Welder Dave
Senior Member
It would be nice if you could remove work done but I think it would be like going after someone who you caught stealing on your property. They'd have more rights than you do.
Still NO excuse for her to stiff you for the work!!! any decent human being should have been up front about it... or at least answer your calls and try to make some arrangements to pay after the sale... there are plenty of ways she could have dealt with it honestly and not be a lowlife.
In UK that sort of wording is pretty standard on quotations for “home improvement“ work, maybe for other types of work as well, and for exactly the reasons we’re discussing here. The materials used to carry out the work remain the property of the contractor and as such he has every right in law to remove them if payment has not been forthcoming from the customer - whether they have been “assembled” or not.I like the verbiage from Nige though. Like the lien it takes some aggravation but the satisfaction of killing a machine or ripping out a driveway would be worth it. And it sends a message to everybody else that you are pretty crazy when you don't get paid.
What if it was something like a concrete foundation that wasn't paid for? I don't think you'd be able to go take the concrete back. The judges can be stupid too and believe all kinds of lies that the deadbeats bring up. I remember reading about a contractor that wasn't paid for work he did on an acreage. Repeated attempts for payment failed so he dumped a fresh tandem load of wet manure on the driveway in front of the garage. The deadbeat couldn't get out of his garage till he cleaned it up and didn't have a loader or anything to pick it up.
It is a shame no one has any integrity these days. Everyone thinks they are owed something for nothing and everyone gets a trophy mentality. Pay your debts and honor your word. 'Mean what you say and do what you mean.' I still believe in the handshake agreement.
When I went in, I had the first 90 days of operating expense plus my wages stashed in a bank account. There is a lot of accounts that pay in 90. I was lucky I had about a 1/3 that paid in 30, another 1/3 that paid in 60 and the balance of them were 90 day money. After I got it knitted together after the first 3months it was OK. I had to pay attention though with those types of customers That I didn't stay ruin my cash flow. In the long run however. I only failed to collect 610 dollars.Non-payment is one of my fears about going independent. I don't know if a guy could just say right off the bat I want $XXX.XX up front before I touch your machine/truck. Or charge for parts and a couple hours labour up front? My 11+ years of skill and experience are worth something.
When I went in, I had the first 90 days of operating expense plus my wages stashed in a bank account. There is a lot of accounts that pay in 90. I was lucky I had about a 1/3 that paid in 30, another 1/3 that paid in 60 and the balance of them were 90 day money. After I got it knitted together after the first 3months it was OK. I had to pay attention though with those types of customers That I didn't stay ruin my cash flow. In the long run however. I only failed to collect 610 dollars.
Non-payment is one of my fears about going independent. I don't know if a guy could just say right off the bat I want $XXX.XX up front before I touch your machine/truck. Or charge for parts and a couple hours labour up front? My 11+ years of skill and experience are worth something.
You always should have some terms / payment method listed on your quotes and invoices. It lets the customer know in advance what to expect. Most won't read it, but if you have a problem tell them to reference the payment terms on the original quote/invoice. Makes everything super clear and obvious.
I am lucky enough to have a lawyer in the family. I help with her mechanical problems and she helps me out on the legal end of things. I don't run my own full time business, but I have had to play the 'let me consult my attorney, and by the way she is my sister' card a few times. The majority of the time simply mentioning you retain a legal service that cost nill usually gets people's attention. Luckily this has only come to a head on a few occasions ( dealing with dirt balls).
If your business encounters issues like this frequently maybe it would be worthwhile to have a legal service available. Maybe a local guy could charge you a flat rate to deal with situations whenever they occur? Your personal time is way too important and valuable to spend it chasing losers around.