General Contractor Billing Dispute
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General Contractor Billing Dispute
We are nearing the end of a remodeling project and have been reviewing the general contractors invoices. I have promptly paid all but the most recent invoices, but noticed a duplicate invoice. It is an exact duplicate and was paid along with the original. The GC claims that their billing is incremental and each invoice can include adjustments. This is clearly not the case with the duplicate bill, but the GC will not acknowledge it. We are in North Carolina and the State licensing board does not provide a dispute resolution service. What is my best option?
Asked on August 29, 2018 under Business Law, North Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
If you can't work it out with the GC, your only real option is to refuse to pay. If they are not willing to let it go, they could sue you for that invoice; in the lawsuit, they will have to prove that it is a new charge and you can in turn provide evidence that it is duplicative; a court will decide who is right, and order whether or not you have to pay. If it's not worth the time, stress, etc. of having to potentially defend a lawsuit (i.e. if it's not that large a bill), you may be best off paying it even if you feel it duplicative.
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