Need help non paying customer

I installed some fencing on a street that consisted of 9 houses. We finished up last week. I handed out final bills all but one had hard time finding them while they were home. Well today i finally found her when i went to give her the bill she went on very rudely to tell me that she was unhappy about the fence due to the way the fence joined to the house. I find it funny that her house has been done for over a week and i never got a phone call from here explaing any of it. The only phone call i got from her was a rude one of her being pissed because we moved the concrete thing that goes under the down spout of a gutter. We forgot to put it back. So i went over and move it. She basicly came out and said she wasn't paying the balance of $977.00. I tried to explain how and why it was done that way couldn't get a word in at all. So instead of me losing my cool and nearly blowing up at her i left. I will try calling her tomorrow. Any ideas to help me.

[picframer]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by patphish123 I installed some fencing on a street that consisted of 9 houses. We finished up last week. I handed out final bills all but one had hard time finding them while they were home. Well today i finally found her when i went to give her the bill she went on very rudely to tell me that she was unhappy about the fence due to the way the fence joined to the house. I find it funny that her house has been done for over a week and i never got a phone call from here explaing any of it. The only phone call i got from her was a rude one of her being pissed because we moved the concrete thing that goes under the down spout of a gutter. We forgot to put it back. So i went over and move it. She basicly came out and said she wasn't paying the balance of $977.00. I tried to explain how and why it was done that way couldn't get a word in at all. So instead of me losing my cool and nearly blowing up at her i left. I will try calling her tomorrow. Any ideas to help me. You can inform here that you would rather not go this route but you can file a judgement on the property then go to small claims, I am assuming you have something in writing, contract, agreement or emails.

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Andy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

[Steve]

Hi Pat,

Could you tell us how you had the payment and agreement set up?

[NewLeafca]

Originally Posted by Steve

Hi Pat,

Could you tell us how you had the payment and agreement set up?

Am interested in this also. I have a limit that anything over $500.00 requires half up front the balance on completion. Did you make up a contract at all? Any large project I due I give the client an estimate first in writing. If they agree to it then they must sign the estimate. After that they also sign a separate contract for the job.

I had one client that I did a fence for and he didn't want to pay. I told him I would give him 15 days to pay the balance and if not then I would have to take legal action. He came back a few days latter and said that he was still unhappy with the fence but his lawyer advised him to pay me because he would most likely loose in court due to the contracts that he signed.

i did give a estimate that has been signed by her. I also took half up front.

[NewLeafca]

Originally Posted by patphish123

i did give a estimate that has been signed by her. I also took half up front.

That is good it gets you on the right foot. Each state is different in what is needed for collection process. The one thing that I would do from now on is that every correspondence with client should be done certified mail. This way you have prove of what you have said to client.

[Steve]

You should read this blog post and this forum post. I think it will help

A landscaping and lawn care debt collection letter that works.
http://lawnchat.com/?p=323

http://gopherforum.com/showthread.php?t=7627

Keep us updated on what is going on.

[stevef1201]

Hope yopu have a lawyer. If so turn it over to him. Most states have a requiremnt that the loser pays reasonable attoryies fees and costs