HELP! I need Legal Advice on a Small Court Claim!?

[eoforwic]

In mid May 2012, my Horse Trainer referred me to a man in WA to send my horse to for Conditioning assistance and a cheap place to Board. I arrived May 16th 2012 with my Trainer at said facility. The man had me sign a Boarding Contract, through his Horse Training Business forms. He told me that he was a Co-Owner of the Facility so I could pay him Board $$ as well as $$ for Services he provided. It seemed strange to me that I wasn't filling out two seperate forms, one for the Trainer and one for the Boarding Facility Owner herself. I signed his Boarding/Training Contract for 2 months, through July 16th 2012. I paid a deposit up-front in cash for Board with a Witness present. I received a reciept for the Board pmt.
Then, the Trainer had me fill out a Training Contract for use when the two months was up, that is exactly how he explained it. He left the dates blank and didn't sign it. The form had all my horse's information on it incase he got hurt, mine, and who to contact for emergency's, etc...it was an informational form only he said for if something happened. Said he wouldn't use the Training Contract except to refer to for information on my horse/farrier/vet incase my horse got hurt. Again: My horse was already fully Trained when he arrived at his facility, hence the before-mentioned Trainer who referred me to this man. The new Trainer, was only supposed to Condition my horse 'for free' for two months under the stipulation that I board from his facility to fill a stall and bring in $$. I fill one of his Facility's stalls, and he gets a possible new future Client if he does a good job on Conditioning my horse. I agreed to pay him for grooming supplies and trailer storage as well. That was the deal agreed upon, and my Trainer was present when this was agreed. Nothing in writing, but my 'actual' Trainer will stand up in Court and testify to the validity of this.

After the initial deposit was made for: 1 months Board/Trailer Parking + Grooming Supplie's ($400 approx.), I went to visit my horse 5 days per week to continue to haul him to my actual Trainer for Lessons 30 minutes away. During the time my horse was not at his Lessons with me and my Trainer, the new Trainer/Man was supposed to be Conditioning my horse for me to help me get ready for an upcoming Horse Show which is why I went to his facility.

If he had been doing his part of the agreement, my horse would have been clean (groomed-6x per week) and I should have seen him work my horse at least one time during my stay at his facility. I not once, saw him Condition my horse during the following 2 weeks I was there and my Trainer (who has far more experience than I in proper grooming/conditioning) remarked that the job was not being done and it was plainly obvious to him. Even I, with an untrained eye for these things, could see my horse was dirty when I picked him up for his Lessons and always wearing the same blanket or sleezie that he had on the day before. Had my horse been in conditoning, his blankets would have needed to be cleaned due to the sweat accumulation and he would have had to have been washed every few days so that the sweat would not build up and cause skin problems. Again, my horse was always dirty and wearing the same thing when I picked him up. I had to clean my own horse after every other Lesson with my actual Trainer at his Barn and clean my own blankets at home since the new Trainer was not doing this. When I questioned the Man about it, he threatened to kick me out and accused me of knowing nothing since I was not a Trainer.

Needless to say, I signed a 2 month Boarding Contract to stay at that mans facility but ended up having to take my horse to a new facility after 2 weeks (I gave 30 days notice) because the man was not doing his part of our Agreement. I had to move on short notice, and he still kept harassing me. I paid for the entire 2 months of Board/Trailer Parking + Grooming Supplies (even so my horse was there for only 2 weeks) but the man is using the Training Agreement against me. He signed in his name, put in the 2 month dates, and is now saying that he Trained my horse himself and that I owe him for Full Training Costs for both months. However, I told him the day I arrived to NOT Train my horse since he is already Trained, and only to condition him. Conditioning a horse is not training, it is lunging a horse in a circle for 20-25 minutes max at 4-5 days per week. That, and a quick grooming of my horse was all he was supposed to do 6 days per week, at 25 minutes max time spent.

He's harassing me via text message's that I owe him almost $700 in Training Costs & that he'll take me to Court. I paid $730 approx. for a new Boarding Facility deposit, plus I paid the bad Trainer for service's not provided. I can't even be sure the Trainer was Licensed or Co-Owner of XXX (Facility) IF so, he falsly advertised himself & where did my money go, his poc

[eddis]

I don't get it. You said you already paid for two months. Your agreement was for two months. So, if you already paid, then why would he claim that you more money? If anything, it sounds like you should be suing him, because you paid two months and only received two weeks of service. Am I missing something?

[orlondo100]

Zzzzzzz.

You need thousands of dollars of legal advice for a tiny tiny claim. It is not worth my time and it is not worth the judge's time. Go away.