In Tennessee, at common law, unlicensed contractors had no right to recover anything on their contracts. The Contractors Licensing Act changed this rule to permit unlicensed contractors to recover documented expenses proven by clear and convincing evidence. Why?

Suppose that McNatt had held a valid contractor's license when he entered into the contract with Vestal but that the license had expired while he was overseeing the construction of Henderson Villa. Would the result in that case have been different? Explain.