Imagine hearing a knock on the door and finding out a contractor has come to take payment to fix your roof. The problem is that you didn’t request any repairs, and he fixed the roof without your consent. Can the handyman collect payment for the supposed repairs?

This was the situation depicted in a viral video circulating the internet. The clip shows a contractor telling the homeowner that he came to patch the roof earlier that day. Why? The man explained that someone had contacted him to repair that address.

The homeowner was stunned as he never requested any modifications. Regardless, the contractor was persistent about whether the house owed him money or if he might “rip a hole in the roof.”

The situation raised many questions, as contractors can legally collect their pay shortly after completing the job.

Ugo Lord Give His Expert Opinion

Fortunately, Ugo Lord came to clear the air and reveal the legal approach to this situation. The Tiktok attorney first points out the homeowner’s first question – “why?” – this indicates that he had no idea that there was work done on his property.

He continues that even if the handyman spent time and money fixing the roof, he has no legal holding on the property if he doesn’t have permission to do so. Therefore, he cannot force the homeowner to pay for a service they never asked for and had no idea about.

But what about his threat to “rip a hole in the roof”? Mr. Lord explains that this handyman cannot return to the road and remove the repairs, even if it was a mistake.

Therefore, Attorney Ugo Lord concludes that this homeowner does not have to pay up, nor can the handyman remove the repairs.

What The Law Says About Fixtures

A fixture is any modification stuck or “fixed” somewhere, like the plumbing fixtures in your bathroom or roof repairs. According to the law, any construction done to the property that is attached to the property is now part of the building.

If the contractor removed this fixture without the owner’s consent, the law will consider it “destruction of property” or “vandalism,” which is illegal in all states. Therefore, the contractor will face severe legal backlash for trying to reverse the changes.

It’s worth mentioning that the penal code defines the crime of vandalism as maliciously damaging, destroying, or defacing someone else’s property. So how will he get his money for the job?

Get His Money For The Repairs

The homeowner doesn’t need to pay for the unauthorized work since they did not request the repairs or consent. Therefore, the handyman has no legal basis to collect payment for the job.

However, the handyman claimed someone commissioned him to work on the house. Therefore, he may have to contact the person who gave him the job details. If he can reach them, he can request his money or take the case to court if they refuse to pay for providing the wrong address.

Unfortunately, taking the case to court will be tricky if the contractor can’t reach the person. The jury may call the handyman negligent since he didn’t take as much information from his client as possible.

Ultimately, in this scenario, the handyman may not have a legal avenue to collect his money due to the unfortunate nature of the job.

Conclusion – It’s A Scam!

While the situation raised legal questions, others quickly pointed out that it was a scam. One viewer from Dr. Lord’s comment section said, “Dude’s a scammer. Call the cops immediately.”

The comment section claims that the man made no repairs but tried to extort money by threatening to put a hole in the roof. This intimidation tactic may cause the homeowner to cave in and give the amount or something close to the fee.

While this is possible, there’s no evidence to claim it’s factual. Nevertheless, consulting a lawyer for advice on such issues makes sense.