If you unknowingly hire a construction contractor who turns out not to be licensed, are you his employer?
I hired a contractor to build a house.
His cousin is the owner of a contracting company that is licensed and he knows what he is doing.
But the cousin is not around and I heard that he has been out of the country for a while.
My builder is now telling me that he is not licensed although his invoices, permits etc. say that his company is.
I am in middle of the building and I have found this out.
I think that I have some liability that I should not have.
It will be very costly to stop all this building.
Am I now considered his employer?
Nathan’s Answer
You may or may not be the employer, but there is the large issue of invoices, permits, etc. that indicate the builder's company is licensed and that the builder in fact belongs to a company. Why is the company so intent on disclaiming this builder? Why is he using their invoices? You should probably consult with an attorney.