House Painter Sued for Doing Amateur Job? | Part 3
That would mean that you got your whole house painted for nothing. Because at the end of 18 days, according to the defendant, he got a call from the Realtor. Is that right? >> Indeed. >> Judge Judy: The end of 18 days, and the Realtor said… >> My work was amateur, and he's got videos, and all we were discussing was the ceiling. We're not even talking about the exterior work that I did.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second. But that was after 18 days? >> That was after 13 days. >> Judge Judy: 13 days. During that 13-day period, did anybody come into the house to look at your work? >> They were there pretty much the whole time. >> No, actually we weren't. We moved out of the house. We only came during the day.
>> For three days. >> Judge Judy: What? >> For three days. >> We were gone for 13 days. We stayed at my mother-in-law's house. >> They slept there. >> We came home every day — >> Judge Judy: Just a second. All I want to know is if somebody eyeballed what he was doing… >> Every day. >> Judge Judy: …at least four, five times. >> Absolutely. >> Mr. Mason was there every day. >> Judge Judy: "Absolutely." Did you — Just a second. Did you, during that time, say, "This is not good." >> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: When? >> The very first time we came up on a deadline — >> Judge Judy: No, so, first time — First time. Forget the first time. What happened the second, third, fourth time? >> He kept saying, "I'm going to fix it. I'm going to fix it." >> Judge Judy: Okay. Miss Mason, let me tell you something. You're not getting your house done for free. You got your house done, so far, for less money than the two estimates that you had of $6,300.
For less. >> And then I had to spend $1,500 for a retainer because he found out I was selling the home and sent a threatening letter. >> Judge Judy: I would've done the exact same thing to you. >> I already knew you were selling the home before I started. >> Judge Judy: I would've done the exact same thing to you. >> I had to send a rebuttal letter because his lien was not valid. >> Judge Judy: I would've put mechanic's lien on your house. >> I tried to. >> Judge Judy: Shh. I would have put a mechanic's lien on your house. That's exactly what I would've done. And that's what he did. He said, "I'm going to put a mechanic's lien for the rest of the money that you owe me." It's not right what you did, and suing him — >> It's not right what I did? >> Judge Judy: Just a second.
Yeah. It's not right what you did. >> I was not going to pay for this work. >> Judge Judy: Fine. >> If you want to see the photos of the work — >> I got them. >> Nobody would pay for that. >> Judge Judy: Listen to me. I don't want to see the photos of the work. I want you to know that you got this full job for less money than your estimate, because, unless this Jimmy works for nothing, he gave you an estimate to, according to you, redo everything that he had done… >> He repaired the — >> Judge Judy: Just a — [ Bangs gavel ] Redo everything that he had done for $3,000, which is less than half of the estimate that you got from two other reputable contractors that you didn't hire because they were too expensive. That's what it would mean. It would mean that Jimmy charged you half to redo all of this poor work that he did — 'cause he had to go back and redo everything.
And he did all of that, according to you, for half of what the original estimate that you got from two other contractors. You want me to believe that? >> Judge Judy: I believe that you paid him some, and that your Realtor came in and said, "You know, this work is really not great. I wouldn't pay him the rest. Get somebody else to finish it." >> No, he asked him to come finish it. >> Judge Judy: Hmm? >> No, he did not ask me — >> He asked him to come finish it. We have the text messages to prove that we asked him to come fix it, and he said no. >> Judge Judy: Just a second. Did you refuse to — [ Litigants argue indistinctly ] That goes — Just a second.
That goes to his counterclaim. Because he's got a counterclaim. So if you have a message where he refused to finish the work, then I'm going to dismiss his counterclaim. >> I do. >> Judge Judy: I'd like to see it. >> I got the text messages if you want them from my phone. >> Judge Judy: Yeah. Sure. >> There's text messages between him and my husband, and text messages between him and my Realtor. >> Yep. With your husband saying he was cool with everything. >> Judge Judy: Shh. Shh. >> My husband did not say he was cool. >> Judge Judy: Sh-sh-sh! Okay. Well, you did say — I'm sorry, sir. He said to you, "You need to complete the work if you want to be paid." >> Correct. >> Judge Judy: And then you went on back and forth. Somebody called you an amateur. It offended you. And her husband said to you, "You didn't answer my question." And you then responded, "As of this moment, no, I am not returning to work.
You will be served in the morning." So your counterclaim is dismissed. >> Okay. Well, the work was already done. >> Judge Judy: Your counterclaim is dismissed. >> Okay. >> Judge Judy: Okay. We're done. You have no case against him, Miss Mason. We're done. >> Byrd: Parties are excused. You may step out.
>> Probably about four days in when he said his crew quit. >> They didn't really quit. I just asked them not to be back because the work that they did, I had to go back in and redo. >> He really didn't have an explanation, but he did say that he had had complaints in the past about their work. >> I mean, it was minor, some brush strokes, so on and so forth. >> And he was going to have to redo some of their work, so he told them to leave. >> And I just went ahead and did it. I had to suck it up. I did a lot of free work around the house. >> It was the quality of the work. >> All I was doing was trying to keep them from getting ripped off.
