I prepaid contractor for materials and 1/2 labor but have not heard from them. They owe me money. What do I do now?
Each state has a governing body to handle complaints against licensed and unlicensed contractors. For example, California has the Contractor’s State License Board @ http://www.cslb.ca.gov with links on filing a complaint, verifying a license, and contractor law.
This is terrible! Try and get your money back by filing a complaint. Do you have their info? Be careful! We hear this issue all too often. It’s very important to hire contractors with good reputations. I’m so sorry you are going through this!
I can only answer about the state of Florida, but I presume most states are similar. The DBPR (Department of State and Professional Regulation) manages the licensure of contractors. A single complaint in a contractor’s file is a fairly permanent stain that no self-respecting contractor would gladly suffer. I suggest that you contact the contractor and make it clear that you will go to the state regulatory board if money is not refunded immediately. Florida has a construction recovery fund which can mitigate losses suffered by consumers who enter into written agreements with contractors.
Hopefully, you have dealt only with licensed contractors. It is more difficult to track down unlicensed contractors, and enforcing a claim can be time consuming and costly. Keep your attorney’s business card handy.