What Should I Do In A Dispute With A Home Builder Or Contractor?

We’ve seen a lot of instances in Ohio where a contractor did not finish their work or did a substandard job. In some cases, the contractor has been paid in full for their incomplete or shoddy work. In other cases, if the contractor has not been paid in full, they may be threatening to file a mechanic’s lien or take other legal action unless they’re paid. This puts the poor homeowner in a difficult situation, especially if the contractor demands payment before the work is done.

Home contractor dispute attorneys in Ohio 

Kohl & Cook Law Firm, LLC helps homeowners across Ohio with contractor and home builder disputes. An attorney can help you resolve the matter, hopefully without a lawsuit. If a contractor has filed a mechanic’s lien on your property, then you’ll definitely want to reach out to our law firm to discuss options for removing the lien. Our attorneys help homeowners in Columbus and Dayton file lawsuits against contractors and builders to recover money for incomplete or substandard work or go after the contractor for damages.

What are my options for resolving a dispute with a contractor? 

The first question that we ask is whether or not the homeowner’s relationship with the contractor has deteriorated to the point where the contractor is no longer allowed on the property. When the contractor does a bad job, no homeowner is going to trust the contractor to finish the job. At that point, you’re left dealing with the question of how much the contractor was paid and how much their work is actually worth. If you paid more for the work than it was worth, then you’ve definitely got a claim for damages against the contractor. You should get a written estimate from another (competent) contractor describing the ways in which the first contractor botched the job and itemizing the cost to fix those issues.

You will want to get an attorney involved in the matter as soon as you reach a stalemate with the contractor and no more work is getting done. At that point, an attorney can review the contracts and estimates, the pictures of the work done thus far, and contact the contractor demanding a solution that reflects the homeowner’s goals. If such a solution cannot be worked out amicably, then the next step would be to file a lawsuit against the contractor.

Should I file a lawsuit against my contractor? 

First, a Columbus consumer attorney will try to work things out with the contractor without filing a lawsuit. If that does not work, and there is significant money at stake, you may have no choice but to file a lawsuit. Kohl & Cook Law Firm, LLC can help you leverage the contractor into completing the work or reimbursing you for the work they did not complete. Call our office today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your next steps right away.