Smalltimecontractor
01-25-2009, 09:51 PM
I am a electrical contractor in California, and a new client of mine a national service company out of new jersey asked me to do a job where I would do 4 hours work in 20 locations throughout the state for 1000 per location. I recieved 20 work orders and part of the agreement is to access each site and take 8 photo's per site before work would begin. AFter a 1000 mile 3 day trip with $ 600+ in expenses i uploaded the photos to their website and they were very happy I was able to pull it off on such short notice. Three days later and a ten days before said work was expected to start they said that everything is ready and I had to start in four days. I told them I had another commitment and I needed the money from it to pay for all the out of pocket expenses I would endure on the two week triip his job would take, but i said I could do it but I would need=at least 10% deposit and more once work had started. They guy told me that he would see but he doubted that it was possible, he'd get back to me. In the meantime I secured the 7000 I would need at a cost of 1000 bucks, I called him to tell him it was fine and he said they found another contractor do the work. I was a little upset at this point I have almost 2000 invested, and a lot of time. All I have for records are 20 work orders, a lot of emails, all the documents and password to enter there website, phone records of calls, but no contract from me with a signature. I did submit to them when I did other jobs that my mininium was 125 no matter what, So after all this crap is there any recourse if I send him a bill for 2500, I would not make a penny just recover my costs. Or would I have to go to Jersey to go to small claims court?