Contractors rip down fence they had just built in Chicago after heated dispute with homeowner: ‘Don’t expect anything for free’

Diaz said the company offered to repair or replace the impacted parts, but the homeowner declined and told the workers to come back and remove the fence. So they did.

“They were just little dents,” Diaz told Fox 32. “My dad said he could fix them, but the client didn’t want them to change the gate.”

The situation escalated into a payment dispute. Diaz acknowledged the demolition was extreme but framed it as a response to non-payment.

“I’m not saying this is the right way to go,” he said. “But the people who don’t want to pay us hardworking people — don’t expect anything for free.”

The Will County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. Diaz said the matter is now also being handled in court. He also denied online rumors that the homeowner had threatened to call ICE, and said the homeowner called police, but officers never arrived.

Why tearing down the fence was the wrong move

Whatever the merits of Diaz’s frustration, dismantling installed work is legally risky, and almost certainly counterproductive. But in Illinois, unpaid contractors have a powerful legal tool available to them: the mechanics lien.

Under the Illinois Mechanics Lien Act (770 ILCS 60), contractors who have performed work on a property and haven’t been paid have the right to place a lien directly on the real estate — giving them a security interest that must be resolved before the property can be sold, refinanced or transferred.

For residential projects, subcontractors must notify the homeowner within 60 days of starting work to preserve their lien rights. A lien remains valid for two years from the claimant’s last day of work — enough time to pursue payment through the courts.

Removing completed work bypasses those protections entirely, and as Diaz himself acknowledged, it wasn’t the right move. The mechanics lien exists precisely so contractors don’t have to take matters into their own hands.