Customer Refusing to Pay

[seco services]

Not sure if you can change your mind after the bailiffs have been threatened.

your not changing your mind you state you never refused to pay just couldn't pay it in one go but the installer/builder what ever wouldn't except the offer.

The courts will want to do a financial assessment income and outgoings have to be declared and then the courts will agree on what is a reasonable periodic payment. Only individuals on benefits usually get away with a £1 a week.

don't you believe it by the time you've spent out gone through all the agro that one failed non paying customer can put the average self employed builder etc into serious credit problems.

and the easiest way to get round it is don't have the work done in your name.

 

[heatingman]

with the way things are at the moment if you have it all signed and agreed, i'd sell the debt to a proffesional leg breaker fo a 30-50% loss. And sleep well knowing you got something back, and one way or other the arse##le is gonna pay. Remember that golden rule "payment on completion", no ifs buts or maybes. write it all over your paperwork and remind the customer on day before starting the job, any arguements or concerns just walk away. Better to lose a days money than risk a full job plus materials held in limbo while some stroppy barsteward thinks of every reason not to pay. The longer it drags on the harder it is to get your money from them.

 

[lostinfens]

It is extremely unlikely that any judge would agree to a derisory repayment agreement. The sum will be fixed in the court at the time of the case. If there are extenuating circumstances claimed, then an "Order for Questions" may be requested & enforced. This means that the defendant will be summoned to give on oath before a court official a full account of his finances, bank accounts & disposable income. The courts are not so lax or stupid as to allow pointless offers of repayment.
It is worth pointing out to any potential debtor that a CCJ is major minus when acquiring credit & will certainly have a detrimental impact, possibly even worse than the disputed sum.

Also, in reply to secos estimation of costs involved, there is a sliding scale which you can see on the courts website. Typically a claim of about £500 then it's around £60 initially plus £75 hearing fee( you'd have to check these out obviously), recoverable if you win. You may claim travelling expenses, but only £50/day loss of earnings from the defendant.

 

[Rico99]

lostinfens,

Don't be too sure fella, I have a ccj from a credit card company.

Outstanding debt was £4500.00 and I'm paying it back at ONE POUND PER MONTH.

Sometimes people will just accept any amount as it is better than nothing. All the time they keep offering me a reduced total amount to pay it all off, not low enough yet to make it worthwhile.

Rico

 

[lostinfens]

Don't know whether to say well done Rico or WTF were you thinking of? why'd you get as far as a CCJ? Your obviously not looking for any serious finance in the near future
I can't comment on the logic of credit card companies or their apparent largesse. It probably serves them right for enticing people into debt in the first place. Whereas in the case of a none paying client who first sought to have work done & then purposely & possibly with aforethought defaulted, the courts may take a different view.
Of course nothing is certain & you may be correct that he may indeed get away with such an arrangement. I very much doubt it though & I speak from experience, I'm even now awaiting a payment from the baliffs of £945 half of which is costs. The guy paid up because he was left with the possibility of his car, telly or anything else of value going down his garden path in full view of the neighbours.
I've previously obtained payment by the threat of a charge on a property, which is also an optional lever. You can't however get the proverbial blood from a stone, but if you don't try, the bad guys win.

(what part of Ches you from,I'm from Stockport before became a missionary in the Lincs outback)

 

[seco services]

personally ccj's, debts, people phoning for payments all would bother me when i was younger but now couldn't give a monkeys i've had poll tax on the door set for missed payments
my electric are owed £1800 due to amarda f*cking my direct debit.
thats now been going on for 4 yrs since E-on took over and i've only paid £250 back.
but who cares
ccj's are only a issue if you want to go to finance companies.
go to your bank and give you a loan and alot cheaper.

 

[lostinfens]

I think you have an optimistic view of your banks lending policy. Believe me, they all have easy & comprehensive access to our credit score & a CCJ is a good -100 start from any lender. Doesn't mean to say that they won't lend, just that the terms & conditions won't be favourable.
Further to the recent case which I mentioned earlier. By coincidence I bumped into the w@*ker going into a pub for a meal with no1 daughter tonight. There was a bit of a face off, he's 18 stone I'm 12 & half dripping wet. He's a typical Lincs knuckledragger full of pith & vinegar & no brains.

 

[Johnmelad502]

Give his daughter a good slapping.

 

[kirkgas]

I bumped into the w@*ker going into a pub for a meal with no1 daughter tonight. There was a bit of a face off, he's 18 stone I'm 12 & half dripping wet. .

i hope nothing bad happened to his car in the car park!!

 

[studips]

He thinks one of the radiators is not level. Even though we showed him with a spirit level.

level relative to what? is it under a window sill or over a floor that is not level?

 

[conny]

If its level with the spirit level but not the floor or window ledge then his house must be subsiding.

 

[studips]

subsiding is a bit extreme - i've done the same thing - fitted a rad only to be told it was not level (when IT was) - first time it was the floor that was out, second time a window sill.

now i make a point of taking window sills into account before i commit myself!