I (late 30s M) live in a fairly nice part of my neighborhood, but it’s kind of split into two sections. One side is more affluent (where I am), and the other side is more working class, with a lot of people struggling financially. It’s pretty common for people from that side to come around asking for odd jobs or even just asking for money.
A few weeks ago I met this girl, probably around 18–23. She approached me saying she was looking for work and would do anything. Her English wasn’t great, and my Spanish isn’t great either, but between the two of us we managed to communicate well enough.
I had some things around the house I wanted to get done, mostly yard work and a few projects inside. It ended up including putting in new kitchen cabinets and a countertop, plus refinishing my hardwood floors. I bought all the materials myself and found YouTube tutorials for the work. She followed them and honestly did a really good job. She was careful and took her time, and everything turned out well even though she said she didn’t really have experience. It was still mostly stuff I could have done myself but my fitness is not the best and I would be slow and lack patience.
So here’s where things went sideways. When it came time to pay her, I asked for her banking details so I could transfer the money. She said she didn’t have a bank account. That made me uneasy, so I asked for ID so I could at least document the payment properly. She showed me a foreign ID, but it didn’t seem like something I could use for official paperwork.
From my understanding, I can’t just pay someone for work like that without proper documentation. I’d need to report it properly, and without valid ID or tax information, I don’t think I can fill out the necessary forms. So I told her I wasn’t comfortable paying under those circumstances.
Now she’s really upset. Every time I see her in the neighborhood she tells me I owe her money and that I’m refusing to pay. She’s also gotten my number somehow and texts me saying I cheated her and demanding cash.
I feel bad because she did do the work, and I was happy with it. I would like to pay her, but I also don’t want to do not follow procedures to do it correctly as that could get both of us in trouble.