Small claims. Get a judgment. Ask the judge for a hearing on assets. You'll find out where he banks in the hearing on assets. Send garnishment to his banks. These should just be forms at the court. Be friendly and the clerk should help.

Do not hire a lawyer.

If the contractor doesn't show for the hearing on assets, ask for a warrant.

At least that's how it works here.

Well he claimed last week to be in WV, that was the Saturday he was suppose to meet me and start installing cabinets. The said he’d be home Saturday and contact me at 9:00 and just refund my money, so for 7 months I don’t believe he did anything but he says he has them he’ll just resell them. Of course today he says he’s still stuck in WV, told him I’d drive there for my $$. Nah, unfortunately a warrant out for him is as worthless as a small claim win, they don’t carry it out, I have to hope a prosecutor will get involved?

Took an uninsured dope head to court. Wanted my $500 deductible from my uninsured motorist insurance. Took six months to get a sheriff to serve the girl with papers. Finally, I got my money but I had to do all the work.

Well just a short update, I let him know I was gonna file a police report when they open this morning at 8:30, then go to the prosecutors office on Wednesday to hope they take the case
and go that route because sometimes they will for repeat offenders which I just found out he is. Got a text at 6:00 this morning from him letting me know he got paid for the job he was doing in WV
and when the check (he claims over $10,000) clears in 5-7 days he'll have my money. I think he's just buying time but who knows what to do at this point.

Go to the police. Might have to sue. If he whines remind him how lucky he is you didn’t go upside his head with a trap by the chain. You already know his word is no good. Why believe anything he says?

I helped a fellow trim carpenter trim a house and he stiffed me for $800.00. I gave him a month to pay and even offered to let him make monthly payments (I didn't need the $$, just a matter of principle). After a month of no payment I filed against him in small claims court. He didn't show up and the judgment was in my favor. The Judge told me to get a transcript of the judgement ($5.00) and I gave it to my attorney with a copy of one of his older checks. Having the guy's bank routing number and his account number the attorney liened the bank account and froze his $$. A week later my attorney called me and gave me the money that I was owed from the guy.

I am a very understanding person, some people fall on hard times. But when it's obvious the I am being robbed, I know how to use the system.

Sorry for your troubles. I can see how it would happen. Ive been in the cabinet business a long time and never once have we taken a client’s deposit and not come thru on the origonal agreement. We get 50 percent down and prefer not to get it too far in advance of starting but sometimes people want to make sure they are on your schedule and hand you a check months in advance. Most people including myself are very trusting. I’ve given big deposit checks to small contractors working on my house without checking them out thoroughly. Unfortunately there is scum out there. Good luck

Yeh its a two way street, I just contracted with another guy and of course he wants 50% down. I get it, its a two way street, he told me he has gotten 1/2 down and delivered and installed
cabinets before and didn't get the remaining 1/2. So we both have risk I guess, not sure I would walk out of a house without the rest unless he got a bad check?? Which is another joke
on our legal system (bad checks nothing happens)! Anyway, nice guys finish last, my wife says I'm a Dick when I should be nice and nice when I should be a Dick?