Keith, I understand. Remember , I did not have to pay him to get my gun back, but elected to pay extra for him to finish the work at our new agreed date. If you will, some years ago , I hired a contractor to do a deck for me in Chatham on the Cape. He was highly recommended and average price. He did the job, the hard stuff like cement bolsters and good wood , but time went by and he failed to show up for the planking...the last stage. I finally track him down , I ask him what has he done with part of the down payment. $800... I said let me have it back. He says he spent it. So now , with a week to go before the 4th of July I am in a spot.what to do? Throw him off my property, hire another deck contractor, and sue the guy? He is judgement proof, no money. So, my mind is racing. I said, " ok, I will go with you to the lumber store and buy the remaining wood......and....I will pay you another $300 to finish the job in the next couple days. He agrees, we get the lumber together because , I was not going to trust him to get it...we go back and he starts finishing the job....and shows up the next day too...because he has $300 to get. We finish the work, the deck is ready for the forth, I did not have to hire another contractor, I did not have to sue him and know I get nothing. No new contractor to say, " oh, I got to tear all this down and start from scratch" . So for the pain of the extra $400 for lumber and the " incentive" of $300 I avoid some thousands with a new contractor, getting it done ...maybe in September, and not have to spend money to sue the guy....and get nothing anyway. So, sometimes, as you did, you pay the guy to get the colt IN your hands. Pissed as you were...you had the colt....and we both learned some lessons....pay a bit more now instead of a ton later. Just a simple Business decision looking at the economies involved. Sometimes it works , sometimes not.
Last edited by Condor; 03/25/15 05:08 PM.
