I felt stupid... Scammed by an asphalt guy...

Bobb said:
Is there any chance of a miscommunication on his side, that he told his people to look at it and they misunderstood?

Only a fcking moron (Hi Legion!) would tell you to run out right away and get a lawyer. That would cost you money and time, with little chance of recovery. I'd call a legitimate company and have them come out and give an estimate to finish the job. And, then decide what to next.

Look at the bright side, the scammer is already out of time and money, if you haven't given him anything. File a BBB complaint. Give him a 1 star review.
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No way, he was there the whole time, a general... not a miscommunication he really was just going to keep going no matter what I was saying. It was surreal.
 
cawacko said:
Did he actually fix the TV? Ever hear any neighbors comment/complain about the guy coming to their house?
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No, I think he actually made it a little worse. I could tell he didn't know wtf he was doing, but since all he did was fiddle with a couple of adjustment knobs on the back of the set (it was a late 60's/early 70's TV) I figured he couldn't do much harm. I re-fiddled with them and got it back to where it was.

And no, none of the neighbors that I know of ever had any problems and he was never seen (by me) again. I've wondered if maybe our house was targeted for some reason.
 
In my state you have to sign a legal agreement before any work can be done! I bet your state requires a contract as well.

So, if you didn't sign anything- YOU GOT YOURSELF A FREE DRIVEWAY THERE PAL!
 
Damocles said:
So, I called somebody to come and give me an estimate of what it would cost to fix up my driveway, he got all into what he could do and I told him I just need to know how much it will cost to do these things... He says he'll get his folks and look at it.

Suddenly I hear equipment, he's begun work paving an area he was all excited about but I hadn't given any permission for... So I went out and he shows up suddenly, some work already done... and stupidly I let him continue.

I hadn't had an estimate, but somehow felt obligated. He was giving me a "smoking deal"...

I went out again and asked how much this is all going to cost me and suddenly they were "nearly done" and asked an exorbitant amount of money, and started threatening to sue. At that point I finally listened to what my gut was screaming at me and told him it looks like you'll have to. Then I inspected the work, it was not "done" so there is no way he was entitled to any of my money, let alone over 3 times what it should have cost.

His "agreement" that he gave me noted a specific amount of "inches" it should be... not even close. He didn't finish to the end of the driveway, it was just beyond a joke. It will likely cost me more to fix than the "work" he did was worth, it has negative worth...

GAAAAAH.

How could I fall for this idiocy? I fell so frickin' stupid. Seriously.
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SOme of them are super aggressive, especially if they are not licensed they have to hustle you A S A P..

Two years ago my fence blew down & I was getting quotes & a work buddy gave me a name~ I goggled it & saw were he was living..

He can't speak much English & I tell him I am getting more estimates, as is my neighbor who I share the fence w/... I ask him the price & where he lives-different..

Four hours later his "son" is calling to come over & pick up the cash to buy the wood :laugh:, I say no, "but you can come w/ us to buy the wood"...... I finally hung up on him..
 
A sales strategy, often used by car dealerships, is to include in the bill things you didn't ask for, and only mention them in passing as the seller is having you sign a stack of documents. If you're not paying attention or are afraid to speak up, you're stuck paying for something you might not have wanted. This sounds like a variant of that, do the work and count on the victim paying, even though the victim didn't ask for the work to be done. A lot of people will pay, as they needed the work done in the first place, feel guilty about getting something without paying, and feel intimidated into paying.
 
Damocles said:
So, I called somebody to come and give me an estimate of what it would cost to fix up my driveway, he got all into what he could do and I told him I just need to know how much it will cost to do these things... He says he'll get his folks and look at it.

Suddenly I hear equipment, he's begun work paving an area he was all excited about but I hadn't given any permission for... So I went out and he shows up suddenly, some work already done... and stupidly I let him continue.

I hadn't had an estimate, but somehow felt obligated. He was giving me a "smoking deal"...

I went out again and asked how much this is all going to cost me and suddenly they were "nearly done" and asked an exorbitant amount of money, and started threatening to sue. At that point I finally listened to what my gut was screaming at me and told him it looks like you'll have to. Then I inspected the work, it was not "done" so there is no way he was entitled to any of my money, let alone over 3 times what it should have cost.

His "agreement" that he gave me noted a specific amount of "inches" it should be... not even close. He didn't finish to the end of the driveway, it was just beyond a joke. It will likely cost me more to fix than the "work" he did was worth, it has negative worth...

GAAAAAH.

How could I fall for this idiocy? I fell so frickin' stupid. Seriously.
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Sounds like you live in New York. :laugh:

By allowing him to continue to work on your driveway, in a sense, you made a contract. Had you insisted he stop immediately, there would be no contract. Yes, a little naive.
 
Truth Detector said:
A contract does not need to be in writing. :rolleyes:
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That depends!

Statute of Frauds Limitations to Verbal Contracts

In order to avoid defrauding citizens, the Statute of Frauds also requires certain contracts to be made only in writing.

Texas Business and Commerce Code mandates that the following contracts must always be made in writing:

Making a trust or will
Guarantee, surety, or any other contract to take up the duty of another
Marriage, except for the one done in common law
Sale and other contracts involving land or real estate
Contracts lasting for a period of longer than one year from the time of agreement
Sale of goods where the price is greater than $500
Sale of securities
A promise made by an executor to settle the debt of his testator from his own estate
A promise to be answerable for the debt or default of another person
An agreement where marriage or conjugal соhаbitаtiоn is the consideration
Real estate lease for more than one year
An agreement to pay commission on sale or purchase of oil or gas royalty, oil or gas mining lease, or minerals
An agreement or warranty of cure made by a health care provider (including physicians but excluding pharmacists) pertaining to medical care or its effectiveness
 
Geeko Sportivo said:
That depends!

Statute of Frauds Limitations to Verbal Contracts

In order to avoid defrauding citizens, the Statute of Frauds also requires certain contracts to be made only in writing.

Texas Business and Commerce Code mandates that the following contracts must always be made in writing:

Making a trust or will
Guarantee, surety, or any other contract to take up the duty of another
Marriage, except for the one done in common law
Sale and other contracts involving land or real estate
Contracts lasting for a period of longer than one year from the time of agreement
Sale of goods where the price is greater than $500
Sale of securities
A promise made by an executor to settle the debt of his testator from his own estate
A promise to be answerable for the debt or default of another person
An agreement where marriage or conjugal соhаbitаtiоn is the consideration
Real estate lease for more than one year
An agreement to pay commission on sale or purchase of oil or gas royalty, oil or gas mining lease, or minerals
An agreement or warranty of cure made by a health care provider (including physicians but excluding pharmacists) pertaining to medical care or its effectiveness
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Did you see asphalt repairs in that list? :palm:
 
PostmodernProphet said:
obviously I am not familiar with Colorado law, but in Michigan a construction lien remains on a property for a maximum of two years and if the contractor does not file a suit to collect on it, it simply evaporates.....
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Mechanic's liens in Colorado:

After a lien is recorded, it is valid for only 6 months. A contractor must file for the lien’s foreclosure/enforcement within that time frame, or risk forfeiting their lien rights.

There are limitations to a mechanics lien, and contractors can run into problems if the Notice of Intent is not properly served. If a contractor is unable to follow legal procedure when filing a mechanic’s lien, not only can the request be denied, the contractor can be ordered to pay for the property owner’s legal fees

https://proctorbrant.com/understand...do-how-to-use-them-to-protect-your-interests/
 
A mechanic's lien is something I was worried about. I do have an attorney that can help me if they file one, and I know the County Clerk and he can inform me if somebody files a lien on my property. I do not think they had a license to operate in Elbert County, and it is something that is required for them to be able to legally file such a lien...

The lien holder has to actually act on the issue in 6 months and I don't think this guy is going to hang around these parts that long, but it is still something I thought about.
 
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