contractor is threatening to take me to court

[Marc Shin]

I've been working with a contractor on some renovations and they are threatening to take me to court.  We do not have any signed contracts in place.  What we have is a good spreadsheet with a list of tasks, and as they perform the tasks, I've been paying him via Zelle.  I did not pay him the final amount (less that $2K) because he did not finish the job according to my satisfaction.  Can he really take me to court when we do not have any contract in place?   I live out of state from my property. What should I do?

[Bruce Woodruff]

Quote from @Stuart Udis:

Can't you come together and figure out a solution where he returns and addresses your concerns and collects the $2K? Also, looking at the bigger picture, if this remains contentious, good luck getting him to come back to address any warrantable repairs etc. At the end of the day don't let pride get in the way of making the right business decision and that's a mistake real estate investors often make. 

All good answers above, but here's a great answer ^^^^. Even if the guy is a jerk, he can still finish up for far less money than anyone else. And understand this - he may threaten you with court/liens, but he doesn't want to go that route any more than you do. It's time, money and stress for everyone involved.

Can you visit the jobsite one time and have a face-to-face meeting where you pay him $1000 and sign a note that guarantees he will recieve the final $1000 after completion? So much easier!

And you now know this, but never, ever, neglect to have a firm contract and SOW in place again. They exist for a reason....