Staged payments - client not paying

[IQ Electrical]

Well you would walk away from £30,000 on principle, wouldn't you?

 

[telectrix]

i'd have walked away and returned with a bulldozer. amazing how these people cough up when threatened with demolition.

 

[The Cavalry]

I know how you feel, am just finding out how to take someone to court. Apparently you can make someone bankrupt if they owe 750 or more! next stop 'how to put a charge on a property' !!

 

[accordfire]

I know how you feel, am just finding out how to take someone to court. Apparently you can make someone bankrupt if they owe 750 or more! next stop 'how to put a charge on a property' !!

If a person owes more than £750, you can invoke a statutory document against a person, petitioning bankruptcy, called a STATUTORY DEMAND. If your debtor is a business, look into a winding up petition.

Go the route of a statutory demand, and you won't need to worry about property charges. It's cheap too.

 

[accordfire]

I'm after some opinions please.

Full rewire, original agreement was payment on completion of first fix, then second fix then on completion.

Project has had "a few" unscheduled" pauses (caused by other trades) so payments were agreed to be at month ends. All was going well until submission of my March invoice which hasn't been paid, and still hasn't.

Client is now saying they won't pay until its all done, completed and tested.

Whilst I could accommodate this change its leaving me awfully short of cash and my concern now is what if they delay payments again I'll be in trouble with the bank.

My inclination is to complete the live testing then remove the busbars from the CU until they pay .....

How would approach this?

Murdoch - like others have said, first step is to identify whether or not this contract was on written terms, or if it was a verbal agreement. By what means did you come to an agreement with the customer that they would pay monthly or in stages? Was it verbal?

If written, you have the basis of a court claim, and other actions. If not, bluff will be your best bet (within reason).

Given the situation you seem to be in - e.g. one payment missed, further materials on account, you need to act now, and stop all work until the matter is resolved.

Your first best bet is to meet face to face with the customer, and present them with the originally agreed terms, and ask, again, to be paid to date, so you can fulfil the reminder of your obligations under your agreement. If they refuse, ask why, and ask for it in writing.

Your likely response in this case will be issue of (a) a solicitor's letter, and (b) court papers or a statutory demand.

I would, prior to this, ensure that any materials purchased but not yet used, are removed from site forthwith, until such time as you can fit them, or return them to your supplier for credit.

It's hard to know exactly how to advise without further information about the basis of the agreement, and current status though.

 

[nick182]

plenty of so called sparks will finnish and job .....no problem, you assume that everyone is as ethical as you, well they aint...
i would be threatning to rip my work out and bill them for the time i have spent doing it. DOUBT THEY WILL PAY but at least they dont get your work for free

Can you actually do that or can they charge you with vandalism? Im in the same boat in terms of not getting paid.. and ive installed downlights, emergency lighting etc?

I seriously want to rip it all out now infront of his customers and bill him for the time spent doing so.

 

[tawraste]

wasn't there a builder in the news about a year or so ago who turned up at a non paying clients' house and took down the porch he had built for her?
i'm pretty sure he got away with that, and amid much publicity too. i've tried to google this news item, but unfortunately i'm out of time - should have left the house a good 10 minutes ago.....

 

[tawraste]

here we go:
Builder | Hit back | Demolished porch and conservatory | Not paid for | The Sun |News

 

[Mark_Burgess]

I would have loved to have been a neighbour watching and laughing at it!!

 

[topquark]

I bet he had a nice big grin of satisfaction on his face as well

 

[Big n Daft]

Talk to the client, find a way forward that involves them parting with cash. What has been said before, they think they have paid too much for work at present, may be the case. If so put your case forward. Then have a signed contract for all works going forward.
If they then become stubborn, nails, materials away, take everything you can then stat demand or small claims on line.:90: