Collecting from a scammer contractor

[Lenny Markus]

I hired a contractor and paid $6k upfront three years ago. He never did any work and disappeared. I later found out he’s been scamming people for years and has prior felony convictions. I took him to small claims court and received a default judgment in my favor. I then sent the judgment to a collections agency, they contacted him several times, he told them to stop calling. They said they can’t continue because it is considered a "cease-and-desist" and they could be exposed to harassment claims if continued.

Has anyone successfully collected on a judgment in a situation like this? What methods or legal processes actually worked for you? This guy clearly knows how to exploit the system.

[Allan Smith]

First of all, another collection agency might not be as much of a wuss about it. 

But the more important point here is you’ve taken this way farther than most people do so pat yourself on the back and consider it a payment into your education. From now on, vet contractors with a stringent system before advancing any money unless it’s for materials onsite or completed labor. 

This dude doesn’t have your money anymore anyway. It’s been spent.