On the other hand....

Out of sheer boredom, I read Craigslist the other day. Some local restauranteer was advertising for a plumber to do a side job at a new restaurant. He was willing to trade services, too. Free cheeseburgers for life?

Now that violates how many local, state, and federal laws? No contractor license, one. No workman's comp insurance, two. Undeclared income (feds hate that), three. The list goes on.

If the plumber hurts himself on that job, Mr. Cheeseburger is liable for all medical costs and rehab, regardless of the plumber's status. This tidbit includes any casual labor including the neighbor's kid digging fence posts.

The ad is gone today. Most likely the State called him--the State does monitor the underground economy--and ordered him to pull the ad.

Beyond the legal problems with hiring unlicensed tradesmen is the whole Craigslist thing. There was the home invasion in Seattle where the husband was murdered and the wife was beaten after running an ad in Craigslist selling a diamond ring. This happened last month or so.

Be careful out there. Saving a few bucks on plumbing that lasts decades is not worth the price.