What to do if I hired a contractor who completed about 95% of the job for which I owe him money but we haven’t had any contact or close to a year?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if I hired a contractor who completed about 95% of the job for which I owe him money but we haven’t had any contact or close to a year?
I rebuilt my home after a fire. The contractor nearly completed the job. There was a minor dispute about some of the charges. He hasn’t contacted me in any way (mail, email, phone) in approximately 10 months. How long do I have to wait before I can assume he isn’t coming back for his money?
Asked on March 30, 2012 under Business Law, New York
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The contractor would seek the money under a contract theory--that whether the contract was oral or written, there was an agreement to pay him for the work he did. In New York, the statute of limitations, or time to file and initiate a lawsuit, for breach of contract is six years; that means that the contractor has to six years to take legal action for his money.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.