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I just did an odd job painting kitchen cabinets, and the owner thinks I did a bad job. Can she sue me?

She never paid me anything to do it, and I had to buy all my own supplies. She might not let me return to her house to finish the job. I feel like it was a trap. To worsen the situation, she says her husband is a police officer, so that gives her legal advantage to sue me and my parents for money. I don't have any money and a lot of debt and bills actually. Could someone help and point me in the right direction? FYI she hasn't let me finish painting. (I've only started stripping the paint, and she calls me up crying that I destoyed her beautiful kitchen.) I only took this odd job to make ends meet at the end of the month. She wanted to pay me just $8 an hour originally, but I haven't seen any of that money yet, and now she wants me to pay. FYI (everybody) I'm 20 years old. Thanks for all the quick responses! She left a message on my voice mail that says someone must pay for this. She mayh hire a professionial, and she wants to know the names of my parents.

Public Comments

  1. Are you 16? Never mind, that should not matter because at $8 you're no professional. Painters make three times that and she knows it. In addition, you did not take a deposit, and you probably did not write a contract, or do an estimate neither, with the exception of quoting her $8 for the hourly. Any Judge will laugh at her, she should of known better, whether you're 30 or 16, that is minimum wage in my state. Her husband is likely planning to do 45 minutes worth up touch up work for a completed kitchen and you will be out. Put it in a letter that you require payment up to now or the opportunity to finish the job, find out your jurisdiction's time limits and base your letter off those.
  2. don't freak out about it. first of all, you didnt mention how old you are, and that is a very important piece of info. secondly, what could she sue you for? she hasn't paid you for any of the work, or the materials/supplies, and she didn't even let you actually finish the work. Have you explained to her that you aren't done yet, and she'll probably love it once you actually get to the painting? I know when we had to paint, the furniture looked awful after we stripped the old paint off. Sounds to me like she just used you for free labor and is now trying to get out of it. No court would rule in her favor. Hell, you should sue her for emotional distress, your labor, cost of materials, slander, whatever you could throw at her.
  3. 3 Words! Small claims court. Sue her!