Liberty, NY Personal Injury Law Firms & Lawyers

The District Attorney will decide what charges to bring against your neighbor: it can be as little as petit larceny, or go all the way to include forgery, fraud, and federal charges (because the check was stolen from the mail). Then the court will decide what penalties to impose, depending on the charges, the facts of the case (including the defendant's circumstances and criminal history), and the sentencing guidelines.

A lawsuit is started by filing a complaint in the court. In this case, it should be in the Supreme Court (the amount of damages is too large for the lower courts). The complaint can be filed in the county where your damaged property is located or in the county where the contractor maintains his office. Technically, you can prepare and file a complaint yourself but, from experience, it is not likely to be a good idea. Do yourself a favor: find an attorney to have your case done right from the outset. A bit of advice: you have 3 years to start the case; however, you should not sit and watch your damages grow. If you do nothing to correct the situation, the court will not order that contractor to pay for the consequences of his breach of contract. You will have to show that you have taken reasonable steps to mitigate (limit) your damages. You likely should hire another contractor to repair the property and make the apartments rentable. But don't take my guess for guidance - tell an attorney everything about your case and ask him/her what you have to do with the property under the circumstances.