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Payment Disputes Questions

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Payment Disputes
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I am a home owner who paid an hourly laborer in full for all hours worked then told him I have no more work for him. His work was very shoddy, he padded his hours, took 5 smoke breaks an hour, was very pushy and even started to work on things I did not hire him to do. There is work to be completed, but due to budget I will be completing myself. And fixing all his screw ups. I paid him in full for all the hours he "worked". I do not have the money to pay him to do the rest of the work. So basically he has been laid off. He's now threatening a mechanic's lien. Can he do that?...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentAug 27, 2019
MaineMechanics LienPayment Disputes
I received a lien notice—never heard of the supplier. The main contractor was fired after 50% of demo was complete. The lien filer is not returning phone calls—I don’t even have a bill or know what they are claiming I owe. Do you have a form I can respond with?...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentAug 26, 2019
ColoradoMechanics LienPayment Disputes
We are a subcontractor typically hired by GCs in California. In the past, we haven't received our retention until the GC gets paid, which can sometimes be a year or longer after we finished our work. Is there any sort of deadline around when the GC is required to pay us our retention?...Read More
Anonymous Subcontractor
1 answerAdd commentAug 27, 2019
CaliforniaConstruction ContractPay When PaidPayment DisputesPrompt PaymentRetainageSlow Payment
I hired a fence guy to put a the fence around our commercial building since it is required by the county. The contractor hire a sub-contractor welder to put build the gate frame. The contractor did not pay his sub-contractor. The wood fence that we originally bid and pay deposit on was too heavy and have failed county inspection 2x so the fence contractor switch to chain link gate with privacy mesh. He did not tell me that this is now an extra charge. I just found out from the final bill. He removed the wood gate, replace it with chain link with privacy mesh, and that pass the inspection. I don't want to pay the fence contractor the balance for 2 reason. First, He did not pay his sub-contractor who is now threatening me that he will file a lien on my property. Second, he is charging me extra $550 for the chain link and privacy mesh. I agreed to the wood gate which is more expensive than chain link. Since he could not get the wood gate to work and he switched on chain link. I assume that contract the price remains and just switch material. Apparently, he said that is extra cost and he is now threatening to file a lien on property as well. He kept telling me to ignore his sub-contractor. What is the right thing to do? ...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentAug 26, 2019
FloridaLien PriorityMechanics LienPayment Disputes
We had some work done on our property and we paid the contractor once the work was completed on 7/23/19. His suppliers filed a prelim on the job, which we received a week after work was complete. I have reached out to the two suppliers to get unconditional final releases but they still have not received payment. ...Read More
Anonymous Subcontractor
1 answerAdd commentAug 19, 2019
CaliforniaPayment Disputes
A plumber started work on my home and never completed the job I paid 3200 dollars...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentAug 13, 2019
IllinoisPayment Disputes
After a flood in our church we asked a contractor to meet with the insurance adjuster and they reviewed the building together. We signed a $120,000.00 detailed contract complete with 30 pages of drawings defining the scope of the repairs. The contractor assured is that if anything was missed he would submit invoices for extras to the insurance company. We paid him 110,000.00 out of a depreciation check and the rest from savings the church had. Unfortunately we signed a contract that authorized direct payment to the contractor and a large final check went to him which included his extras BUT also our replacement costs. We only owed him 10,000.00 and we calculate he owes us at least 7000.00 to replace the money we took our of savings to pay him. When we brought this to his attention the insurance company asked him to explain and he responded with a convoluted invoice quoting Statement of loss numbers and other numbers with no clarification. We hadn't heard from him in 3 months so we requested AAA arbitration get involved so he is forced to explain how he was entitled to the full amount of the final insurance check. Now he has threatened a mechanics lien claiming we owe an additional $5000!...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentAug 1, 2019
IllinoisPayment DisputesRight to Lien
We built a new home and moved in Oct 30, 2018. On May 3, 2019, we receive a phone call from our roofing/siding subcontractor stating we will be a named defendant if we don’t pay a final invoice if approx $5000. This is on top of the agreed upon $30+k that we paid. They claimed that additional material and labor were ‘needed’ due to a change in scope of our project from the original contract. There was never a change to our project. In fact, in order for us to move in on time, we had to bring in others to complete work that wasn’t getting done. We would go days and weeks without hearing from them while they were supposed to be working on the project. In addition, our contractor used this roofer/slider on another project and they sent virtually the same invoice after the fact for ‘additional’ material and labor needed to complete the project. They were also threatened with a lawsuit if no payment was made. This sub came to us as a referral. Because it was a referral, they admitted that they did the project for cost and might have even lost $$ on it. We are pretty sure this extra invoice was their way of recovering some of the lost revenue/profit. What is our best course of action to counter or defend what we deem as a bait and switch situation? Thank you!...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentAug 1, 2019
MinnesotaLawsuitPayment Disputes
Two weeks after my upstairs bathroom project completed, my downstairs bathroom ceiling start leaking. We contact the same contractor who did our project. He came and check around the ceiling and told us that the leak was from the toilet in other bathroom (not the one he remodeled). So he said it was not his fault. He ask if we want him fix the leaking ceiling. I asked him how much will cost us ? He reply "it will be hourly rates, same rates as the bathroom project contract and it will takes about 2 days after the plumber fix the toilet upstairs." We agreed so he and his employee spend 1 hour and 45 minutes taking the ceiling apart . The plumbers came the next day for 55 minuses to fix the toilet. Two day later, the contractor texted me with his rate, his employee's rate and he charges travel time and 20% mark up. We figure it will cost over $4,000 to fix the ceiling, so we did not asking he to come back to complete the work. We hire someone else. A week later, we got an invoice for 3 hours each (contractor and his employee) and 2 hours of plumber plus 20% mark up. He never mention the travel time and 20% mark up until several days later via text and now he is threaten us that if we don't pay by certain day, he will file a lien again our property. Can the contractor just NOT communicate any such charges IN ADVANCE and bill the consumer later day ? Do the we have to pay ? Hope all make sense, please let me know if anything is not clear and please advise....Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentJul 31, 2019
CaliforniaMechanics LienPayment DisputesRight to Lien
I did a $22,000 project and I’m not getting paid and in and getting no response . It was for two homes that take care of disabled adults . It’s in California and the job was done the middle of May 2019. in California and the job was done middle of May 2019 What can I do to get their attention to get paid on this project...Read More
Anonymous Subcontractor
1 answerAdd commentJul 30, 2019
CaliforniaLawsuitLien DeadlinesMechanics LienPayment DisputesRight to Lien
I had built some handrail for a guy it took me three days to do I paid for all the material the consumables Paint & primer and I even delivered it to him he received the handrail then looked at me shook my hand and said I will have you paid tonight it was over a year ago that when it's happened and I just now found out about the mechanics lien deal I just need to know what can be done if anything can be done thank you...Read More
Anonymous Subcontractor
1 answerAdd commentJul 28, 2019
MissouriLawsuitMechanics LienPayment DisputesRight to Lien
Under duress I needed to remodel a small bathroom. Less than 300 sq feet. I paid for half the materials. Contractor refused to provide estimate. Or no contract was signed. What am I obligated to pay?...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentJul 25, 2019
MinnesotaConstruction ContractPayment Disputes
I am a new customer for Levelset and I appreciate your services. I wonder if its wise to settle for 50% of what I am asking for as well as how do I document that properly so in future it is not assumed that my total invoice is the one slashed 50%. Customer is asking for release letter based on a Pre Dated Check which I find very risky. What are your thoughts? Thanks...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentJul 16, 2019
IowaMechanics LienNotice of Intent to LienPayment DisputesRecovery Options
I have a subcontractor who has refused to complete his scope of work. He has notified a lien agent but has not filed a formal lien. Can I bond off his notice so the owner is no longer responcible ...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentJul 16, 2019
North CarolinaBonding Off LienMechanics LienPayment Disputes
I was working on a project in Illinois as a subcontractor. The GC is based in Missouri. I no longer work for the GC. He will not pay me for my final two weeks of employment. He is trying to change the agreement we had for the previous 6 weeks. He wants me to rewrite two invoices to show a lesser amount before he will pay me. He also wanted me to sign an unconditional lien waiver release before he would pay. I offered to sign a conditional release for the amount he is not disputing. Now he wants the invoices rewritten, and for me to sign a final conditional lien waiver release for the lesser amount. He sent me a Missouri release that does not list the jobsite address in Illinois. I'm not willing to sign any final release until I have received ALL the money he owes me. I think he is trying to bully me into signing early. The last day of work was June 14, 2019. He is violating the Illinois Prompt Payment Law. What should I do?e?...Read More
Anonymous Contractor
1 answerAdd commentJul 11, 2019
IllinoisMechanics LienNotice of Intent to LienPayment DisputesPrompt PaymentRecovery OptionsSlow Payment