I hired a number of contractors for remodeling who were on
prison work release.  A number of them were pleasant and easy to
work with.  The problem was that at the tail end of the relationship,
they often would try to con you or blame you for things that happened
to them outside your control.

I was employing a contractor ( Mike ) who was out on day.  I thought  
he was
great and I hated his wife and kid who both seemed psycho to me.  They  
would
bring him lunch.  One day he was working on the second side of my duplex
which is located less that 30 feet from the other side.  A sheriff  
came to
check up on him and since he was not at the address he put on his form,
the sheriff wrote him up ( penalized him ).  He was less than 30 feet  
from
the "correct" address.  The sheriff was abusive toward me as well and
suggested that I should not contract with Mike.
Mike told me that he was very happy he could get out every day and work
instead of sitting in prison.  When my budget was emptied, I told him  
that
that was the end. He said he wanted to come every day anyway just to get
out of jail.
Duh   ( this has happened to me before )
           ----  two weeks   ----
He came to me two weeks later and asked me why I wasn't paying him.
I told him that we had not arrangement for him to get paid anymore.
He disappeared for 9 months.
             ----- 9 months -----
Then he reappeared one day.
"Remember me ? ", he said.
"yeah, how ya doin" I said
"I have been in jail for 9 months"
"What   ...... What happened ?" sayeth I
"I was in jail for 9 months because of you... It is your fault " , he  
responded.
He continued....."My wife and daughter were homeless, I lost my truck,  
it was
towed away.
Because you did not pay me !"
( I should mention that Mike had told me that the jail charged him  
rent and
if it was not paid, he lost his 'privilege' to go out on work release. )
I speaketh " I do not owe you money and get off my property"

After some %$##* by me and some ^#@@$*&^  by Mike , Mike finally
walked off.  As he left ,  he turned and shouted " I will screw you  
over, you
bitch.  I  know things that will get you in trouble. "
I shouted back, " Mess with me and you will regret it"
( Definitely a bluff on my part )

Imagine my surprise when 15 minutes later I heard someone in my  
backyard.
I presumed that it was a returned Mike.
NOPE  IT WAS A POLICEMAN
"Are you Gus ?" he said.  I admitted I was.
"Mike says you threatened to shoot him "
I laughed.  I told him my version of the story.
He said, " I can tell you are lying"
"How can you tell ??? "
"By your hesitations .... "   "I think you owe Mike some money"
"How did you arrive at that conclusion ?"
" I am a student of human nature  ..... right now I can tell you are  
bursting
to say bad things about Mike and start yelling"
"Actually  .....  I would rather this thing did not escalate"
" Good idea on your part , although I do not believe you.  I am not  
going
to write you or Mike a ticket today"
Then the good officer left.

I hope this is the end of it.






-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist