Owed Money - doesn't it make you cross ? UPDATED
By rainbow
@rainbow (6761)
February 15, 2007 3:37pm CST
As you all know my Cousin asked Shrek to help him refurbish a bungalow in Novemeber. He took money from the client and never paid anyone. The client won't give any more money as Flash cannot provid a proper invoice showing materials and labour.
On Sunday I filled in an online Small Claims Court form.
On Tuesday the client rang to say he would send us some money, as he didn't want anyone to send him to court.
On Wednesday we got the court papers statin Flash would have recieved his court paperwork on Tuesday. This means that with still no bill sorted out to send he must have reang his client, to beg.
This morning,Thursday I got a check fo 3/4 of the money direct from the client, rest to follow upon Flash giving him the correct invoices.
I put it in the bank and crossed my fingers.
Amazing how quickly a court lettercan work isn't it? Wish we hadn't been so patient now.
2 people like this
7 responses
@ossie16d (11821)
• Australia
16 Feb 07
Who cares whether or not he is a relation because he tried to rip you off and that is the end of the story. Had he done it to anyone else, I am quite sure that they would have taken action much sooner than you did. It is a fact that sometimes you do have to take legal action to get what is rightfully owed.
Actually I would have said that they have to pay for the costs incurred in getting the court order, because it has cost you dearly already. In business, most people do not have that sort of money sitting around idle and I am certain that you can put the money to good use.
I do remember that many years ago we were told "never go into or do business with a relation or a good friend. If you need a partner, then choose your worst enemy, because if things go wrong, the relationship cannot get any worse". I think that is words of widsom that I will always remember, as we have found that they can be very true in most instances.
I do hope that they cheque clears okay for you rainbow, and also that you get the rest of the money that is owing to you. :)
@rainbow (6761)
•
16 Feb 07
oh Ossie, I love your replies so much, you always make me smile! Thakn-you so much for your support and knowledge.
Of course as always you are right and the court fees will eventually be paid back provided they can find a way of parting flash from cash or getting him to invoice the client properly so he will pay us direct, it's such fun.
Shrek alway took pity on him as he's always having problems and gets him work most of the time. Flash is going to find life a lot harder now, you don't bite the hand that feeds you. It's quite nice that he and his mum have stopped visiting us.
Shrek usually just takes his mates with him and they all write their own bills, no problems with the paperwork. Flash got the job but told the client he was in patnership and asked for cheques to just be wrote to him. He never passed on any details and offered to send Shreks bill along with his own. As he is my cousin Shrek went along with this, usually on his mates jobs he would have insisted on his own contract.
It is a hard lesson to learn for Shrek, I said from the start it'd be a mess and he wouldn't get paid. He feels a little better now we have some of the money potentially back.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 07
Yes it is very amazing how fast things work when you start threatening with Courts. I just hope that the Cheque is ok for you but I think the Client would be pretty stupid if he sent you one that would bounce. As you have the Courts involved now.
@rainbow (6761)
•
16 Feb 07
The way the last couple of months have gone with this, I wouldn't expect anything at all to go right if I'm honest. We just have to wait til Tuesday and then the fight for the rest continues. We have had to let a property we wanted to restore go already as we couldn't get the deposit together because we didn't want to borrow the deposit on top of the other items. Never mind, plenty more land and buy to let coming up at the moment.
1 person likes this
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
15 Feb 07
It is a shame when people cannot do something that they agree to do without authorities becoming involved. I hope it hasn't costed you any money to file those papers. Hope he does not come to you again without paperwork proving he will repay you and on what schedule. Sorry you had to go through this learning experience. Glad that you have 3/4 of the money.
1 person likes this
@rainbow (6761)
•
16 Feb 07
It has cost us £120 for the papers but if we get this £1500 cheque to clear which it should Tuesday we will only be about £700 down, including court fees. This has to be an improvement on £2165, (£2045 + court). I am crossing my fingers. There are so many other projects this money could be going towards, and it makes me cross that my family member could do this and most of the family think we are being unreasonable but how can we just give away 4 weeks work and buy materials too?
@rainbow (6761)
•
15 Feb 07
When I started filling the form in it said £30 but when I put the amount in, £2045 + 8% court allowed interest it went up to £120 so it must depend on how much it is for, all the costs are to the other person if the court says they have to pay you. If they are bancrupted etc then you may not be paid but it's only about the same price as a solicitors letter.
If the cheque clears we will have £1500 of what is owed so at worst we are still better off.
We've left it since the start of December because he's my cousin but at some point you have to say enough is enough. Shame none of the family are talking to us now, but I'm quite enjoying the peace and quiet if I'm honest.
@rainbow (6761)
•
15 Feb 07
Thank you so much for your support, Shrek has kept him in work most of the time for 3 years and we have helped with his mortgage and debts on occasion so really he's the last person who should try to rip us off. The first job he gets he tries to con us and the client, it's proffesionally embarrassing apart from the money, he's telling people was are being unfair to ask for a months wages for a month worked, crazy, it's like he's the victim. I hated having to do it but at least if this cheque clears on Tuesday we will have caught up a little bit.
This is a lesson never to help ot family as it has caused so much trouble.
@rainbow (6761)
•
15 Feb 07
It's an awful thing to do, threatening your cousin with a court case and I'm sure a lot of people feel it is wrong, but it's business and we do have children to look after. We are still about £700 down if this cheque clears next Tuesday so fingers crossed as it is stopping us doing other things. Thank-you so much for your support!
hugs!
