I'm not sure what state you're in, but when something similar happened to a friend I found that Connecticut has a Home Improvement Guaranty Fund (https://portal

I'm not sure what state you're in, but when something similar happened to a friend I found that Connecticut has a Home Improvement Guaranty Fund (https://portal.ct.gov/DCP/Common-Elements/Consumer-Facts-and-Contacts/Home-Improvement-Guaranty-Fund https://portal.ct.gov/DCP/Common-Elements/Consumer-Facts-and...) which exists to satisfy an unpaid judgment for up to $25,000. I don't know about most states, but I know at least Maryland has a similar fund. I'd recommend checking to see if your state has a similar program.