Cleveland, OH asked in Consumer Law, Contracts and Construction Law for Ohio

Q: How long can a contractor take to bill me?

Had roof done on 5/5/22. City inspector found out they didn't have permit. They apparently have an issue with getting the permit and still do not have it. This has been over a year now. I have the money waiting to pay them and am of course willing to pay them if they ever get their legal issue figured out(Getting the permit was part of the contract). I'm just wondering how long this can drag on for or if they only had a certain amount of time to bill me.

1 Lawyer Answer
Nicholas P. Weiss
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Answered
  • Consumer Law Lawyer
  • Cleveland Heights, OH
  • Licensed in Ohio

A: They can bill you whenever. If there was a written contract then they have six years from the last date of work performed to bring a claim against you for non-payment.

If they were required to get a permit, and didn't, then you have a strong claim under Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act to rescind the transaction or obtain damages against the contractor as an offset for the total contract price.

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