Okay I am in the state of Texas, and the deck total cost was $5500 and I paid him $3000,

Question

the secnd day he was building the deck @ my home I told him it was wrong and I was dissatisfied, and he wanted to charge me more to change it, I said no, and paid him for the work he did, and now he says he wants it all....but he never finished the job....can he really put a lien on my home?

Answer 1

depends...did you sign some sort or contract that specified the work that he was going to do??

Answer 2

He can try, on the other hand, you could could sue for not finishing it.  The real question is, when you say it was wrong, do you mean that you changed your mind and made changes to the design or did he not build the deck the way you contacted for.  If number 2, then you need to report him to the Better Business Bureau and see what the limits are for your local small claims court.

My guess would be that if you paid a lawyer $100 to write a letter to him on letterhead saying that if he continued you will file a countersuit, he may just go away.

Answer 3

Explain to the guy that he's not allowed to take the total cost because that's what he's supposed to get in exchange for a finished deck. But it's not finished so he can't have any. If you can't work it out with him, then it's best to take it to court. If anything, you will get some money back. Be sure to keep any contracts you two have together.