It makes me so angry when I read that this happens!  My husband is a very fine, licensed contractor.  His ethics are unquestionable and his work is high quality.  He's been known (only to me!) to quietly cut people a break and take less for some things because he wants to make it work for a good homeowner.  People like the unscrupulous character you describe give the whole home construction and repair industry a big black eye.  Thank you for pointing out the importance of checking qualifications and hiring on godd recommendations.  Your state contractors board is a valuable resource for how to hire. 

Thanks for this post, Todd.  It is a great public service.

You know this is a sad thing that happens to people all the time. They hire someone to do work for them and get the raw end of the deal. It is a few bad eggs that give people bad names and this is a prefect example of that. Thanks for the post!

No one should ever trust anyone they don't know, especially with that large amount of money. You have to do your research and have terms in place for you, not the other person. When will people stop being so nice.

unfortunately i hear this story over & over again. it is terrible. to many people just dont have a conscience.

Todd, I would think it is almost common sense to not pay for all the work until it is done. But you know what they say? Common sense aint so common.