The person said: > they lied (in writing) to make me sign the contract Lying in order to cause someone else to do something they wouldn't otherwise do is frau

The person said: > they lied (in writing) to make me sign the contract Lying in order to cause someone else to do something they wouldn't otherwise do is fraud. Apparently, in this town it's common practice to say, "X is already done" when X hasn't yet been started -- even the judge does it! But it's the town and its standards which are screwed up, not the guy who expected to be told the truth. (This is all accepting his description of the situation prima facae, of course.)