Bastards - non-payment of work...

[Dave_L]

Did some surfacing at a local car hire outlet under the instruction of a property maintenance company, back in November 2015.

Since then, no payment, no contact and office have only been able to get in contact by phone once. No return or acknowledgement of emails both from the QS I dealt with and the general info@ email address.

Do any of you guys have any experience of handling this? It's about £7k+VAT we are talking about.

I'm thinking my next step is to send a letter, detailing the situation and setting a firm date for at least some form of contact to discuss the outstanding amount.

I'm also of a mind to go in there and speak with the manager, outline the situation and see what can be done from their end? They must have some form of communication with them, as I see they do other works for the client elsewhere.

The company base is some distance from me, so turning up on the door is unachievable.

From then on, it's unchartered territory for me. Small claims court?

I'd really like to turn up with our planer and rip it up, but that'll only get me into trouble.

It's now playing on my mind and causing me some sleepless nights.

HELP!

[dig dug dan]

I do have experience of this kind of thing, and have had a 100% success rate using smail claims courts.
I would write to them giving them 14 days in which to pay in full. Send it recorded delivery. If after that time, no payment is recieved, then go online and use moneyclaim to file court proceedings against them.
they will then get served notice, and will have two options, pay up or go to court.
most pay up when they get this. One guy who did hundred of pounds worth of damage to one of my crushers tried to argue his case through mediation, and still lost.
if in the worse case scenario they still do not pay after winning the case, you can send in the bailiffs!
I assume the car hire place is not the people who owe you?

[msh paving]

As daniel said, its the best way ive done it a few times, or issue a statutory demand with leads to forcing them into insolvency/bankruptcy MSH

[lutonlagerlout]

I have a messy one which has gone on 18 months,cannot say too much here ,but would say its better to get heavy soon rather than let it drift
this is one of the reasons I dont like working for 3rd parties
LLL

[bobbi o]

I've got a professional "harasser" who turns up daily at the debtors door until we get paid.

This doesn't always work and I then let a lawyer deal with it.

I wouldn't worry about it tho,its a hazard of the trade and you can write it off against tax if you cant get it back.

7k's not a bigy. its when its 20+ you really start to worry.

[Dave_L]

Thanks all, it's only really about £3000 worth of material and a days work for five but it's the principle of it. They want to be my best friend before the works are carried out then run and hide once its done.

Once bitten twice shy.

I'll send a final demand this week and then if no reply within 14 days I'll start the MCOL process. I won't chuck lots of money at it, treat it as a learning curve.

It's all in last years accounts, we did well, so keep looking forward.