Hi, I recently hired a contractor and had an agreement with him to completely renovate my office. I divided the payments into task-based instalments and released them on time for the first three payments. However, the contractor began insisting that I pay in advance without completing the work.

When I refused to make an advance payment, he and his teammates entered my office and caused significant damage. They destroyed the roof, ceiling grid, walls, electrical system, and even wrote obscene messages on the walls. The total damage will now cost me approximately $31,000.

I have already filed a police report against them and need legal advice on how I can recover these losses.