How do you deal with people who owe you money?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (220356)
Walnut Creek, California
October 26, 2015 3:24pm CST
In my "real" jobs, I'm paid regularly and on-time. My paychecks go directly into my bank account, and I am happy.
Even when we play music, payment is immediate, and in cash. Cash is good.
When I refinish loudspeakers for others, I'm generally paid when the owner picks up their speakers. I only accept cash, except in the case of repeat "customers" I've known for awhile.
But there's one fella who owes me about $700, and he's not like most people I work for. I wrote some advertising copy for him, did some business consulting for him at a reduced rate, refinished some speakers and receiver cabinets for him, and basically said, "Eh, pay me later. There's more work to be done. I don't need the money right now."
Big mistake.
He's taken advantage of my kindness and more or less "gone into hiding." He doesn't return my emails or phone calls. If I visit his shop (50 miles away), he's "delighted to see me" and wants to take me out to lunch. But he's having trouble with his PayPal account that day.
I don't want to dine with him. I am not his friend. I want him to pay me the money he owes me.
What would you do next?
21 people like this
22 responses
@topffer (42156)
• France
26 Oct 15
Not sure. The debt is too little to sue him actually. You should send him the bill if it is not yet done, and add on it an interest and a monthly penalty for delayed payment, and see if he moves. If he does not pay, you will have to sue him soon or later to be able to ask a bailiff/bill collector/whatever the name in your place/ to recover your money. If he owns a shop, you will get your money back, or at least a part of it (a bailiff would take about $300 here to recover this $700 amount : it is a fixed wage, whatever the debt. If you need a lawyer to go in court, forget this debt
).
).2 people like this
@nakitalikely3617 (453)
• United States
28 Oct 15
Hello! When if comes to dealing 28th people w/o owe me money I try to always be understanding to the individuals situation. I am very patient but if I start to feel as though i am getting the run around I speak up and make it very clear that if the money is hot paid back it can potentially put a damper in our relarionship. Now that is when dealing with outsiders. When I say outsiders I mean people who are no blood relation to me. My family I usually just chop it up as a lost.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
27 Oct 15
I don't lend anyone money - never did, never will.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
27 Oct 15
@TheHorse Things happen. I also don't borrow money for any reason.
@vickyrose (2235)
• Cooma, Australia
28 Oct 15
I don't lend money anymore too, because of a similar experience. If they borrow money, I say No, or just give them $5 and they can have it and don't need to pay me back.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
26 Oct 15
Yes of course you could shoot him but alternatively shoot from the hip and take him to the small claims court if you have such a thing in the USA? You should give him ten days notice to pay up or you will start proceedings to reclaim money owed to you for work you have done for him. You should get it sorted quite quickly.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
26 Oct 15
@TheHorse Hmm whats the point of it then! How daft!
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220356)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Oct 15
@garymarsh6 If they're an employee, it IS posible to...what's the word...garnish their wages? But this guy is "self-employed."
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
26 Oct 15
I must admit i am so poor when it comes to this issue. It really really hurts when someone decide to keep money that you have worked for
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12915)
• Nairobi, Kenya
27 Oct 15
@TheHorse We might be different but this type really annoys me lol sorry to say
@TheHorse (220356)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Oct 15
@Missmwngi I think it's safe to say it annoys me too, or I wouldn't have written about it!
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
27 Oct 15
People have owed me money in the past...
Not a good idea to trust the people that you have known years if you ask me, Ive been dooped like that in the past.
I would be straight to the point the next time you see the person, explain that you need the money, thats all I did, mind you I only got half the amount back, but had I not had told them straight, then I would not have even got half back.
Good luck in trying to get your money.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220356)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Oct 15
It's the ignoring that's so insulting. Truth is, I don't "need" the money right now. Emotionally, it's disheartening to have devoted so much energy to something that's not productive. If his business were doing well, I'd be more angry and less sad.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
27 Oct 15
I rarely have money owing from non-employers or benefit agencies and they usually pay on time
@TheHorse (220356)
• Walnut Creek, California
28 Oct 15
@hereandthere Put a frog in a pot of water. Turn it to boil. He'll jump out. Put him in a pot of water and gradually increase the temperature to a boil over hours, and he'll sit there and be a boiled frog. I never intended for this guy to owe me that much. I knew he was shady from the beginning. But I let myself be that frog.
@LadyDuck (472087)
• Switzerland
28 Oct 15
Do you send him a bill asking to pay you the $700 he owes? If you have no proof, send him a letter saying that you are still waiting for the $900 he owes, it is possible that at least he replies that you wrote the wrong amount. It's a start to sue him.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
29 Oct 15
I fear that money's gone for good. Don't give him any more or do anything more for him.
@vickyrose (2235)
• Cooma, Australia
28 Oct 15
I'd ask him to pay what he owes me, maybe not in full but for what he can afford. A debt is a debt.
@dianadee (1778)
• South Africa
27 Oct 15
The more you run after the people that owe you money the more they duck and dive!
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
27 Oct 15
I would take him to small claims court as its too small for a big s uit but there he moi ght wake up and realize you want your money, not to be wined and dined and put off being paid. Yui will undoubtedfly win the cl aim and proid him if nothing else into paying you. He will see He has lost a friend over this.
maybe you can just be direct but also nice and ask him about the money.. say you need it to pay emergency bills.. like hospital bills? or tuition... hopefully he'd feel guilty 
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
27 Oct 15
take 'im out back'f his place 'n beat the tar outta him 
if'n ya got written proof'f what he owes, sure ya can take 'im to small claims court. minus all the fees involved 'n IF he actually pays whats owed, ya might break e'en (takin' into 'ccount'cher time).
i've'd the displeasure 'f folks like that. one'f the horses here came from such'n ordeal. the others? i jest wrote it off 's somethin' to remember.
noperz, i'd not break bread with that scoundrel neither. he's fool'f hooey!
if'n ya got written proof'f what he owes, sure ya can take 'im to small claims court. minus all the fees involved 'n IF he actually pays whats owed, ya might break e'en (takin' into 'ccount'cher time).
i've'd the displeasure 'f folks like that. one'f the horses here came from such'n ordeal. the others? i jest wrote it off 's somethin' to remember.
noperz, i'd not break bread with that scoundrel neither. he's fool'f hooey!
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
27 Oct 15
Give him a 10-day notice that you will be taking him to small claims court @TheHorse .
@theflyingmako (16)
• Shreveport, Louisiana
27 Oct 15
You could always go by prison rules, he pays or you own him.
Joking of course, but you could always go with the payment plan thing I saw someone else comment about.
