Small Claims Court is Worthless, but not Mama!

[Lookingglassman]

I paid a loser $450 to do some work on my home and he never did the work. From Oct to Dec he kept telling me he was going to return my money and never did.

I filed a lawsuit against him and we went to court where he agreed to pay me back my money on a certain date. Of course this loser didn't show up, thus violating a court order.

I called the court and they pretty much told me there is nothing they could do so I took it higher - to his mother.

I wrote her a letter pretty much telling her that her son is a thief and how he has lied over and over again about returning my money and even lied to the court.

Well his mother sent me the money and an apology letter. I should have wrote her instead of wasting $83 bucks filing the lawsuit against him in court.

 

[Kestra]

The problem with a "solution" like this is that there is a good chance the money came out of her pocket, not his. And that she's ashamed and he might not care.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

The problem with a "solution" like this is that there is a good chance the money came out of her pocket, not his. And that she's ashamed and he might not care.

Most likely.

 

[Lookingglassman]

She also called me and told me she didn't know anything about what he did, that he kept it a secret from her. This loser is 42 years old and still lives with her and he has a daughter. She owns a cleaning service and he works for her and from what I understand she will be taking this money from his paycheck.

 

[scotpens]

This loser is 42 years old and still lives with her and he has a daughter. She owns a cleaning service and he works for her and from what I understand she will be taking this money from his paycheck.

If that’s true, then bravo for her. Never underestimate the power of a mother!

 

[Trekker4747]

I paid a loser $450 to do some work on my home and he never did the work. From Oct to Dec he kept telling me he was going to return my money and never did.

I filed a lawsuit against him and we went to court where he agreed to pay me back my money on a certain date. Of course this loser didn't show up, thus violating a court order.

I called the court and they pretty much told me there is nothing they could do so I took it higher - to his mother.

I wrote her a letter pretty much telling her that her son is a thief and how he has lied over and over again about returning my money and even lied to the court.

Well his mother sent me the money and an apology letter. I should have wrote her instead of wasting $83 bucks filing the lawsuit against him in court.

Way to feel good about taking money from an octogenarian living on Social Security.

I don't buy that there was nothing he court could do to get the money for you I'm sure if you pushed things you could garnish his wages or get him arrested for contempt of court or something along those lines.

But, yeah, feel good about taking probably two week's worth of money away from an old-woman living on the scraps of her dead husband's life-insurance policy.

 

[Captain Ice]

^There you go making an assumption and failing to read the rest of the thread. Look again. She's not just his mother, she's his employer.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Several years ago a man turned up on my doorstep demanding the money my son, who was then about 25 years old, owed him. My son didn't live with me and I told the man this and he said he didn't care and if I didn't pay him he would see that I was sorry that I had raised such a dishonest son. This man, who was about 6 foot tall compared to my 5ft 3 in really scared me so I ended up giving him $50 to get rid of him.

I told one of my neighbours about it and he and his friend went around to the man's house and got my $50 back.

 

[Trekker4747]

^There you go making an assumption and failing to read the rest of the thread. Look again. She's not just his mother, she's his employer.

But did he know that when he sent the initial letter to her to demand his money back? That it all ended up okay in the end (so he claims) is irrelevant to the fact that, apparently, when he didn't get his money from the guy he had the grievance with his first course of action (other than stronger legal pressure) was to harass an old woman.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I would be quite annoyed if I got such a letter. My adult son's bills are no concern of mine.

If my son came to me and asked for financial help I might give it if I thought he would benefit from such help but it isn't up to me to pay his bills when contacted by people he owes money to.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I've sued two people this year, they are the only two people i've ever sued. According to my court, I can use several ways to collect money from them. Also, I have no time limit to collect. So I have my entire life to get money from both parties. Even if I don't get the money, I have the satifaction of winning my case. Both guys were roomates of mine and owed back rent plus bills. I gave them every chance to pay me back and they still wouldn't. It costs $20.00 to file the paper work, so no big loss there. Both of thjier credit is fucked and was fucked before I met them. They have a lot of collection agencies after them, so one way or another they will pay, so i'm not worried about it. Instant Karma will get them, that's all I care about.

 

[Kestra]

She also called me and told me she didn't know anything about what he did, that he kept it a secret from her. This loser is 42 years old and still lives with her and he has a daughter. She owns a cleaning service and he works for her and from what I understand she will be taking this money from his paycheck.

I hope it doesn't still end up messing her up though. I mean if he's living with her, chances are she's still giving him financial support.

 

[***]

But did he know that when he sent the initial letter to her to demand his money back? That it all ended up okay in the end (so he claims) is irrelevant to the fact that, apparently, when he didn't get his money from the guy he had the grievance with his first course of action (other than stronger legal pressure) was to harass an old woman.

She's his mother. Maybe if she'd raised him better he wouldn't have swindled the OP.

 

[Miss Chicken]

But did he know that when he sent the initial letter to her to demand his money back? That it all ended up okay in the end (so he claims) is irrelevant to the fact that, apparently, when he didn't get his money from the guy he had the grievance with his first course of action (other than stronger legal pressure) was to harass an old woman.

She's his mother. Maybe if she'd raised him better he wouldn't have swindled the OP.

He is 42, even if he was badly raised he has had more than 20 years as an adult to correct his unbringing. If he was raised properly he has had more than 20 years to un-learn all the good things his parents taught him.

 

[Amaris]

But did he know that when he sent the initial letter to her to demand his money back? That it all ended up okay in the end (so he claims) is irrelevant to the fact that, apparently, when he didn't get his money from the guy he had the grievance with his first course of action (other than stronger legal pressure) was to harass an old woman.

She's his mother. Maybe if she'd raised him better he wouldn't have swindled the OP.

He is a full grown adult. She is not responsible for his behavior. You have made an erroneous assumption, and have also judged this woman without knowing anything about her. You know, personal responsibility is important.

 

[***]

He is a full grown adult. She is not responsible for his behavior. You have made an erroneous assumption, and have also judged this woman without knowing anything about her. You know, personal responsibility is important.

She's his mother, employer and landlord. She's still treating him like a child, and I see no problem with the OP looking to her for restitution.

 

[Amaris]

He is a full grown adult. She is not responsible for his behavior. You have made an erroneous assumption, and have also judged this woman without knowing anything about her. You know, personal responsibility is important.

She's his mother, employer and landlord. She's still treating him like a child, and I see no problem with the OP looking to her for restitution.

I have no problem with it either. I'm just saying that him being an irresponsible adult doesn't mean she was a bad mother when he was still a child.

 

[ALF]

Paying half now, half when the job is done... not a bad policy to have.

 

[Amaris]

Paying half now, half when the job is done... not a bad policy to have.

It's how I run my computer business. Half now based on the estimate, half when the job is done. If the estimate is higher than the actual price, customer gets the difference. If the estimate is lower than the actual price, I eat the difference, because it's my job to get it right the first time.