MONTREAL - A Verdun woman's dispute with her handyman has degraded into accusations of squatting in a home, and providing a warning for others about the value of a written contract.

Sandra Mathieu hired James Clarke last year to do some work around her mother's Verdun home before putting it on the market.

She agreed that Clarke would live in the Melrose St. home while doing the work.

"It seemed like a mutually agreeable situation. He'd do some work, stay there for a few weeks and get paid and find an apartment," said Mathieu.

But now she says that even though the work is finished, Clarke won't leave and is squatting in her mother's home, and preventing a real estate agent from showing the house.

"He really made it impossible to sell the house. So there's no way we would have let him stay there for six months. It's just not logical," said Mathieu.

For his part Clarke says he is staying put because when Mathieu hired him to fix up the house she agreed he could live in the house until June.

"I did the renovations. Now they give me 3 days to get out so I told them 'No,'" said Clarke.

Clarke and Mathieu also disagree on how much the handyman should have been paid.

Mathieu says Clarke has been paid in full, and says she has a signed receipt as proof.

"He did say that he would leave if we gave him the $1,400 he perceives us as owing him still. I see that as extortion," said Mathieu.

The handyman says his work is worth much more.

"I was paid $2,400 for the renovations. It's about 6 to 8 thousand dollars worth of renovations," said Clarke.

Lawyers say this type of dispute shows the need for proper written contracts when it comes to housing and renovations.

People who find themselves in a similar situation and hope to get police involved might be surprised to learn that without any sign of a written agreement, officers will not get involved.

In fact Clarke, when he was ordered to leave, refused and asked police if Mathieu could kick him out.

"I went to the police and the police said that they can't do that," said Clarke.

Lawyers have told Mathieu as in any case where a landlord wants to remove a tenant, the first step is to send Clarke a letter giving him one month to vacate.

The next step is to approach the provincial rental board and seek an expulsion order.

Ted Wright of the Westmount Legal Clinic says Mathieu and her mother can ask for a preferential hearing to be granted in two weeks.

"Just say we really need this now because this is the prejudice that he is causing to her. It's an illegal action plus stopping the sale of the building plus damaging the building," said Wright.

Mathieu and her mother are still hoping to sell the house, but because of the dispute with Clarke are not showing the home.