Ohio – Homeowner Suing Us For $25,000 Over Unfinished Sunroom Project. We Have No Money And Are Scared Of Losing Our House. What Are Our Options?

Location: Ohio

Hi. I really need advice.

My husband (operating under a trade name, not an LLC) entered into a written contract with a homeowner to build a sunroom. Total contract price was $16,000 (about $8k labor / $8k materials). She paid approximately $12,000 total.

Work began and materials were purchased. Some work was completed, but the project was not finished.

Here’s what happened:

Our work truck broke down and repeatedly failed after multiple repair attempts. Several mechanics looked at it and couldn’t permanently fix the issue.

His employees quit around the same time.

He was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety during this period and became nonfunctional for a while. He genuinely was not in a stable mental state.

Communication broke down. This is his biggest mistake — he stopped responding to her for a couple of months.

The homeowner eventually had an attorney send a demand letter claiming:

He “abandoned” the project.

He owes $7,000 (allegedly what another contractor quoted to fix/finish it).

Possible claims under Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act.

Allegations related to windows that were paid for but not delivered.

Threats of personal liability since the business is just a trade name.

We retrieved all tools from her property after the letter.

Now she has filed suit for $25,000.

We have no money. Truly none. We cannot afford a lawyer. We are terrified she will:

Get a judgment

Put a lien on our house

Force a sale or ruin us financially

Important context:

There is a written contract.

The contract allows termination by either party.

It says client is responsible for work completed and materials purchased.

There is no specific “abandonment” clause.

No liquidated damages clause.

We do not have proper contractor licensing or insurance (I understand this is bad and may affect things legally).

He operates as a sole proprietor under a trade name.

Some work was completed.

Some materials were purchased.

Communication stopped for a period of months, which we know looks bad.

We are not trying to avoid responsibility, but we literally cannot pay $25,000. We don’t even have $7,000.

Questions:

If she wins a judgment in Ohio, can she immediately put a lien on our house?

Can she force the sale of a primary residence?

If we have very limited income/assets, what realistically happens?

Are there defenses to “abandonment” if work was partially completed and materials were purchased?

Does severe mental health crisis have any legal relevance?

Is there any realistic path to settling this without bankruptcy?

If we show up to court without an attorney, how badly will that hurt us?

Does operating under an unregistered trade name automatically trigger personal liability, or is that already assumed in sole proprietorship?

We are extremely scared and just trying to understand what is likely versus worst-case scenarios.

Please be honest. We just need to know what we’re facing.