Contractor Gone · Mississippi

Contractor gone in Mississippi: where the money can come from

Mississippi licenses contractors but keeps no fund. The Board complaint applies pressure; the money comes from the chargeback, Justice Court to $3,500, County or Circuit Court above it, and the bankruptcy claim.

Run the free check for Mississippi

The four paths in Mississippi

Card chargeback	Same in every state. Dispute for services not rendered within 120 days of the promised completion, no later than 540 days after the payment. Each payment has its own clock.
State fund	None. Mississippi has no recovery fund and no state bond program for homeowners. The money paths are the chargeback, small claims or civil court, and the bankruptcy claim if there is a case.
Bankruptcy claim	If the company filed, a proof of claim (Official Form 410) with the court by the bar date. A deposit for personal or household services is a priority claim up to $3,800 for cases filed on or after April 1, 2025 (11 U.S.C. 507(a)(7)); the rest is general unsecured.
Lien exposure: Confirm	Mississippi expanded sub lien rights in 2014 with notice requirements; ask the sub for its notice before paying anything twice. confirm

Is the contractor licensed?

Licensed by the State Board of Contractors (residential builder over $50,000; remodeler over $10,000). Look up the license. Many pool jobs fall under the residential remodeler license.

Deposits and the contract

No statute caps deposits or sets a refund clock. confirm

Small claims

Justice Court, generally up to $3,500 as of 2025; confirm the current limit on the court's site before filing. Above the cap, the regular civil docket, where a lawyer is optional but usual. confirm

In order

Pull the contract, every receipt, and your card or bank statements. The contract page shows where each number lives.
Check the license at the link above. Licensed opens the licensing complaint; unlicensed means small claims and a report to the licensing body.
If you paid by card, call the issuer today and open a dispute for services not rendered. The window closes; everything else waits.
Send the demand letter by certified mail. It starts the clock the licensing body and the court will want to see.
File the complaint with the State Board of Contractors (residential builder over $50,000; remodeler over $10,000). It pays nothing but it is the pressure that gets refunds.
Search PACER for the company. A bankruptcy filing stops the letters and the lawsuit and replaces them with a proof of claim.
Answer any subcontractor notice in writing with proof of what you paid. Mississippi expanded sub lien rights in 2014 with notice requirements; ask the sub for its notice before paying anything twice.

The paperwork, done

The Contractor Gone kit, $39, fills every letter and form above with your facts: the chargeback script, the demand letter with Mississippi's deposit rule cited, the licensing complaint, the small-claims worksheet, the lien-defense letter, the proof of claim worksheet, and a checklist for hiring the contractor who finishes the job. What's in it, or run the check first; the answers carry into the kit.

Page written 2026-09-07. Rows marked verified were read on the agency page or statute on the date shown in the data; rows marked confirm are from general knowledge and should be checked with the agency. Spot an error? Email jon@homestillworks.com and it gets fixed the same day.