$40 Craigslist printer sale turns into legal nightmare

A seemingly simple Craigslist transaction has turned into a nearly seven-year-long legal battle for one Massachusetts resident, reports the Indianapolis Star.

The saga began in 2009 when Doug Costello sold a used printer to an Indiana man, Gersh Zavodnik, for $40 plus around $35 in shipping, notes the Daily Mail.

SEE ALSO: Yamato Tanooka leaves hospital after six-day ordeal in woods

According to a document filed with the Court of Appeals of Indiana, Zavodnik, who is accused of frequently filing legal complaints relating to online purchases, sued Costello for $6,000 on the grounds that the device was defective.

However, the court ruled against the plaintiff because the printer had been thrown out.

Zavodnik then filed a series of legal requests and lawsuits against Costello for even higher amounts in damages—one for as much as $600,000, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Because the Massachusetts man did not respond to some of the paperwork—which he claims he never received—a judge ultimately ended up ruling against him in a $30,000 judgment in 2015.

Last month, an appeals court overturned that decision and has decided to hold a potential dismissal hearing "based on Zavodnik's repeated, flagrant, and continuing failure to comply with Indiana's rules of procedure."

Costello says that he does not intend to sue the litigant despite incurring more than $12,000 in legal fees.

RELATED: Waiter turns to Craigslist after customers walk out on tab