My question involves court procedures for the state of: reside in Maryland, but incident occured at a PA residence.
Two men acquired a side home improvement job for a man who lives in PA. Work involved installation of receptacles, light switches, two outside porch lights, ceiling fan, and the electric panel. Power had to be disconnected in order to fulfill these jobs, the panel being located in the garage. Upon completion of the days work, the owner of the home attempted to open his garage door, but it didn't open. One of the men, who is a certified master electrician, replaced the breaker for the garage door, which became fully functional again. The next day, that man received a phone call and was told that the garage door was not working and that they were not going to get paid unless the motor was repaired. The homeowner originally agreed to pay $600 for their services. It was learned that the motor was made in 1986 - a nearly 25 year old garage door motor.
Of course there is a possibility that the motor could have been damaged during the job.
Because neither men did not possess home improvement licences, does this mean that the home owner is not obligated to pay for services rendered?
Assuming that it was their fault that the 25 year old motor was broken, would they have to pay the full amount for the cost to replace it or just what it was worth?
Is it justified that the man not pay for their services?
Do we have a chance in small claims court?
Could we take this to small claims?

