BryanBillau

I have also been in business for nearly forty years, and I can relate to what the guy is doing in the video. The problem is, of course, that he is breaking the law, which is rather one sided in these matters. The materials that you provide in the construction process, once fitted, become the property owners property. So if you destroy them, you are guilty of criminal damage.

So now the contractor has two problems, or should I say three. He has the original one of non payment, plus he now has a criminal record to go with it. Further, he will almost certainly be told by a judge to reinstate the building.

Here comes the fourth problem: He will now have to pay for the reinstatement! Then he can start to sue for reimbursement for the original contract. Then there is another problem: The homeowner can now sue for damages, and so it will go on.

If the builder wants to open an account with a merchant to purchase the materials to do the job, that merchant would require all sorts of references and limits on how much he can get. So the same should apply when the builder does a job for someone. If the potential customer has a problem with answering your searching questions, then potentially you will have a problem with getting paid. So walk away, is the simple answer. Personally, I always get some money up front, as a good will gesture, even if I know the person. After all, trust has to be on both sides.

The truth is, I don't believe the video was a non payment issue anyway. I think that the guy is working on his own house, and has had the planners on his back over something, and been told to take the porch down. But that is just my guess. Although, you would have expected him to move his own car, so I might be wrong.

Looks like he did a tidy job though, both up and down.