Non paying customers!!

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I've had pretty good luck with people not ripping me off, but unfortunately I'm pretty sure I've gotten ripped off twice now in the last week or so.

What are good ways to collect money without going to a collection agency? One guy owes me $30 the other $170.00 This is for lawn care business. In the whole grand scheme of things it's not really enough to worry about, but obviously you have to draw the line. I'm starting to require payment upfront from now on for customers I don't know. The other problem is the amounts are so low I highly doubt a collection agency would bother with it. Can you be your own collection agency? Just keep calling and blowing up their phone with calls?
 
Small Claims Court can get you a judgment but then you have to collect it. Probably not worth the time. See if a collection agency will take on the two deadbeats; even if they their fee is 30%-40% it's better than wasting your time on it.
 
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I've had pretty good luck with people not ripping me off, but unfortunately I'm pretty sure I've gotten ripped off twice now in the last week or so.

What are good ways to collect money without going to a collection agency? One guy owes me $30 the other $170.00 This is for lawn care business. In the whole grand scheme of things it's not really enough to worry about, but obviously you have to draw the line. I'm starting to require payment upfront from now on for customers I don't know. The other problem is the amounts are so low I highly doubt a collection agency would bother with it. Can you be your own collection agency? Just keep calling and blowing up their phone with calls?


If you have paperwork, you can take them to small claims court for non payment.
 
There are rules you need to follow to collect debts. Like no calls after 8 pm.

I knew a snow plow guy who would plow an enormous pile of snow in people's driveway if they did not pay.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
There are rules you need to follow to collect debts. Like no calls after 8 pm.

I knew a snow plow guy who would plow an enormous pile of snow in people's driveway if they did not pay.


I believe if you read those rules, those only apply to 3rd party debt collectors. If you're owed the money directly, there really aren't any laws that say what you can or can't do regarding the debt, but of course all other laws still apply. Not sure if plowing in someone breaks some other law, just like pouring gasoline on the lawn so it doesn't grow probably violates a few other laws.
 
One was a renter and I don't even know where he went. I was mowing and realized one day, that hey there isn't much furniture in the house. I think he actually just up and left, so probably didn't pay the landlord either. I skipped mowing after that and saw the next week it was mowed. The customer doesn't answer the phone. Usually when a renters lease is up they put another for lease sign out front before they move out, this didn't happen.
 
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Send them first notice, second notice, third notice, past due, way past due, account delinquent, in that order. ALL on paper so you have a paper trail. If that doesn't work, send them a letter of intent to file suit in small claims court. Usually a letter of intent will get their attention, and the bill will be paid 90% of the time.

If not, actually go through the motions to suit them in small claims. You don't need a legal background. You just fill out some forms, and bring your documentation. Request that they pay your court cost and all fees if the judge finds in your favor.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
There are rules you need to follow to collect debts. Like no calls after 8 pm.

I knew a snow plow guy who would plow an enormous pile of snow in people's driveway if they did not pay.


I'll call these [censored] at 3am if it's not illegal.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Send them first notice, second notice, third notice, past due, way past due, account delinquent, in that order. ALL on paper so you have a paper trail. If that doesn't work, send them a letter of intent to file suit in small claims court. Usually a letter of intent will get their attention, and the bill will be paid 90% of the time.

If not, actually go through the motions to suit them in small claims. You don't need a legal background. You just fill out some forms, and bring your documentation. Request that they pay your court cost and all fees if the judge finds in your favor.


The mail will have to be by certified letter or they can just say "it never arrived".
Last I heard (and possibly incorrectly) a judge can deliver a verdict in small claims court, but the verdict really has no muscle to it. In other words, a judge can tell a person to pay up, but if he doesn't, there can be no real penalties.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Oh and here's the classic, start hunting them down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z9Cg46Nktw&t=86s&ab_channel=dragonlord1958


@1:52 "My grandmother dropped acid" haha I love that movie!!


Yeah, "I don't have a dime", "Didn't ask for a dime, $2".

That renter is probably gone. But if it's a landlord, you could probably file in small claims, get a judgement and then file a lien on the property so they'd have to pay it off when it sells. Our state automatically slaps on 12% til they pay it so it could sit there for years til it's sold and then they'd have to pay it unless it gets foreclosed on by the bank.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Send them first notice, second notice, third notice, past due, way past due, account delinquent, in that order. ALL on paper so you have a paper trail. If that doesn't work, send them a letter of intent to file suit in small claims court. Usually a letter of intent will get their attention, and the bill will be paid 90% of the time.

If not, actually go through the motions to suit them in small claims. You don't need a legal background. You just fill out some forms, and bring your documentation. Request that they pay your court cost and all fees if the judge finds in your favor.


Write it off as a loss and a learning experience on how to avoid getting stuck like this in the future.

$30 is not worth one more second of your time.

The $170 maybe but lets say you spend 2 hours on preparing and sending invoices and then you go to small claims court.

How many lawns could have finished in that time?

Whatever you decide, don't spray with lawn with a grass killer of any sort because everyone has security cameras and you will get popped for an actual crime and then he will be the one collecting damages from you.

Good luck.
 
We are cash up front or colateral.if we have your car in the shop.

No recores without full payment. We have too many recored radiators sitting around never claimed. And they dont fit anything popular so we cant sell them.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
We are cash up front or colateral.if we have your car in the shop.

No recores without full payment. We have too many recored radiators sitting around never claimed. And they dont fit anything popular so we cant sell them.


Can't you sell them on eBay? I see some listing sitting on there for months.
 
Any reason why I couldn't go and talk to the neighbors and casually mention how their neighbor ripped me off? I figure, hey if you can't collect the money, at least embarrass them in front of the neighbors.
 
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Any reason why I couldn't go and talk to the neighbors and casually mention how their neighbor ripped me off? I figure, hey if you can't collect the money, at least embarrass them in front of the neighbors.


Sure go ahead. I have tenants that are behind on the rent and they get indignant when I mention it to their relatives or friends or other tenants and think there's some law that's suppose to make that private. There isn't any. I usually point that out and then mention that I thought maybe they'd help them out if they knew. Trump has plenty of people he hasn't paid and there's no way he can shut them up. Lawsuits over unpaid debts are public record.

Maybe ask them perhaps their neighbor could help them out, maybe you'll go ask them if they're willing to loan them some money.
 
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Any reason why I couldn't go and talk to the neighbors and casually mention how their neighbor ripped me off? I figure, hey if you can't collect the money, at least embarrass them in front of the neighbors.


Sure go ahead. I have tenants that are behind on the rent and they get indignant when I mention it to their relatives or friends or other tenants and think there's some law that's suppose to make that private. There isn't any. I usually point that out and then mention that I thought maybe they'd help them out if they knew. Trump has plenty of people he hasn't paid and there's no way he can shut them up. Lawsuits over unpaid debts are public record.



Maybe ask them perhaps their neighbor could help them out, maybe you'll go ask them if they're willing to loan them some money.


Tough to say if it would help, but it can't hurt to try!
 
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