Most times, when a consumer suffers as a result of informal or "under-the-table" hiring arrangements with a contractor, the matter never goes to court. Legal action is expensive and, if there is no written contract, it's the customer's word against the contractor's.

As well, many consumers are simply too embarrassed to seek legal recourse when they realize they acted unwisely, so they simply accept their financial losses and move on. In many cases, they will end up paying another contractor to complete the work properly.

In a minority of instances, significant lawsuits do take place, and the courts are asked to decide matters.

The record shows that, in these cases, consumers who hire someone without a written contract don't always get the verdict they hope for.

This section presents selected court case summaries that illustrate what has happened to consumers who didn't Get it in Writing!

Note: All names have been changed. If you wish to obtain the full court judgement, contact the court listed at the end of each case summary and refer to the case numbers indicated.

Case One: Two brothers, seeking to evade taxes and defraud Workers' Compensation through under-the-table arrangements, find the court unsympathetic when things go wrong.

Case Two: A homeowner with no written contract ends up paying $15,000 more than expected after hiring a friend to build his home.

Case Three: A homeowner who fails to comply with lien holdback requirements has to pay for $5,000 worth of building materials he already paid his contractor for.

Case Four: A couple claims they lost $70,000 paid "under-the-table" for a cottage that was never built. The court is unsympathetic.

Case Five: Consumers are forced by the court to pay twice what they claim was agreed to in a verbal agreement with their contractor. The final bill was $45,000 more than they expected.