u/letmequestionyouthis

Location: Florida, U.S.

I will try to keep the history short:

• January 2026: Received quote for construction at my residence. Signed contract and paid 50% deposit.
• February, March, April 2026: partial work completed (demolition) of screen room, sporadic (3-4) visits doing 'some' work for less than an hour.
• Somewhat consistent communication from contractor such as "I'll be there next week to finish" "I had an issue with XYZ" etc etc. Promising to be here but not showing up.
• Have not heard anything from him in the past 2-3 weeks.

I found that he has several pending and final judgements against him for doing the exact same thing under the exact same scope of work and excuses. Also has lengthy criminal history.

My question is: What do I need to do now to build a paper trail of doing my own diligence in trying to get a refund before I file for small claims or try to pursue other legal action? Would it be prudent to text/ask for a refund. Do i go straight to sending certified demand letter? Something else?