[C-Thru.]

In answer to BobbyP,
I will write on a new post when all mine has been settled in court.
basically mine was a premium Block of apartements managed by a Management company, who paid at first but then couldn't cos there was no money left, they later stopped managing the block and handed it back to the developers because of all these problems, who still own the freehold and 5 aparts in block, so I am suing them for non payment that goes back to June last year.
The developers are 2 partners, Original Contract was agreed with them, but they have now fallen out, so I have to send all correspondence to them both.
So am suing for the original £1464 worth of unpaid invoices, £360 worth of interest and compo, and compo against the tools I had to buy specially to do job £ 700+ all in all £2600, plus court costs at the mo £135.
Plus another £110 for final hearing and will ask in court for loss of earnings due to time off chasing this and time in court. At least £300.
I might not get everything but will get most of it as theyv'e bounced cheques ignored all letters and calls (all evidence)

Wish me luck.........

Goochie

[Perfect Windows]

Its because it business they have a small claims.If its was charity I would agree with you.

Then deal with it as business.  Take the time you'll waste starting court proceedings.  Factor in a risk of having to spend a morning in court if they decide to be bolshy.  Work out a potential total time wasted on that lot and compare it to what you'll earn by just going out to clean some windows instead.

You're all taking it too personally.

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

In answer to BobbyP,
I will write on a new post when all mine has been settled in court.
basically mine was a premium Block of apartements managed by a Management company, who paid at first but then couldn't cos there was no money left, they later stopped managing the block and handed it back to the developers because of all these problems, who still own the freehold and 5 aparts in block, so I am suing them for non payment that goes back to June last year.
The developers are 2 partners, Original Contract was agreed with them, but they have now fallen out, so I have to send all correspondence to them both.
So am suing for the original £1464 worth of unpaid invoices, £360 worth of interest and compo, and compo against the tools I had to buy specially to do job £ 700+ all in all £2600, plus court costs at the mo £135.
Plus another £110 for final hearing and will ask in court for loss of earnings due to time off chasing this and time in court. At least £300.
I might not get everything but will get most of it as theyv'e bounced cheques ignored all letters and calls (all evidence)

Wish me luck.........

Goochie

I should stress that for £1,500 the court route is worth it, because the time versus the risk means you'll make more than spending a morning cleaning.

Vin

[Richard iSparkle]

For domestic customers send them a nice letter pointing out they have missed payment.  Then send them a tougher one.  Then send them one saying you're taking them to court.  Have them all set up as form letters, so you don't need to keep writing them.  Mine have a spot for me to write in their address and the clean date.  The court one is all typed. 95% of people will pay somewhere through this process.

Then, if they ignore them, forget it and move on with your life.

Are you better potentially spending a day in court or a day cleaning windows?  Is anyone seriously suggesting that even a couple of domestic clean values is worth the hassle and aggro of going to a case that you could lose.  What if they deny ever having set eyes on you?  What if they have "witnesses" to say that they saw you look round the property and push a slip through their door without cleaning? Etc, etc, etc.

Move on.  It's business, not personal.

Vin

this is exactly what we do 

[Seymour Sunshine]

Perfect Windows hit the nail on the head: "Are you better potentially spending a day in court or a day cleaning windows?"

This is surely the key question.

If you're owed thousands, then a day in court is worth it. If you're owed a few 10s then it probably isn't.

Every business has losses of some kind or another. Shops suffer pilfering, tradesmen suffer bad debts. I know it's annoying, but it's an unavoidable part of life.

Handle it, and don't put major energy into minor things.

[Spruce]

Idea!

How about a large board on the side of the van - like a teacher's blackboard, where you can write the details of the amount owing, since when outstanding and the address? You could have that on display when you clean the surrounding area so all the neighbours will know.

Spruce

[Ian101]

Sell the debt to the local nutter hardcase even give it to him so long as you can see his doorstep technique in action ;-)

[H2GoKent]

Taking out a summons costs very little. If they ignore it you apply for judgement by default. Or a CCJ as we know it. If they defend the action they would have to pay for your lost earnings and your costs and interest.
You are unlikely to lose as civil cases are decided on 'balance of probabilities' so is itlikely I would clean a random house for money. Given she has my mobile number home number and email if she had any issues they could have been settled etc.
How do I know this? I used to do it as a job.
Just to walk away from every debtor would be as strange as suing for every tiny job that a few days late.

[MJH]

Was owed 900 from a commercial job used a local no win no fee reputable comp got me the money in 10 days and cost me 100 easy and no paperwork my side, but as far as residential a bit pointless just knock on there door whenever you pass they will soon get fed up.

[C-Thru.]

Knock on the door whenever your in the area, takes 2 mins, costs nothing, meanwhile spread the word around all your other custy's in the area about they are in debt to the Windy.
Find out where they work, go in there, I have in the past, got paid every time, use embarrassment as a weapon that costs nothing, if not use the law and the courts, you still have bills to pay. Never walk away. your bank won't walk away when you don't pay the mortgage this month!

[H2GoKent]

A happy ending! customer just phoned full of apologies asking to bacs the money.

I had taken people's advice to forget the whole thing, so that's great news.

Now heres the thing do I dump her or do I carry on but not let her owe money...

Tempted to dump but she's very convenient usually...

[djhaydn]

hi guys
like most people on here i dont let them go more than 2 cleans without payment, i then drop another note in when im on that round, i drop them like a lead balloon after that, if i get my money then its a bonus, also as im friendly with all the other window cleaners round here (except one, lol) i tell them to stay away from this person. simples.

[Perfect Windows]

A happy ending! customer just phoned full of apologies asking to bacs the money.

I had taken people's advice to forget the whole thing, so that's great news.

Now heres the thing do I dump her or do I carry on but not let her owe money...

Tempted to dump but she's very convenient usually...

If she was full of apologies, give her another go.  Personally, I have a few customers who are late payers and I just live with it.  I stay cool and accept that their cash may just be a bit late in future.

Vin

[Paul Coleman]

In answer to BobbyP,
I will write on a new post when all mine has been settled in court.
basically mine was a premium Block of apartements managed by a Management company, who paid at first but then couldn't cos there was no money left, they later stopped managing the block and handed it back to the developers because of all these problems, who still own the freehold and 5 aparts in block, so I am suing them for non payment that goes back to June last year.
The developers are 2 partners, Original Contract was agreed with them, but they have now fallen out, so I have to send all correspondence to them both.
So am suing for the original £1464 worth of unpaid invoices, £360 worth of interest and compo, and compo against the tools I had to buy specially to do job £ 700+ all in all £2600, plus court costs at the mo £135.
Plus another £110 for final hearing and will ask in court for loss of earnings due to time off chasing this and time in court. At least £300.
I might not get everything but will get most of it as theyv'e bounced cheques ignored all letters and calls (all evidence)

Wish me luck.........

Goochie

Surely you wouldn't get anything for the tools you bought?
If you did, the other party would be able to keep those tols I reckon  .
What tools were they BTW?

[laddermonkee]

If you sue for a large sum of money you have to find out if the person you are suing can afford to pay, I spent money to sue a customer and won the case but it turned out he had no assets and was on the dole so i never got a penny because the debt disappears after 6 years they can start again.