Small claims trick that saved me $500 on a contractor dispute

I had a contractor bail on a deck job halfway through and wanted my deposit back. The lawyer I talked to wanted $200 an hour just to send a letter. I filed a small claims notice myself using the online portal and suddenly the guy called me back within 2 days. Turns out most contractors will settle fast when they see a court date because they don't want the paper trail. Has anyone else had luck just threatening small claims on their own?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_clark19d agoMost Upvoted

Oh this is so true, my friend had almost the exact same thing happen with a shady landscaper who took $400 for a patio and never showed up. She filed the small claims papers herself (super easy, just filled out a form and paid like $35 at the courthouse), and the guy actually showed up at her door two days later with cash in hand. He even apologized and said he didn't want it on his record because he was trying to get licensed for bigger commercial jobs, which I thought was hilarious since he was already scamming people.

oliver_mitchell19d ago

You know what, I used to be one of those people who thought small claims court was a waste of time... like you'd never actually see the money. But hearing stories like this really changed my mind. It's crazy how fast these scammers fold when they realize there's actually a paper trail and a legal case against them. Your friend's landscaper probably figured it was easier to just pay up than deal with the headache of a judgment on his record. Plus $35 to file is way cheaper than losing $400, so it's a no brainer really. I guess the lesson is don't let people push you around just because they think you won't follow through.

river_scott19d ago

Wait, @nina_clark is that for real?