This will be an interesting thread moving forward......

Been there a time or two, really sucks too.

John C. said:

It's all part of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) that as I recall all states conform to now. It basically requires filling out forms and filing them with some entity of the state or possibly county governments. It also usually requires someone at the offending company to sign some type of agreement or written contract for the filing in order to secure your interest in the money owed. I've done it a couple of times but it guarantees nothing without a attorney being involved. It takes multiple thousands of dollars in debts before it is worth the hassle. If a company declares bankruptcy and you have a UCC filing, you will only get a percentage of any proceeds left or just a bill from your attorney with regrets about there being nothing left. Been there, done that!

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Yep you can't get blood from a stone. Thankfully only ever had 1 job that went to bankruptcy and there was nothing left guy was taking all the money from the draws and not paying anyone, thankfully I was only out about $5k. I made out a lot better then many others, from what I heard there was around $1.5 million in debt that didn't see a penny, even the first mortgage company lost some. I am amazed the guy is still walking around today.

I am now much more careful about who I do work for. Just googling a business or personal name can tell you a lot.

There are some attorneys that will tell you what you want to hear in order to get a retainer and later on if things don't appear to be going in your/their favour, they have no sympathy for you and have an attitude like oh well that's how it goes sometimes... here's your final bill for extra's that weren't included before. They could care less if you won or lost as long as they get all their money. That's why personal injury lawyers can only get paid if they win your case. They typically get about 40% if successful. Some of them even advertise they don't get paid unless you win but it is the law and applies to all of them. I'd rather have an honest lawyer tell me I have a good case but will be hard to prove and cost a lot than a lawyer saying I have a clear cut case. I've had this happen to me in a wrongful dismissal case.

Kinda off track but something that's good to know, you can stop payment on a cashier's check.

I found out the hard way (how else?) and when I was talking to the cops about it the detective started laughing when I told him guy's name. Not comforting..........

But VeTech is a long way from that I hope, I'm not ready for the saga to end.

Joe H

In the 80’s had a Bank Draft check attempt at refused, guy had paid for it then notified his bank not an hour after paying me with it as to having been ‘Lost’ and requesting it cancelled. My bank manager was contacted as I had already deposited knowing was a problem client where they had contacted the issuing bank on deposit attempt where it was already cleared. That manager approached as I was still in that bank as he played his game so I was not declined the funds that time. His bank evidently had this game played as well where he called demanding his money back threatened to sue as job was ‘not completed to his satisfaction’, never went to court where he filed Chapter 13 in a few weeks.
Were several I dealt with were just at bankruptcy monthly, a great many were big names of the day just poorly managed or raided for lifestyle money regularly. Major failures seemed to always be company establisher would try to supply their kids with a income source as a eventual inheritance only to see them pizz it away in weeks to months even before their parents retirements. Kids seldom respected they had to work to keep the companies at income levels or that moneys had to be reinvested to keep the company financially fluid positive.

I'm making sure they are staying paid up within reason..........so far so good. I hope I never have to go the legal route with anyone and never have. I have lost money on jobs over the years from non-payment and took steps to avoid those scenarios. I do know how to immobilize equipment if I have to .

The Cat CB64 finally showed up last week and I got to look at it yesterday. What a mess this is going to be...........

Gear oil all inside the drum from the eccentric housing.

From the looks of this discoloration, most of this will be junk I'm suspecting


Cat told me this is not sold as an assembly. I have to buy all the individual components and build it from scratch. Parts alone are $15K. Dont let the pic fool you...............this eccentric is around 27" diameter and a heavy mother %%^^&*%$#!!.

I'm trying to decide if I want to tackle this project. I have the knowledge and the tooling.....the time is what is worrying me. This isn't something I can whip out quick, especially waiting on parts. I also have multiple other breakdowns a day to keep up with............and no help either. It's not a difficult job.... remove the side plates and the front clip and I can roll the drum out. But then I have to stand the drum on its end to remove and install the eccentric.

I estimated the cost to around $25-27K if I do it. Cat says $35K plus if they do it. What do you guys think?

Move on to other jobs that will generate just as much cash. Don't have to tackle
everything.

I would recommend repairing things that you can accomplish quickly. Suggest to the owners to send out bigger/longer jobs to the dealer. This will get the maximum number of pieces in service for the owner in the shortest time frame.

There's $10K profit in that job? Are the parts available or is it going to sit for 6 months waiting?

Joe H

You look at some photos and read a bit of the scope of the job and declare a $10K profit? So how many Cat rollers have you had to repair with this damage?

Vetech63 said:

I'm making sure they are staying paid up within reason..........so far so good. I hope I never have to go the legal route with anyone and never have. I have lost money on jobs over the years from non-payment and took steps to avoid those scenarios. I do know how to immobilize equipment if I have to .

The Cat CB64 finally showed up last week and I got to look at it yesterday. What a mess this is going to be...........
View attachment 268239
Gear oil all inside the drum from the eccentric housing.

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You wouldn't have to do much to immobilize the equipment...just leave it the way it sits. It's already immobolized. LoL

Welder Dave said:

You wouldn't have to do much to immobilize the equipment...just leave it the way it sits. It's already immobolized. LoL

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Or just let one of their operators run it for a few minutes!

John C. said:

You look at some photos and read a bit of the scope of the job and declare a $10K profit? So how many Cat rollers have you had to repair with this damage?

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If you're talking to me, all I see and know is what VeTech posted. Parts are $15K, I don't know what's involved but when I had my shop the parts + the labor was the bill. He works alone so the labor is his.

What did I miss?

Joe H

Pull the roller which means crib support the machine, stand the roller on end and withdraw the Eccentric. Then disassembly to find broken parts, ALL heavy as hell, awkward, dangerous. Couple Days labor, cannot just leave it halfway apart and exposed includes time for parts to come in and reassemble.

joe--h said:

There's $10K profit in that job? Are the parts available or is it going to sit for 6 months waiting?

Joe H

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I have a tendency to quote high on jobs I haven't done before or jobs I don't care to do. I am not familiar with this particular eccentric and have no idea what it may take to get apart once it is on the ground. If bearings have spun out and seized on the shafts, or seized in the housings.........I will need to torch those apart. I will have to inspect everything to know if anything is reusable, I will then have to make my own parts list, I will have to pick up and deliver said parts.

It would be a very labor-intensive feat. I'd like to know what Cat's flat rate is for this job. I'm not getting the numbers they are putting together but I haven't seen a formal quote. I know for a fact their labor will be higher as they will disassemble every single bolt with removing the side and drive plates and removal of the vibration and travel motors........ which is unnecessary the way I do these.

If I did profit 10K on this, uncle sam takes his 35-40% out of it right off the bat. Hell, I'm afraid I may be doing it too cheap

I can do anything. I just can't do everything.

terex herder said:

I can do anything. I just can't do everything.

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Nor do I want to.

Sometimes you have to charge extra either for unknowns you might run into or because the job is a real PIA to do. There are times when you quote really high when you really don't want to do the job but will for the right price.