Contractor scaring me with contractor’s’ lien

[Peter Kozlowski]

Hey all,

I hired this contractor to do some balcony work on my property. I paid him 50% of the final price as agreed in our contract for the completion of 50% of the work. 

However, it turns out the work was of low quality upon closer inspection (he pressured me to pay him immediately after the work was done because he ‘had somewhere to be’ - my mistake to acquiesce), so when he texted me to ask about coming back and finishing the work, I told him I didn’t want him to return to finish the job. I told him I didn’t like his impatient attitude when I was inspecting his work and the quality of his work was ultimately unacceptable as grounds for my letting him go.

Whereupon he insists I still owe him $75 because he actually completed more than 50% of the work the first time around. I told him politely that I will not be paying him that money. 

He then told me he will be filing a contractor’s lien against my property for his ‘missing wages.’ I told him to go ahead, as I will be disputing everything he says that cannot be substantiated by evidence. 

My question to you all is: Can he actually successfully do this if I, the homeowner, dispute his claims and he doesn’t have the evidence to do so? My first thought was of course not, but then again I don’t have the experience many of you do in real estate, so I might be missing something. 

Any help would be mightily appreciated!