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Imagine working for a construction company where you use your own tools. What would you do if you left that company, but the boss didn’t give you your tools back?

In this story, one painter was in that situation, but he was determined to get his tools back. He came up with a clever and really easy way to do it while also getting revenge on the boss.

It was some pretty epic revenge!

Let’s read all about it.

Don’t want to return my tools or pay me? Enjoy losing your business

I’m a trade painter that worked for around 5 years essentially running a company for an owner who took a very hands off approach. He was essentially a name and working capitol and not much else.

After getting an offer to work for a bigger commercial company and my old bosses realization he would have to run his own company as there really wasn’t anyone else in house that was qualified, he resorted to acting like a child to try and make me stay.

Made me run around the world to receive my final pay which I never even got and refused to return my tools spread throughout various jobs.

Revenge time.

This was a clever thing to do!

As luck would have it another even better offer from an even bigger company ended up in my lap that wanted to subcontract me a very substantial amount of their work, but Im going to need more employees for that.

Hmmm. So I go through and call each and every member of the original company and offer them a 3 dollar an hour raise to work for me which all of them accepted, after all they know me, they’ve worked for me for years, and it’s more money, no brainer. They barely know the owner and what they do know, they don’t like lol.

I then asked them to grab ONLY my tools ( which was the vast majority of tools on all the jobs) from their respective jobs when they leave for the weekend on Friday.

The boss finally realized there was a problem.

Monday rolls around and my old boss is getting calls left and right from supervisors asking why nobodies at work and what’s going on.

He was so hands off he didn’t even have employees phone numbers to call and ask them lmao.

He’s essentially without employees and little to no tools to complete any jobs at this point.

Here’s how it worked out.

Fast forward 6 months and his company has now closed, he’s lost all his work.

His new addition to his house has come to a grinding halt half way though construction, he’s hurting big time.

I never got my last check, but I did get a great group of workers and a company of my own, so I guess I’ll just call it even.

I love how he was able to get his tools back while also gathering a team of workers. Well done!

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

This person called the revenge amazing.

Another person has questions.

This person thinks OP should sue.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a helicopter inspector who grounds a flight after the pilot is rude to him.

But this person thinks it’s sad that there are bosses like the one in this story.

That boss really was too hands off if he didn’t even have phone numbers for his employees. That’s pretty crazy!

OP certainly handled that situation well, and it sounds like everything has worked out well for him. I’d still want that last paycheck though!