Having been a lawyer who, once upon a time, served the local bar as a small claims advisor and sat as a small claims judge pro tempore, I should make a couple points about the likely role of the court system in this drama.
First, there is almost certainly not enough money involved (unless the service guy grenades the engine) to make hiring a lawyer feasible for much beyond writing a letter, if that. Small claims court is not a venue well suited to complicated issues or time consuming proof problems. The small claims courtroom is usually FULL of people with disputes that turn on relatively simple fact patterns and there is limited time to hear all their cases. It is NOT amusing to anyone when a claimant wants to put on a half day case in a half day session jammed with 15 other cases.
When you have multiple witnesses, complex explanations, numerous photographs, lengthy video, conflicting testimony of the parties, and the probable need for expert testimony . . . just to prove or disprove an issue like this . . ., then small claims courts will typically not be a suitable (or maybe even permissible) venue. As the plaintiff/claimant, that will probably mean that you are advised to take it to the civil court venue where lawyers are allowed and a fuller pretrial process including motions and discovery are permitted. OR you put on an abbreviated and conclusory case in 15 or 20 minutes (including the defense), with the likely decision being that you didn't meet your burden of proof. OR even if you win somehow, the defendant appeals it, which normally means a retrial in the civil court venue with lawyers. Varies from state to state, of course. And that's just getting the case heard - never mind the collection hurdles if you ever do win.
Please see El Toro's excellent common sense suggestions in post #78, above, that take account of these realities and suggest a far better modus operandi than litigation or threats thereof in matters such as these.
Usual Disclaimers: this is neither intended as an attack on anyone else's suggestions, nor as legal advice to be relied upon in any specific case. I am no longer a practicing attorney, judge, engineer, soothsayer, medium or fortune teller, and any representations to the contrary, express or implied, should be disregarded. No warranties of any sort are extended by this typing exercise on a dreary, rainy day, and the worth of this post is exactly what each reader has paid for it, . . . or less.
