I quit the restoration shop.

Seems to me you have thought this through pretty through'ly. Too bad it came to that, but sounds like your employer was somewhat out to screw people, anyhow. I wasted a good part of my life working for people on the edge. Three of them went broke, two of them after I left. Only one happened while I was there, that was right after my big "crash." I was still recovering with a broken leg among other things. I got stuck with over 10 grand in med bills the insurance would not pay. Fortunately, there was some 50K that they DID pay before the company went under.