how can i keep it from happening again?

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What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

i had some construction work done. the guy who did it had the stuff delivered to him and presented me with the bill later. i have no proof that i didn't receive all the materials.
he took the matter to the magistrate, he presented invoices (the same ones i did) and admitted at the hearing that the materials were for a couple of jobs he was working on at the same time, not just mine.
the magistrate decided in his favor. i cannot afford to take this matter any further, it would cost me twice as much to fight as i could win.
i called the magistrate to find out why he decided in his favor and he told me that the guy had said that i owed him the money.

my question is: if i pay this, how can i prevent him from "finding" another invoice to charge me with. he could keep doing this, the magistrate will just keep agreeing with him.

 

[BL]

Since it's already been through the courts this time , I doubt a complaint with the OAG in your area could help .

Next time you believe you are over billed , contact the OAG consumer affairs .

I'd contact them anyways about the bill the contractor admitted he billed you for was also for another site .

 

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Thank you very much. I am really scared.

Who is OAG consumer affairs and how do I contact them?

I am going to have to pay this within the next 3 weeks and want to make sure that the matter is "paid in full" and I won't have to go through this again. Do you know any way I can have anything done as a final accounting or something?

If he needs more money he will "find" another bill for the same time period and say that he just found another bill that I owe for. He will go to the magistrate again and we will go through the same process.

To top it all off the guy was an old friend of my husband's family and was our pastor too.

For at least the past year this guy has been charging more than one person for the same bills. They just pay him and go away. I have to live in the same neighborhood.

 

[screwed again 2]

Hi Again

I know it is stupid to reply to myself, but I am not really very computer literate. I got some help looking it up online. I took down the phone number and will try to contact them tomorrow.

Thanks Again

 

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still happening

I did as suggested and contacted the OAG. They told me that they are not interested and told me to call my district attorney. They told me that they cannot help me.
I called an attorney and was told basically that I have no rights to protect myself against this crook charging me again for someone else's bill.

 

[screwed again 2]

Since it would have cost me $1500 to fight a judgment of #777.87, I decided to pay the judgment.

Last week I contacted the magistrate's office to find out how to go about paying the judgment. I was told to go to the "contractor's" house and pay him. He would then bring the check to them and they would issue a receipt to me.

Today I paid the "contractor" for the judgment against me.

I called the magistrate's office to find out about my receipt. I was told that since I had not paid him in their office, they could do nothing. They denied telling me what they had told me last week.

They are now telling me that if he "finds" or runs up another bill (in his own name again) for materials, he can make me pay for it. All he has to do is take it to the magistrate and "prove" it.

The way he "proved" this case was to admit that it was someone else's bill. The magistrate "forgot" about him making that statement.
He decided in the "contractor's" favor because "he said you owe him the money."

This is how this magistrate operates. He makes the defendant do his job for him. Unfortunately, his current term lasts until 2012.

If this scenario should happen again, is it grounds for extortion or fraud or whatever?

Since I didn't trust any of them anyway, I had the "contractor" meet me at the County Commissioner's office to have a receipt from him notarized. I used the correct docket number and according to the notary had everything done correctly.

I now have a notarized receipt for the judgment in this case. I will aslo have a copy of my check containing the docket number and "Paid in Full".

I know that this whole matter sounds unbelievable.
If it had not happened to me, I would have thought it was a joke.

I was astounded to learn that I have no legal protection against this happening again.

 

[BL]

I did as suggested and contacted the OAG. They told me that they are not interested and told me to call my district attorney. They told me that they cannot help me.
I called an attorney and was told basically that I have no rights to protect myself against this crook charging me again for someone else's bill.

You called an attorney , not the District Attorney as the OAG advised .

If there's a next time he charges YOU for other materials not used FOR you , call the DA's Office .

Also, if this contractor is licensed ,find out the Licensing Agency and file a complaint .

 

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Thanks

I guess I forgot to mention that the District Attorney is related to this guy.