# Have any dopers been swindled/screwed by a contractor? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dopers-been-swindled-screwed-by-a-contractor/622721 "2012-05-22T15:36:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dopers-been-swindled-screwed-by-a-contractor/622721/1 "2012-05-22T15:36:48Z")
Hi all! I am looking for stories of times where you’ve hired a contractor to do work at your home when rebuilding a basement or roofing, painting, flooring anything…you name it. I think that, unfortunately, this happens way more often than we wish it would and I’m trying to get in touch with people who actually have had it happen to them. Have any of you housing-dopers gotten screwed over by a contractor?? Thanks a bundle! Cups ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dopers-been-swindled-screwed-by-a-contractor/622721/2 "2012-05-22T19:47:08Z")
Not personally, but pull up a chair and lemme tell you what happened to [my neighbor](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=321670)… ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dopers-been-swindled-screwed-by-a-contractor/622721/3 "2012-05-22T20:31:38Z")
Oh wow Hal that’s crazy. Do you think your neighbor would be interested in sharing her story for me? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dopers-been-swindled-screwed-by-a-contractor/622721/4 "2012-05-22T20:50:37Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Oh wow Hal that’s crazy. > > Do you think your neighbor would be interested in sharing her story for me? Hard to say…that was three moves ago. But, my former in-laws still live close by there, so I can always see if June still lives there when I’m dropping my daughter off at some point. Since I’m sure it’ll be her first question, what’re you looking to do with these stories? ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dopers-been-swindled-screwed-by-a-contractor/622721/5 "2012-05-22T21:14:08Z")
My parents bought a pre-Revolution Georgian country home, hoping to retire permanently in it. The renovation contractor went through about half my Dad’s retirement nest egg before he was told to stop work and leave the property. He sued my parents for breach, and the jury returned a verdict in my parents favor in about 30 minutes. Turns out the asshole was pulling shit like renting a drop cord from himself and charging enough money to buy literally 3 miles worth of new drop cord. The house was liveable but lacked certain amenities like heat and A/C. My parents could not afford to keep it up, and eventually sold it for maybe what they spent plus some of the interest. Fortunately my grandparents’ old house was available cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dopers-been-swindled-screwed-by-a-contractor/622721/6 "2012-05-23T00:39:08Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Hard to say…that was three moves ago. But, my former in-laws still live close by there, so I can always see if June still lives there when I’m dropping my daughter off at some point. > > Since I’m sure it’ll be her first question, what’re you looking to do with these stories? I have a website literally called “my contractor ran off with my money” (.com) and it’s just starting and I’m trying to find people to start populating it. Basically a place to bitch and complain over the jerk who swindled you and give advice to people who don’t want it to happen to them