And I guess there's a business lesson in there.
Being 'clever' ... by having the customer break the job into small chunks ... and what does he get? "Paying little chunks ... was too time consuming."
Personally, I think that's all eyewash. What the customer meant was 'I don't like paying you as the job progresses; thet limits my opportunity to screw with you."
Ditto with the permit issue. He can't pull a permit, since he's not licensed; he's counting on the "homeowner" pulling the permit. As a result, he doesn't have the final inspection to dangle in front of the customer, to ensure payment. Yet, if there is any fault with his work, he still bears full liability.
Simply put, he has worked so hard to get around the laws ... and his efforts have only helped the customer - and worked against his own interests.
