Q: Sued for breach of contract with unlicensed contractor in Georgia.
I am being sued for breach of contract by a contractor, but there was no written contract, and the contractor is not licensed in Georgia. The dispute involves remodeling work for a property I own. I paid the contractor $125,000 based on a verbal agreement about the scope of work, which took place between July and August of 2021. The contractor filed the lawsuit in December of 2022. What are my legal options?
A:
The immediate answer to your question is to file an answer to preserve your legal defenses and avoid a default judgment. If you were served with the complaint, you are required to file an answer within 30 days, or the opposing party can file for a default judgment against you. There are limited exceptions to this, however it is imperative that you act quickly.
Depending on the circumstances, once the above has been addressed, you can file a counterclaim against the contractor, in addition to attacking the merit of his claims. More information regarding the circumstances are needed to make a fully informed decision, but in any event I recommend that you act quickly to retain an attorney who can assist you with filing an answer in the short term, and determining the best longer term plan of action in the case.
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