The first-ever criminal wage theft case was filed against a Houston homeowner after he allegedly refused to pay a self-employed independent contractor in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
The homeowner has been charged with theft of service for not paying a man $2,300 for painting his house in a residence appraised by the county at $1.5 million. The charge is a misdemeanor, and if convicted, he faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
The homeowner agreed to pay the contractor $3,000 and wrote him a $500 deposit to cover the supplies. However, the check bounced, according to authorities.
After doing $2,300 worth of painting, the homeowner asked for more work to be done but said he wanted it included in the original price. When the contractor refused to do the extra work without more compensation, the homeowner told him to leave.
As a defense to the case filed against him, the homeowner said he has an estimate for the cost to repair damages to his home caused by these individuals. He did not ‘bounce’ a check. Bank records indicate that the check was returned because it appeared to be altered or fictitious.
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