I made a huge mistake by asking my HVAC contractor to wait on installing outdoor A/C condenser because it had to go on garage roof & I didn't want to do that until I was done with inspections.

(Inspector might have required walk boards or just said NO to roof mounting or who knows)

Contractor now says that Condenser was delivered last spring AND that I short payed $650! Claims that we spoke about the money. Why would anyone deliver a $1000 or more wholesale pc of equipment to a customer that owed $650?Says will try to find receipt from supplier & I should file homeowners claim because "may have been stolen from your property".

I was never once contacted about any payment. I can't beleive I trusted this guy. He did good work as far as I can tell on what he did install. Never would have thought would be a problem.

Should I just consider myself lucky that a Lien hasn't been filed (as far as I know) for non-payment of the $650 OR should I try to get them to at least supply the Condensor Unit? It will cost me at least $1600 just to get a Unit & Line set.

I have got to stop trusting people. What an idiot.

This makes no sense. You were going to cheat on the building inspection process by not doing the job correctly, and then say you asked the contractor to wait on the install of the unit. Now the unit is nowhere to be found and its a game of he said you said in regards of where the unit is located. I would think based on the money owed, that this was the charge to install it not for the cost of it. That you already paid for the unit, he just did not charge you the labor to put it into place. The bigger question would be is where is the unit? and did he get a signed paper saying it was delivered to site. If not, he bought it as its his responsibilty to see that it does not get stolen. Unless you signed paperwork saying you accepted the unit on the site.

They have given 3 different versions on where the unit is. "Delivered last spring"-file a claim with your homeowners. Delivered even thought can't find receipt for item from wholesaler. Delivered at same time as everything else at start of job AND "you signed for delivery of all the equipment when you signed contract".
Off to small claims we go.......

AS someone else said, If they have the signed papework that you or someone on the site accepted it. That is the person who is stuck with the purchase of a new one. If they cannot produce such a document then they are the ones who now own it.

Stolen condensing units are very common, several years back we installed a new 7 ton three phase unit at a bank in a nearby town. Got it all hooked up and running. Next day they called and said the bank was not cooling. We showed up and found it cut right off and removed. With copper costs this is not uncommon.