BootsieMom
Junior Member
Massachusetts
Story in a nutshell: Hired landscaper last March - based on a 6K estimate. He was nearly 7 weeks late in starting his work and I decided to consider some minor changes mainly changing the location of a patio by 20 feet and having him start seeding a different are of lawn. I asked him to show me some new numbers if I did a little more lawn and a larger patio. But we would not act on anything until I saw the numbers.
After nearly a week, he showed up at my property and said "I was really up there!" I sensed badness on the way and he claimed my minor changes resulted in a new estimate of 21K (I'm a business woman and travel a lot overseas and was doing so at the time).
I stopped him from working and asked him to leave and take his equipment until he could explain the 15K variance. He could not. Never has. He left and left his equipment for a week or so. I hired another contractor and given it was June, needed to have the remaining lawn sodded. The lawn he installed and hyroseeded was devasted by the remants of a hurricane..though he says he repaired it, it grew in poorly and will now need to be redone.
Two months later he sent me a bill for 1900 (in addition to the 3K I had given him). On this bill are charges for days he did not work, use of his backhoe when it wasn't on the property. Charges for things I never asked him to do etc. I refused to pay - as he was less than 1/2 finished with the work. I did not hear from him until a week ago, I received a summons to small claim court.
I have written a response to the court and it contains all of the details. Any suggestions? Should I respond or countersue? Should I leave out the detail and wait for court?
The work he did needs to be redone and he left much of the work undone. I really feel he probably owes me money and I don't think I owe him a penny...especially when I know he is lying.
Help?
Story in a nutshell: Hired landscaper last March - based on a 6K estimate. He was nearly 7 weeks late in starting his work and I decided to consider some minor changes mainly changing the location of a patio by 20 feet and having him start seeding a different are of lawn. I asked him to show me some new numbers if I did a little more lawn and a larger patio. But we would not act on anything until I saw the numbers.
After nearly a week, he showed up at my property and said "I was really up there!" I sensed badness on the way and he claimed my minor changes resulted in a new estimate of 21K (I'm a business woman and travel a lot overseas and was doing so at the time).
I stopped him from working and asked him to leave and take his equipment until he could explain the 15K variance. He could not. Never has. He left and left his equipment for a week or so. I hired another contractor and given it was June, needed to have the remaining lawn sodded. The lawn he installed and hyroseeded was devasted by the remants of a hurricane..though he says he repaired it, it grew in poorly and will now need to be redone.
Two months later he sent me a bill for 1900 (in addition to the 3K I had given him). On this bill are charges for days he did not work, use of his backhoe when it wasn't on the property. Charges for things I never asked him to do etc. I refused to pay - as he was less than 1/2 finished with the work. I did not hear from him until a week ago, I received a summons to small claim court.
I have written a response to the court and it contains all of the details. Any suggestions? Should I respond or countersue? Should I leave out the detail and wait for court?
The work he did needs to be redone and he left much of the work undone. I really feel he probably owes me money and I don't think I owe him a penny...especially when I know he is lying.
Help?
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