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My husband and I began a remodeling project in March 2007. We got architects blueprints designed, interviewed over 13 contractors and got bids. Decided with a mid-range contractor after receiving a written bid and verifying the items the CCB says to do. He brought over a "contract" signed it wrote: "firm bid to follow" and required a $500 earnest money to begin. We asked what his "firm bid to follow" meant and he stated he would supply a detailed listing of the items included. He had us sign the lien paper, and took it saying he only had one copy but would supply us a copy, with the other required docs and never did. Needless to say he never supplied the promised references, detailed listing. We now felt obligated because we had past the 3 days to resend stated on his contract. We took plans to county for review and permitting. 6 weeks later they were approved. We still asked about the detail he said that he would supply that and the references. He showed up on the weekend, said excavator ready to start Tuesday, and it was now or never. Our remodel was this way throughout. our house was stripped of roof, siding and heat throughout the winter. We were showering in a bathroom with no ceiling and electrical wires hanging. We were not told of increases but promised things he later said were included. He then hit us with increases of $20,000 more saying county changes. County required corrections to the plans before they were finalized. He had those corrections for 6 weeks and never said a word there may be more costs. He waited until framing was completed and told us of this increase when he new full well a month earlier he had exceeded his budget for framing. We questioned this and wanted evidence to support these increases. He had already brought in plumber and electrician without notifying us of lumber increases. Now he was trying to tell us about all these increases after he had perfomed work. None of this was extra from us with 3 small exceptions he was supposed to get pricing and bids for, never did. Needless to say he left our work at aobut 92% complete demanding payment in full for over $35,000 over budget which he had still not supplied his documentation or support for, simply stating this or that was more. We wanted to see who authorized, required or requested these things that he was charging us over for. He walked off the job leaving us with wires hanging inside and out, incomplete sheetrock in several locations, incomplete concrete, and plumbing which included rain drains left to drain around the excavated 2ft ditch around the perimiter of our house. He filed a lien forecloseure. He never supplied change orders or a detailed list as stated in his contract. We went to court after 1 1/2 years and more money in legal fees to defend ourselves than it would have cost to pay him. Now the judge has decided, even though it is a legal contract he is not bound by it. That because we paid we somehow agreed, when in reality we paid up to the contract amount because he agreed to explain the costs. We felt he had made an error at some point as he had already made an err in accounting that I had already caught for $10,000.00. We are in a dilemna, we had to get an attorney to defend us and he refused arbitration through the contractors board. We have ultimatly spent the balance of our money on attorneys and can't refinance the house because there is a lien on it. We have a huge amount invested in this house, well over $300,000 of our own money that we can't even access as equity to pay off this crook and his crook attorney. This is nothing short of extortion. If you sell something, you have to provide it at that price, not later say oh, by the way we didn't tell you a door would cost more, or wheels, or an engine. They believe because it was not specifically stated that it was there means he could charge more because it doesn't say it wasn't there, or this is what they are implying. The judge agrees he is in err because he didn't provide change orders, he agrees he hid an additional 20 % overhead over the 20 % profit and overhead shown to us as part of the contract. He agrees we had a contract, yet finds for this contractor in every aspect. Please help, is there anything we can do?