It has taken me forever to get this claim filed against the guy who cheated me out of my money for doing my fencing here. Initially I kept thinking that I would get the rest of the money to get the job finished completely, so we waited (not knowing that he never intended to do the job in the first place......duh). Then I decided to ask him how much fencing he could do with the money I had already paid him....I wanted a written estimate so I could determine if I wanted to go ahead with that, or just get my money back. He said he left the estimate under the windshield wiper of my truck.....NOT!!!! Asked him for a copy & he never brought me one.

When I was looking for other less expensive horse fencing materials, he claimed that he had already purchased the wire horse fencing last fall. I got angry because he had never even provided me with the estimate that I had asked for......so I got fed up & told him I didn't want to bother, I just wanted my money back. Then he gave me a song & dance that they were requiring a restocking fee.....I called the company & No, that company (no matter where they are located doesn't charge a restocking fee). He claimed that it would take them 30-60 days to send out the refund check & that his lawyer had gotten them to not charge the restocking fee (I don't think so). I asked him what Tractor Supply he had purchased the fencing at & he said it was one in Cincinnati......interesting, I called Tractor Supply & they are not located in Cincinnati.......All the lies. Interesting as it seems that most of the people who have done work at my farm have cheated me & have used similar lies.

Think it's a high school course for people who don't know what to do in life.....Setting up your own business...lying & cheating 101.

I got the form to fill out a few months ago while I was trying to get other things done....just my luck, had it on my bed & one of my dogs laid on the form & stuck their nail through it. I had to go back to small claims & get several more forms that time. Felt silly asking for more, but managed to jokingly get out that my dog had torn up the other form. I can so understand where that excuse of the dog eating my homework came from...lol.

Anyway, I got the form all filled out. They only give you a few lines to put a whole lot of information about the case. I rewrote is so many times over the weekend before I finally got the right words in the right place to say the right thing. You know me & words....I can say a lot in a lot of words, but don't have the art of saying a lot in a little words....don't think I ever will enjoy that talent.

I went into the small claims place at the court house today. Come to find out, someone else has filed against him also. Doesn't surprise me. So, my court date to go up against him is August 13 (Just his luck, it's a friday...lol). They figure that he won't even bother to show up.....both of us are scheduled for that same day to let him have it.

He has his own business...not working for anyone, so he probably hasn't been working. He got divorced at the time I first had paid for the materials for the fencing (I was heading to California & he was supposed to be doing that while I was gone.....dumb idea). I think he got my money to pay his divorce lawyer.....that's stealing in my book.....getting money with the intentions of not using it for what it was intended for. He has the house up for sale.....so I am hoping to at least file a lien on the property if nothing else so I will at least get my money when the house sells (if not before).

Grrr, no wonder I hate hiring people to do things around my farm. Think there has only been one person out of 5 that hasn't cheated me badly here. I'm not stupid either, but have definitely been way too trusting.

Learned that I always purchase the materials.....they tell me what they need & I either go with them if they get a discount & pay for the materials, or go get them myself.

So still on my court filing list is the painter, won't bother with the guy who did the heat pump because he's judgment proof....but I will file many reports with other groups to give him as much grief as possible. I already have a person working on another situation that I got involved with to try & get the money back.

Sad thing is that even when you go to small claims, it doesn't guarantee you get your money...they give them a date & if the date passes, then you are allowed to go after them legally......right now, I'm that little dog that has grabbed him by the ankle I will not let go until I get my money back!!!!