I AM a lawyer. THIS IS STILL NOT LEGAL ADVICE:

If you haven't gotten paid, there's going to be a lot of dragging of feet in the hopes that you'll disappear. I once had a car stolen at my office. Cop comes by and takes the report. Never gets out of his patrol vehicle while my wife and I give him the information. Months go by. No result. Next thing I know, I get a notice telling me that my "abandoned" vehicle was found and that I have a period in which to redeem my vehicle from the impound lot before it gets sold at "public" auction. Real fact: Some schmoe who did a tow job to the office once, whose representation I declined in some domestic assault case because he doesn't hire me, simply towed away my vehicle one night and puts it in his illegal lot because he wanted to buy it from me and I wasn't interested in selling it. There it sits in the illegal lot for months, along with other stolen cars. The guy's an unlicensed tow truck driver. Vehicle gets sold at public auction to (a cop or a cop's loved one?) before the redemption period ends. I filed the form timely at the courthouse to explain how I never abandoned the vehicle and that it was ripped off and that a report was taken by the cop. Too bad. My remedy is to go before the city council and complain about how the cops dropped the ball -- THE OFFICER NEVER FILED THE REPORT TO BEGIN AN INVESTIGATION. Detective tells me the department has to fall on its sword on this one. Well, I know how this works. Bottom line is, I'm screwed out of the value of my vehicle -- unless, of course, I want to watch my back everytime I drive a car, being subject to gentle harassment, or have the city get on me if I put my garbage out too early the night before it's to be picked up, or whatever to retaliate against me.

So, my best normal guy position: Stay on top of this schmoe. Don't let up. Paper him to death, and be able to prove you are papering him to death. Persistence might pay off. Good luck.