Ever Had To Threaten A Client With A Lawsuit?

Fiver

Fiver

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Jan 30, 2009
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I have a client who hasn't payed in over 6 months and neither emails or phone calls seem to help. She makes empty promises and then doesn't deliver.

At what point do you threaten to take them to small claims court to get your money back and how would/did you do it?
 


I wouldn't wait 6 months, I'd probably go legal 14 days after the last agreed payment date, assuming the amount warrants it.
 
You don't threaten them. You just do it.

Did you sign a contract with this person? Have you ever taken someone to small claims court? What venue has been established in your contract for legal disputes?
 
Only people who don't have attorneys threaten with legal action.

Have your attorney send them a notice of legal action or whatever it is called.

Also, you waited WAY too long.
 
there's no threatning with the small claims court. it's a simple form on your end.

that court letter in the door scares a lot of people into paying and is well worth the €25. if that doesn't work then it's up to you to pursue. i'd leave it unless it's a huge amount.
 
Just do it. You are experiencing conflict within your social portion of your brain. The part that wants everyone to like him, the part where you want to be admired and the type of person people flock to at parties.

Little do you know this type of person, the popular, social , loveable guy is the one who rips out hearts and eats them with a smile.

Now go fill out that paperwork, but do it with glorious intent to be loved in this world like a fat kid loves cake.
 
i threatened because the unpaid balance was in excess of small claims. luckily the threat worked.
 
Get a credit card up front to put on file as security, build it in to the contract. If they don't pay, charge the card.
 
Small claims is not hard. Keep in mind that you can only go there if the amount you want is less than a fairly small amount ($5k in my neck of the woods). ProTip: keep the emotion out of it, connect the logical dots (signed a contract-->did not pay-->owes me $$$) and be done. Oh, and if the judge tells you do focus on something or answer a specific question, do it. There is nothing better than to be on the other side of a pro se litigant who doesn't listen to the judge's instructions.

If small claims doesn't excite you, pay a lawyer a few hundred to write a nasty-gram, but be prepared to go to court if the letter is ignored.
 
^Disagree.

What's the point of wasting your time and money if it's a small amount? Just ruin her reputation online and move on... chances are she'll come back begging you to remove your reviews.

Learn from your mistake. Next time charge beforehand or make sure you're dealing with legit people that wouldn't risk their reputation for a couple dollars. If you're doing SEO for her, remove your links.
 
Am I the only one who'd simply stop doing work, forget about it and chalk it up to experience?
 
Typical approach coming from the debt collection industry...

If someone isn't answering calls or emails, you are legally allowed to do what you like (within reason) to attempt to establish contact with them again. Call their wife/girlfriend, neighbors, ex-boss, employees, kids teachers, anyone you can get a hold of and ask how to get in contact with them because they owe you money. When someones reputation is getting fucked with, they usually do whatever they can to mitigate the exposure.
 
I threatened Jeffrey with a lawsuit after he refused to pay for my $5 handjob and it did not turn well.
 
I wait til I get a couple of these, package them up and sell them to a recovery service. I love knowing that I got something back and they are getting hounded. Yes you will not get anywhere near the full amount from a recovery service but it's something and when I figure in court costs, attorney fees and my time and trouble it seems like a good deal.
 
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