Chicago, IL asked in Criminal Law, Civil Litigation and Construction Law for Missouri

Q: Would a County Prosecutor be the person to approach about a case of fraud?

A Contractor I hired to remodel my home merely covered ceilings with new drywall rather than removing damaged, molded tiles, insulation, & wood. He did the same with plywood on the floors. This was unknown to me until after I fired him & hired a new Contractor. The floors are now COVERED with thick, black mold. I have severe asthma and COPD~the reason for stripping the original materials to begin with. He proceeded to wreck my house by cutting holes a foot too large for some windows & leaving them open to the elements for 3 months, same w/a hole in the roof; deliberately inferior work that must be completely ripped out. He charged $14,900 in labor alone, perhaps another $10,000 or more in materials not apparent in the house.

1 Lawyer Answer
Ronald J. Eisenberg
Ronald J. Eisenberg
Answered
  • Chesterfield, MO
  • Licensed in Missouri

A: You could contact the Missouri Attorney General's office. If work was done poorly, as opposed to your money being taken and no work done, unfortunately that office is unlikely to go after the contractor on your behalf. You'd need to hire your own attorney to sue but before doing so you need to assess whether a judgment against the contractor would be collectible.

I'm sorry that you got ripped off.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.