What evidence do I need to sue a licensed handyman?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What evidence do I need to sue a licensed handyman?
I saved my emails in which I hired this man to install base boards in my hallway, as well as moving my light switches in my bedroom that was blocking by my new headboard. He did a bad job on the light switch. It’s a 3-way switch meaning there’s an on/off switch and then next to that is an on/off switch with a dimmer. All he was doing was moving the switches about 5 inches higher. I paid him $85 for 2 hours of labor. It’s not much but it’s about the principal. I can’t get the on/off switch to work properly. It worked fine before he messed it up.
Asked on December 23, 2014 under Business Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
If you have your testimony that the switch does not work after the contractor installed it, that testimony could be enough to show that the work was unprofessionally negligent (careless) or breached the contract (by not doing the work he was paid to do). However, all you could recover would be either what you paid him ($85) or, if you have someone fix the switch, the cost to fix. It is not likely that legal action would be worthwhile.
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.