Well I intsalled 400sqft of 3 1/4" prefinished flooring in a bedroom and livingroom for a contractor that was in need and couldnt find anyone, so I needed the extra cash and installed it. I did it cheap for $2.00 sqft cause I needed Holiday money. From the beginning the guy was normal, had to wait a day for the initial deposit but everything seemed ok after that.

After completing the floor we did a walk thru and he said everything was looking good, I did all cut backs as instructed even though some were questionable, I advised him of them but he said he knew what he wanted.

After that he said he forgot his checkbook, I was like damn! He said he would call me the following day to catch up with me. I called him the following day and he stated that he was having trouble getting payment from the homeowner, due to him being outta the country, double damn!

Well, well, after about 3 days he called ad said there were "problems" with the job, there were damaged walls-holes and deep gashes, huge gaps in the flooring, and trasitions pieces werent done, also one of the cut backs wasnt long enough to cover the carpeting that was just installed.

As far as the carpeting, the carpet guy cut too far back, I ended the floor where he specified it, transitions were to be done by him, I just supplied the carpet tack, and I have some pics that show no gaps or damage to walls, but Id like some opinions from other pros, please let me know if you see anything wrong with these floors. Sorry the quality is bad but I had to take them with my Blackberry camera.

In one of the pics you can see a hand with a cigarette, thats the contractors hand, he was telling me how much he liked the floor at the time.

What some guys will do to skip out of paying for a service, Im out $800.00 now.
Ans he wants to take me to small claims court for the damage to walls, having someone come in an fix my "mistakes" and for lost revenue and mental anguish?

I hate days like this.
Heres the pics-



Please check out these pics and let me know what ya think.
Let me know what you guys do in these situations. I advertise on Craigs List and this guy has posted negative things about me, personal things too, wish I had the money for a lawyer for slander on this guy.
But he is very educated and well-spoken so when he writes its sounds so good,lol. He has written that Ive been in prison, dealt and do cookies, am a dead beat dad, and a thief. I wrote him about the personal things and that I would be getting a lawyer but the post was flagged, his other posts blasting me about the job is still up. So Im out my payment and I get run thru the ringers. I have contacted my insurance letting them know he was going to file a fraudulent claim and I had pics to back up my end.
What advise do you guys have?
Sorry for the long post I just had to vent and I dont know what else to so.

What do I think? I think the guy is an a$$hole, and never planned on paying you from the get go.

Do you have a signed contract?

Print out the posts on craigslist.....the ones where he is slandering you. They may help if you do in fact get a lawyer.

Don't show him the pics you do have. If he puts a hole a wall, and said you did it, it may be on a wall that's in one of the pics you have. That might be proof that you didn't do it.

That just plain sucks man.
Hope you get it worked out.

Man, its too bad that you ran into this guy, and had no time to check him out. Alarm bells always ring for me when someone calls out of the blue for a rush job, makes me wonder why his usual installer isnt available.
Anyway, you have my sympathy, but cannot tell you about legalities in the States. Up here I would be taking HIM to small claims court, and let him prove the deficiencies.

Send him a letter of intent, certified mail and go file a lien on the property, immediately!!

***opps

Seems like a lot of trouble to go through over $800.00. What an ass! Always, always, always, make out contracts the spell out the scope of the job. Keep copies of those slanderous posts he has made about you. If you have photos of the job after you were done that show no damage, that's good. I'd be contacting the homeowner as well, stating you are placing a mechanics lien on their home because their contractor didn't pay you. If they say it's a bad job, tell them you're liening the house and see them in court. Then file a small claims for the maximum in your state against the contractor and the homeowners. The contract amount + the balance for injury and loss of income do to untruthful and slanderous claims about you and your business. You'll win. Those that win in court have documentation/evidence to back them up.

I agree with Gary, take him (them) to court for the max allowable.
And save those photos, they show a properly installed floor with no damage evident.