Yes, but even lshitato, you could've (but were not chayav to I suppose) given the client an opportunity to explain.
KT
Yes, you are enjoined to give a charitable explanation for the apparent wrongdoing when the perpetrator cannot be asked to explain himself. Since he can be asked you must ask for his explanation. Doesn't the Chofetz Chaim say as much?
Meant to say, Since IN YOUR CASE he can be asked you must ask for his explanation.
baalabus,
must? interesting issue as to when one can walk away from a job already taken on. I'll have to look that up in choshen mishpat but my vague memory is that it depends on the contract (or type of employment) agreement made or standard. Thanks for raising the issue.
KT
first of all, i was several degrees removed from the perpetrator. not easy to get to him, especially since this could be seen by third parties as an attempt to steal clients.
secondly, if someone passes you a phony bill, you stay the hell away from the guy. i have no idea whether this guy had a good reason for doing what he did. it was clear that the documents had been tampered with, and that was enough for me to just stay away. this is not an issue of 'lashon hora' - i don't know and don't care who the end client is. i simply want nothing to do with these documents.
Adderabbi,
Understood and I'm at work but my vague recollection of choshen mishpat was that a per job contractor might be liable for some additional costs if he contracted to do work and then did not. B"N I'll look up at home.
KT
Joel - there are certain good faith expectations that were violated, for example, that the job that I've been contracted for is not abetting forgery.
IIANM, the only time a contractor is chayav to pay out of pocket is if he is negligent, and there are incurred costs because of that negligence. (Im ovir v'lo aavid, ashalem b'meitva.) It seems to me that a more pertinent question is, is the client chayav to pay AddeRabbi for the partial work he did perform (assuming Adderabbi would give him the documents he had completed so far.) Seemingly AR would have yado al hatachtona, but should still be paid something.
As it is, it's a moot question, since it sounds like AR is interested in getting away from this client, not in fighting in BD to get paid.
i asked to be paid. we'll see what happens.
my one advantage is that the other guy wouldn't want me to contact the authorities.
Just make sure your payment isn't hush money.
be careful about taking payment and not reporting anything to the authorities. failure to report a suspected client and failure to prevent a crime are crimes on the books in Israel. willful blindness is considered as acting with knowledge.
Commenting by HaloScan
