Getting scammed by a contractor in Georgia

[David Grant]

Hey guys,

Unfortunately I have given a lot of money to a contractor (more than 2/3 of total rehab cost) to an unlicensed contractor (he deceived us that he was licensed). He claims he has spent the money and unable to start work unless we give him more. We don't trust him and told him to just give us our funds back. When we did, he quoted a ridiculous quote. The amount he owes us is in the range of $40K - $60k. We are early in our careers so this is a lot of money for us.

I am wondering if you have any advice, this is for a project in Atlanta. It seems a bit ridiculous there aren't better consumer protections but after talking to a few attorneys, it seems like that is the case with Georgia law.

I am wondering if the BP community may have a better perspective as the attorneys are incentivized for us to take them on.

Much appreciated!

[Mitch Messer]

Hi @David Grant. I hate hearing stories like yours; Sadly, this is the third one I come across just for this one week!

Do you have a signed agreement with this contractor? Also, how did you pay him (check, cash, credit card)?

For petty disputes, hiring an attorney is generally not the way to go. However, if you're out $40-60K, it's time to haul out the big guns and get the law involved!

I'm not an attorney, but I've hired more than my share in Georgia. I'm happy to refer some great ones to you. Just connect with me here on BP!