Did Work on truck, owner will not pay me

[mustang54]

My husband did some mechanical work on a friend's truck last week. He said he needed a water pump installed. My husband told him it would be $60.00 labor. The guy (John) supplied the part. After the job was completed the guy came by and picked up the truck and said he would pay him the next day. After several phone calls, and voicemails the guy still has not paid. We found out from a few other mutual friends that he told them he never had any plans on paying my husband as he thinks my husband owed him. A few months ago he sold his girlfriends car to my husband for $1,000 because it needed alot of body work and did not want to fix it. It needed about $500.00 worth of work, nothing major. My husband sold the car for $2,000 ($500 profit) to another friend. Turns out that John found out that we sold the car and made $500 profit and now thinks that he should share in that profit and expects the waterpump install to be free!!! Any recourse on getting this money?? After calling a few people, my husband found out that John owes people alot of money, and never pays anyone. Plus- my husband got him the positon at his job, because he heard he was looking for a job and went into his boss and said that he knows of a good person for the job. So not only is he ungrateful - he also doesn't pay his bills. My husband is fuming -

 

[army judge]

Let it go.

Billy screwed your hubby.

You can sue in small claims, but the filing fee (in most states) approximates $100.

Just let it go.

It's $60 lousy bucks.

I'd also steer clear of that deadbeat.

Some people get killed over 60 cents!

 

[mustang54]

Army Judge -- thanks so much for the advice. As it stands right now - a friend of ours who works with this deadbeat and is alot bigger in size, knew of the situation and was very mad - he went up to him this morning at work and said pay the $60.00 bucks or you will have to deal with me! The guy called my husband and said he was sending someone else over to drop off the money at noon, but then around noon HE showed up and threw the money at my husband, he said to my husband, that's it? My husband said to him - yeah - have a nice life and walked away from the car. We also thanked his friend for helping out. I know what you mean that people have gotten killed over 60 cents, and sometimes it is not worth it - I am just glad that we have friends that look out for us and took the initiative to speak up, most people would just walk away. The moral of the story, don't give the keys unless you get paid. Thans again