Ok. First, I apologize for the ramble, but I have to give the whole picture. Second..please don't tell me how dumb this was.. I'm quite aware of it from where I am, but right now I need a solution. I know how I got myself into this.. My trusting stupid **$$ self.
Here goes:
Last season, I had Pearl Grey Marine repair my little 8hp. Did a great job, no complaints. Since I had been there a few times, I was chatting with a young man who works there as I saw him doing some fabrication work etc.
I mentioned I would love to have a hydraulic crane on my boat but it's too expensive. In passing, he mentioned that he could build one with no problem at less than 1/4 of the price of a new one and John, the owner seemed to be fine with it, as per my conversation with him. ok.
I contacted him by phone in late Feb 07' and made arrangements for him to come to the boat for an estimate in mid March. He came down to the boat, priced it out, chatted about options etc. He was very sincere, respectful and cordial. He gave me a price of "up to" $2,000. He said it would be able to lift with the winch.. upwards of 1500lbs. So, with that, we agreed on it, shook hands and he had a deal. He calls me 2 days later and explains about the materials he'll need etc and he doesn't have front money for it. He asks me for $600 to get it started. I agreed. He got the money and gave me a reciept. Calls me a week later and says, the piece he got was not galvanized and wouldn't hold up blah blah..and he has to get a guy to weld the base piece and the guy is holding him up etc. Not knowing how much anything of this nature costs, he requests another $600for parts, jacks, etc. He showed up promptly for the money.. I gave it to him, with a reciept. (Keep in mind, this whole time as the weeks were going by, I was still trusting what he was telling me up until 4 weeks ago)
My bad.
PS...He has a total of $1500 of mine, and every week he calls me with a different idiot excuse. It's been crazy at work, I dropped my cell phone in the water and you have to call my girlfriends cell blah, blah.(it was cut off for non payment) Last weekend when he called, I said to him very calmly, Ralph I am getting impatient and I don't think your the kind of guy to intentionally screw anyone (NOT!.. just trying to grease this schmuck since he has my $$) but this is almost 2 months now. He immediately went from 0-60mph and starts yelling at me.. YOU THINK I WOULD SCREW YOU, YOU THINK I'M DOING THIS ON PURPOSE, BLAH BLAH BLAH. USING EXPLETIVES I MAY ADD)I wanted to calm him down because he has my money and the job wasn't even started. Everything he has told me was a complete unadulterated lie. From listening to him, I have learned alot about him. He is a pathological liar, unreliable, irresponsible, and he has money, time and anger management issues and God knows whatelse lurking in his closet. Plus...I noticed everytime he showed up in his broken down car, his girlfriend was driving. My assumption is he had his license lifted. This man is a true con artist. He only addresses me as "sweetheart". I asked him 6 times, do not call me that. He thinks because I was a "nice woman" and tried to nurture the relationship that he found another moron to latch on to. The money I gave him was long spent on God knows what, but he keeps complaining he "isn't making anything on this job". As of Sunday (today), he hasn't called with any excuse, but I have been at the boat all weekend and he was no where in sight.It has been 2 months since that handshake. The money, I know I will never see it again. The job most likely wont' get done, because if I have to take him to small claims court, he'll say.. screw it. This dirt bag took me for a ride and I am feeling very revengeful at this moment. I only know he works at Pearl Grey Marine in Amityville, other than that.. I have no idea who he is.
I know.. I know. I'm a trusting idiot.
It's going to get ugly really fast and I want to just be prepared for him.
Any advice?
Here goes:
Last season, I had Pearl Grey Marine repair my little 8hp. Did a great job, no complaints. Since I had been there a few times, I was chatting with a young man who works there as I saw him doing some fabrication work etc.
I mentioned I would love to have a hydraulic crane on my boat but it's too expensive. In passing, he mentioned that he could build one with no problem at less than 1/4 of the price of a new one and John, the owner seemed to be fine with it, as per my conversation with him. ok.
I contacted him by phone in late Feb 07' and made arrangements for him to come to the boat for an estimate in mid March. He came down to the boat, priced it out, chatted about options etc. He was very sincere, respectful and cordial. He gave me a price of "up to" $2,000. He said it would be able to lift with the winch.. upwards of 1500lbs. So, with that, we agreed on it, shook hands and he had a deal. He calls me 2 days later and explains about the materials he'll need etc and he doesn't have front money for it. He asks me for $600 to get it started. I agreed. He got the money and gave me a reciept. Calls me a week later and says, the piece he got was not galvanized and wouldn't hold up blah blah..and he has to get a guy to weld the base piece and the guy is holding him up etc. Not knowing how much anything of this nature costs, he requests another $600for parts, jacks, etc. He showed up promptly for the money.. I gave it to him, with a reciept. (Keep in mind, this whole time as the weeks were going by, I was still trusting what he was telling me up until 4 weeks ago)
My bad.
PS...He has a total of $1500 of mine, and every week he calls me with a different idiot excuse. It's been crazy at work, I dropped my cell phone in the water and you have to call my girlfriends cell blah, blah.(it was cut off for non payment) Last weekend when he called, I said to him very calmly, Ralph I am getting impatient and I don't think your the kind of guy to intentionally screw anyone (NOT!.. just trying to grease this schmuck since he has my $$) but this is almost 2 months now. He immediately went from 0-60mph and starts yelling at me.. YOU THINK I WOULD SCREW YOU, YOU THINK I'M DOING THIS ON PURPOSE, BLAH BLAH BLAH. USING EXPLETIVES I MAY ADD)I wanted to calm him down because he has my money and the job wasn't even started. Everything he has told me was a complete unadulterated lie. From listening to him, I have learned alot about him. He is a pathological liar, unreliable, irresponsible, and he has money, time and anger management issues and God knows whatelse lurking in his closet. Plus...I noticed everytime he showed up in his broken down car, his girlfriend was driving. My assumption is he had his license lifted. This man is a true con artist. He only addresses me as "sweetheart". I asked him 6 times, do not call me that. He thinks because I was a "nice woman" and tried to nurture the relationship that he found another moron to latch on to. The money I gave him was long spent on God knows what, but he keeps complaining he "isn't making anything on this job". As of Sunday (today), he hasn't called with any excuse, but I have been at the boat all weekend and he was no where in sight.It has been 2 months since that handshake. The money, I know I will never see it again. The job most likely wont' get done, because if I have to take him to small claims court, he'll say.. screw it. This dirt bag took me for a ride and I am feeling very revengeful at this moment. I only know he works at Pearl Grey Marine in Amityville, other than that.. I have no idea who he is.
I know.. I know. I'm a trusting idiot.
It's going to get ugly really fast and I want to just be prepared for him.
Any advice?
(((