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Four months working off a handshake agreement finally bit me
Did a big storm cleanup for a property management company in Ohio last spring. Verbal deal, no contract, just a "yeah we'll square up when you're done." $4,800 worth of work clearing 14 downed oaks across three rental houses. Come billing time, the guy who hired me had quit and the new manager said they had no record of the job. Took me three months and a threatening letter from a lawyer buddy to collect $3,200. Never again. Has anyone else had a handshake deal blow up like that?
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oliviabutler3mo ago
Did your buddy ever get stiffed himself on a handshake job? I had a friend who did fire damage cleanup for a small landlord, same deal just a nod and a promise. The landlord ended up selling the building mid project and the new owner refused to pay because he never agreed to anything. My friend spent six months chasing $6,000 and finally settled for $2,500 just to make it stop. That was eight years ago and he still won't even give a quote without a signed paper. Some people just can't be trusted when the money gets real.
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angelamurphy3mo ago
Oh man, that is brutal. I've been that guy who let a "buddy from a buddy" talk me into cleaning out a flooded basement for just a handshake and a promise of cash. Turns out the guy thought "basement" meant a finished rec room and not a muddy pit that smelled like a swamp monster died in it. @brooke_murray I'm with you, verbal deals are just a recipe for getting a headache and an empty wallet. I'm not saying I'd trust a signed paper with my ex-wife's lawyer, but at least it gives you something to cry over when things go sideways.
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