This isn’t my situation, and rather that of a family friend, but I’m trying to figure out what can be done, if anything. For context, he works in construction and does so independently, so he’s been doing some work at an older lady’s home for quite some time now. From my knowledge, there was never any paperwork or anything of the like, but there is extensive documentation through pictures and videos of him working on this lady’s house. This project has been in the making for a while, and from what I know, she was never timely with her payments, which were all in cash. That being said, this friend has been there at her house almost every Saturday for some time, and from what I know she never complained about the work, etc. Now they’re close to finishing up the project, and she still owes him around $300 for his labor, but is refusing to pay on the grounds that “he didn’t do a good job.” Mind you, like I said, she never once complained or had any kind of communication about not being satisfied with his work before, so to me this sounds like she’s trying to cop out of paying for the last $300 she still owes him. He had to pay for his own supplies, etc. and like I said he dedicated a lot of time to this project, so I’m wondering what can be done. For reference, he’s undocumented, but his wife is a green card holder, so it seems to me like this lady is simply trying to take advantage of him. What legal recourse, if any, is there available for him? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Location: Texas
Comments
This is why mechanic leans are used
The correct legal action for him to take is to file a mechanics lien.
That might get a little complicated though if he is undocumented. If I were in his shoes I would threaten her with the mechanics lien. even though he may not be able to file one because of his immigration status, just the threat may be enough to get the lady to pay him.