license from the Department of Professions and Occupational Regulation http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/dporweb/dpormainwelcome.cfm You can check that site to see if they have a license)
You need an expert to tell the court what was done wrong. You may also want to file your own suit to recover damages depending on the quotes that you have received to repair the work. I suggest you contact a local attorney that can either represent you in court, or at the very least, they can, for a fee, meet with you for an hour or so and go through your documents and give you advice on how to best present your case.
Answered on Jun 28th, 2012 at 9:41 AM