At 3:21 PM -0800 11/21/01, Medi Montaseri wrote: >Hi....I know this is not the lawyers hang-out, but it is seasoned >contractor's hangout and as such I need some legal advice...May I? > >I did some work (about $25000 worth) for a customer and I'm having >problem collecting. > >One big problem is that I don't have a formal signed hardcopy contract >binding my customer to the work and cost. I however do have verbal, >email communications, FTP logs, Web Access logs, hardcopy business >projections, Witnesses and such showing that I'm not making this up. > >After months of promissing sweet equity, partnership, this and that, >finally customer has asked me to invoice them and charge interest for the >unpaid balance. At the same time customer is using the application >I wrote for them. I however have a feeling that they are simply buying >time and differing the problem. And they might even file chapter 11 as >their marketing projection was not so correct. But I did my part. > >What can I do?
Contact a lawyer. Then tell the client that you have contacted a lawyer. Put this in writing and sign it. Be specific and let them know what it is exactly that you want, and that if they do not comply, you'll be forced to enlist the service of a lawyer and file suit. Most of the time, this will be enough to get them to pay... Nobody want's a legal battle, least of all a small business. If they fail to pay, you have two options. Bite the bullet and move on or sue them. I am not a lawyer, but this is the process that my friend went through when he did about $20,000 worth of work for a client that was more than 180 days delinquent. After court costs and lawyer fees, etc., he walked away with $8,000. Not great, but better than nothing. Rob -- "Only two things are infinite: The universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the former." --Albert Einstein
