"Ignoramus6369" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 12 May 2007 21:11:23 -0400, Shawn Hirn wrote:
Well, if you were foolish enough to take that deal, you would probably
also be foolish enough to pay the additional $50. Your neighbor should
have turned around and demanded his money back after quietly calling the
cops.

My main question is, would cops be interested in these people or not.

i

Iggy, it's hard to say. Police go to schools to learn what constitutes a
crime and what does not. It protects them from false arrest lawsuits. When
a crime has been committed, they WILL act. When it is the kind of issue
that needs to be addressed by civil channels, they will usually steer you to
someone you can make a complaint to.

The best thing to do in these situations is to call the police, tell them
that you feel you are in a threatening situation, and let them come out and
make a determination. That way, if they can do something, they do it right
then. If not, they advise the reporting person, and move on. After all,
the man was making demands for money your neighbor felt he did not owe. In
this situation, telling the workmen that you don't know what to do, so you
have called the police to come out, and you will do whatever they say. The
workmen usually vaporize right after that. I had a painter leave so fast he
left half his gear.

AS I SAID BEFORE, it really depends on where you live. Smaller towns have
more time to deal with these situations, where in a bigger city, you might
not even get anyone to respond. I don't know the size of your town, so you
would be the best judge of that.

HTH

Steve