onefrostykat
Member
Alabama
I contracted with a professional fabricator to do work on my classic vehicle. I asked him his shop rate initially and he was evasive, saying he billed by the project and couldn't give me a cost until he got into the job a bit.
This went on for 7 months until I finally just picked up the car. He hit me with a ridiculous invoice for $3,333.00 even though I had already paid him over $4400.00. I wrote a check planning to sue him for the money.
Towing the car home the all new rear end ($2000.00) locked up causing $2100.00 in damages. It was because he had put no fluids in the rear end...which he admitted at the time and now denies. At the time he said he'd fix it...now denies making such a statement.
Then, over the next few days I discovered just how bad/unsafe his workmanship was. Qualified expert witnesse will attest to this in court. The repairs cost me $2500.00.
Feeling that all this amounted to Just Cause, I placed a stop on my $3,333.00 check.
I have a damage claim for $4,600.00 but I am suing him for $3,000. as that is the amount most I can get back in small claims.
Here's my question. He hired an attorney and is trying to intimidate me with a flood of legal paperwork. He filed a counter-claim accusing me of Breach of Contract, Fraud and Libel (I posted a warning on an internet automotive site). His attorney has just sent me a 10 page Motion to Allow Discovery and Requests for Production. They basically want me to provide all the materials to make their case and tell them what every one of my expert witnesses will say.
Shouldn't THEY be the ones stating the grounds on which they made these accusations...and shouldn't this be a simple process not requiring me to know law.
I thought that's what Small Claims was supposed to do.
I need some guidance. Thanks for any help.
I contracted with a professional fabricator to do work on my classic vehicle. I asked him his shop rate initially and he was evasive, saying he billed by the project and couldn't give me a cost until he got into the job a bit.
This went on for 7 months until I finally just picked up the car. He hit me with a ridiculous invoice for $3,333.00 even though I had already paid him over $4400.00. I wrote a check planning to sue him for the money.
Towing the car home the all new rear end ($2000.00) locked up causing $2100.00 in damages. It was because he had put no fluids in the rear end...which he admitted at the time and now denies. At the time he said he'd fix it...now denies making such a statement.
Then, over the next few days I discovered just how bad/unsafe his workmanship was. Qualified expert witnesse will attest to this in court. The repairs cost me $2500.00.
Feeling that all this amounted to Just Cause, I placed a stop on my $3,333.00 check.
I have a damage claim for $4,600.00 but I am suing him for $3,000. as that is the amount most I can get back in small claims.
Here's my question. He hired an attorney and is trying to intimidate me with a flood of legal paperwork. He filed a counter-claim accusing me of Breach of Contract, Fraud and Libel (I posted a warning on an internet automotive site). His attorney has just sent me a 10 page Motion to Allow Discovery and Requests for Production. They basically want me to provide all the materials to make their case and tell them what every one of my expert witnesses will say.
Shouldn't THEY be the ones stating the grounds on which they made these accusations...and shouldn't this be a simple process not requiring me to know law.
I thought that's what Small Claims was supposed to do.
I need some guidance. Thanks for any help.