Sorry about that. Hit the wrong button.

Here's the situation. I have an on and off helper that I should calls me from time to time looking for work. She is not very reliable and is of the notion that I should pay her because she needs the money. Because of the lead deadline I agreed that she could scrape and prime the front of a small SFH on Wednesday. She brings a helper with her who I have never met befor. Stupidly, I agree to let them work. They did an OK job of scraping and priming. Then she wanted me to pay her that day because she said that she didn't have even gas money. I wrote her and and her young helper checks. When I got home, I noticed that the two twenties that I hade gotten from a young couple for their screening fee was missing from my purse which I had left on a shelf in the apartment while we were working.

Yesterday they showed up at a small apartment building so that we could pick up a small extention ladder that I had storred there. She insisted that it would fit in the hatch. I said that we should see but that I was doubtful. I thought that we should put it on the rack. We placed it in the hatch and I stated that it was too long. She insisted and slammed in the hatch which broke my windshield. Needless to say I was livid. (Yes, I know, I shouldn't loose my temper. I told them to go home.

She called and left several messages, first saying that she was not going to pay for it and later saying that she would borrow money from her father and were we working tomorrow.

Today I got an e-mail from my back asking me to go to my message on their web site. This is NOT the account that I use for rentals. I had overdrawn my account. (The day befor I had mislaid my Debit card and moved all but $200 from checking to money market to minimize my damages. I found it the same day.) It seems that there was a $250.00 check made out to and signed by my helper. It looks like her handwriting. It is certainly not MY handwriting. I took the check to the bank today and they told me to make out a police report, which I will do tomorrow. I let my fingers do the walking and found that she has been evicted. A Writ of Restitution was issued and given to the bailiff 3/29.

It sounds like she is desparate for $$.

Would you persue this matter? What would you do? She has two kids at home.

I would leave her alone. Then I change my mind. Ask them to check and see who wrote the check. Her friend might have stolen it all.

You know this lady, You are the only one who can say if she is shady.

i would bring down a wrath and fury like she has never seen before. The DA wouldn't here the end of me no matter what until Jail time was served.

You have helped this gal out time and time again, and you are repaid with dishonesty and theft. Even if it was the helper's helper, she was responsible for them.

Loyalty is everything to me. I would reach into my pocket and hand a loyal, even part time, worker $200 without thinking twice if they were in need.

Cheat and steal from me, and I bring down fire and brimstone.

I hope to stay on Anderson's good side. LOL

However. as I read your post again... you never told us how much you told her you were going to pay her for the door? If it was $250 for her to prime and sand the door, then you could have wrote her a blank check and she filled it in? You didn't say if the signature was forged, but you said you wrote them checks. HELPERS normally, don't steal your check books.

Were the checks from the book you had on you?

When did you get the two twenties, are you sure you didn't use them? I find it odd, she would just start to steal, again you know her. Shady is shady.

I hope you get her the help she deserves. If she stole the checks from you, then the county jail or state prison will welcome her.

You need to follow through with this theft.

Unless of course, you want to be known in those circles as the woman with no backbone.

I am positive that I had the two twenties with me in the morning, as I had seen them in my purse befor leaving for the job site. I had planned to bring them food, but they had a friend bring them sandwiches befor I returned from erands.

The handwriting matches her handwriting, not his. The check was from a checkbook that was in my purse. The check was missing but the paperless carbon was there without any impression. The checks that I wrote to them were for the amount agreed upon. I had them scrape and paint the clapboard siding on the front of the small house below the porch roof. It is a very small one story two bedroom SFH that is less than 900 Sq Ft. It is longer than it is wide. I could have done it MYSELF in the time that it took two of them to do the work, as most of it was intact except for an area below the place where the porch roof flashing failed. Of course, I am faster and more precise than most, due to 40 years of practice.

I have mixed feelings. I am angry, sad, hurt, and feel sorry for her. Desparate people do desparate things.

Take her to court, the lying scum... First she was in your purse, then they took a different check book... hoped you wouldn't notice, stole your 40 dollars. SCREW her and the helpmate.

Tell her you know about the missing money, her services are no longer needed. Then just hope she doesn't come to your home.

sorry, i questioned you, but I get how you feel... I totally agree with Anderson, send her to JAIL

DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR HER... FEEL sorry for yourself. She tried to rob YOU, and would have gotten away with it, if you were not vigilant.

You had a feeling she was SHADY... She proved to be... luckily you can just delete her from your life...

Well, I would file the Police report. Check fraud is serious and letting "whoever" get away with it would only lead to future trouble and repeat offending.

Take this to the full extent that the law will allow.

On all crimes committed. She may be capable of more serious crimes. Have the law stop her in her current tracks. A "mother" that does these kinds of things and doesn't think twice about it should not be raising 2 sons. If she even has custody of them. If a woman is evicted and cannot provide a roof over her children's heads CPS usually steps in and takes the kids. Don't feel sorry for her. She made her bed.

Please find another helper.

That is pretty bad what she and her partner did..pretty guttsy! She probably has a record or is on Probation now?

In CA. you can call the Probation Dept. and ask for (name) Probation Officer and they will connect you, if she is on it. Hopefully she is on Probation and this will be resolved easily.

She definitely sounds like a drug addict and someone you don't want around again.

My first thought is call the police but I wonder for $250 if they will pursue it and if something will really happen?

If you live by yourself be careful and make sure you lock things up and be more diligent with your safety. Unfortuately people like this see themselves as victims and easily slide into a vengeful position.

This is sleazy all the way around.

You let two people scrape and paint a door that may have lead paint and could potentially make them sick.

They you leave your purse unguarded with a person who is questionable and a person you don't even know.

The door should have at least been wet down to minimize dust and they should have had at least a cheap mask.

You need to sit down with some successful friends and have them talk to you about sensible behavior. Do you have a minister at a church you attend?

Good thing you are the manager, not the owner, and they do not have your home address.

Workers might be OK but they have plenty of friends who are not.

Locally, turn the check over to the DA. He'll take it from there.

The bank has your signature on file and should not honor the check, so you should be OK there.

Had something similar happen to me. Money & property missing from both the job site and my home office.

Later the worker claimed I assaulted her, causing her to fall off a step causing her to be injured and unable to work. Of course no such assault occured and when the police came by to confirm her story, my daughter had been on premises and stated that no assault took place.

When that didn't work, the wonderful woman then persued me at the Labor Board for withheld wages (none she was paid what she stole & I did file a police report of the theft), when that didn't work, she took me to small claims court, first time she actually won as I could not Prove she stole from me & it was a Judge Pro Tem (never accept a protem, always postpone the trial for a 'real' judge). I filed an appeal and won, kind of, the judge said we should work it out, so she got additional nuisance money.

I don't listen to the sob stories anymore, there is a reason they are crying and I don't want to join 'em...

You were lucky, hope it doesn't come back to bite you.