need advice-client hasn't paid

[geddy]

I am mobile and groomed this lady's dogs before Christmas. She wrote me a check for 185 and it bounced. My bank didn't charge me. I called her and told her and she said she would get a check in the mail. Well, it never came, so i called again and left a voice mail telling her i haven't gotten it yet, wondering if she mailed it, and gave her my address AGAIN. So weeks went by, i finally mailed her a self addressed, stamped envelope with my name and address. STill haven't gotten it. So this was before Christmas. I called her today and left another vm and said, Hi .... this is .. , i was just wondering if you got my self addressed envelope , told her i hope she is doing well, and thanked in advance so needless to say i have been very nice, even though i'm sooo pissed. Here's the question........How would yall handle this? I need to stay professional, not attitudish, so i really don't know what to do next? Any advice?

[flemishr2cool]

Keep sending monthly bills with a 10-15% late payment charge, or make that a general rule that you are doing it and start doing it. If she doesn't send it I think the only other option you have is small claims court and I'm not sure 185 is worth it. I suppose you could send it to a collections agency. You won't get the total $185 but it could be a last resort. Not my area of expertise I'm just going off of what I know Veterinary Clinics do.

[felzenhaus]

My old boss used to send her husband to the owners house. I have to mention he was a funeral director and would drive the hearse. Ha Ha. It worked though. I suppose if I were in the neighborhood when they are home, I would stop by. Maybe even a couple times if need be. I don't think sending them more bills will help as this is already Feb. and you've done that several times with the phone messages. I know here in Illinois, my vet takes people to court all the time for bad checks and gets three times the amount. See if you can find out what the laws are where you live. Good luck. Bad checks are awful.

[neanea]

First of all, is the check made out to you or a biz name? If it's made out to you, keep taking it to the bank until the funds are there and then CASH it! If it's made out to your biz, keep taking it to her bank and when the funds are there, immediately take it to your bank and deposit it!

If neither of these solutions work, write her a certified (signature required) letter stating you will take it to the magistrate/DA (or other law office) and let them handle it if it's not taken care of + the returned check fee's by X date. Writing a bad check (and knowing it) is considered (here in nc) as obtaining property by false pretense if you don't cover it! Also let her know that IF it's not paid in full and you have to take papers out on her, she will be responsible for your legal fee's as well.

Sorry your having to deal with this mess, ugh!

[snickerpoodles]

If neither of these solutions work, write her a certified (signature required) letter stating you will take it to the magistrate/DA (or other law office) and let them handle it if it's not taken care of + the returned check fee's by X date. Writing a bad check (and knowing it) is considered (here in nc) as obtaining property by false pretense if you don't cover it! Also let her know that IF it's not paid in full and you have to take papers out on her, she will be responsible for your legal fee's as well.

Sorry your having to deal with this mess, ugh!

Yep, we've had to threaten people with the DA's office before. Funny how they don't think twice about paying until you let them know they can get in serious legal trouble for it. Passing a worthless check is an offense here and you can have a warrant sworn on someone.

Had to do this twice. Started out nice. Gave them each one month to pay. Telling them they're gonna be charged by the cops for a worthless check has worked wonders. But, make sure to contact your local authorities to make sure you are following proper procedure.

[purplememere]

If they are military, you can threaten to notify their CO. No one wants that. It is illegal for the military to write NSF checks. I know because my son is military and I deal with a lot of military with Fort Bragg and Pope. I actually had a captain's wife bounce a check on 2 May 09 and didn't get the replacement until 11 July 09. She continually lied and told me she had mailed it. I even told her I would go by her house and pick it up. Nothing happened until my son sent her husband an email to his military address and then I got paid!!

Best of luck getting the money.

Marilyn

[Particentral]

You need to send her a certifed, retrun receipt requested letter demanding under your states laws payment in full within the time your state allows or else you go file charges. She will pay. DO NOT call her again. Send the letter because you could lose out if you dont act fast enough. Some states have a timeframe for filing.

[Particentral]

http://www.lawdog.com/states/nc/checks.htm

this outlines exactly what you need to do to collect in NC.

[Jenneversage64]

What nea nea said

it is time consuming and a lot of trouble but may be worth it. You would win fior sure, but then the burden to collect falls on you. I'd follow thru. This person has no intention of paying you unless they see it is best if they do. In the future only accept cash for large amnts. Or cash only to doubtful ones you don't really know. If you mail bills have them signed by her. You have to do that for small claims anyway. If the check bounced as I think you said, the attn General is suppose to have a dept to handle those. Flat out against the law and theft of service. Teach her a lesson~!

[edderland]

Years ago I had a client give me a bad check; wouldn't come pay for it; I wrote her the registered letter thingie; then after 10 days took it to the magistrate's court. They told me, good luck, there are whole bunch of people ahead of you on her. About 18 months later I got a check from the magistrate's office for the returned check and bank fee,a nd my filing costs.I was really surprised, but apparently she decided to gradually pay them all off rather than go to jail. she had so many it would have been a felony.
Deidre

[odette]

Do what Parti said, she is 100% correct. Much luck.

[baddog]

Go to her house ,during dinner, and offer to drive her to the nearest ATM

[kats_melody]

If they are military, you can threaten to notify their CO. No one wants that. It is illegal for the military to write NSF checks. I know because my son is military and I deal with a lot of military with Fort Bragg and Pope. I actually had a captain's wife bounce a check on 2 May 09 and didn't get the replacement until 11 July 09. She continually lied and told me she had mailed it. I even told her I would go by her house and pick it up. Nothing happened until my son sent her husband an email to his military address and then I got paid!!

Best of luck getting the money.

Marilyn

A word from the hubby:
"Hmmm. I have to speak up about this one. My career in the military was in public affairs. I had to take calls like that every day, and route them to the proper link in the chain of command. Frequently it was a military SPOUSE who had gone out of control on spending, bounced checks, generally made an ass of herself. No matter. The military member, be he officer or enlisted, got in BIG time trouble. We talking some instances of loss of rank or dismissal from the service. Do you really want the money THAT bad?

Have the civilian authorities deal with it and the person who wrote you the bad check is the one who gets in trouble. Taking it to the military only screws up the career of what could be an exemplary soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine. I stressed that to callers, but if they insisted, I had no choice. Working on the wing commander's staff, that meant the fecal storm that started at that level was a full blown hurricane by the time it got down to the poor guy whose only crime was marrying someone who could not handle money. Yes, they do non-judicial punishments for military members who cannot keep their family members on the straight and narrow. In such matters, commanders have NO tolerance."

Now from me. Just call the local state attorney's office and leave the military out of it. It causes more problems than are solved, like spousal abuse, the military member losing rank and pay, or being booted out of the service entirely. Both my husband and I are Air Force veterans. We've been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and seen this stuff first hand.


Laura

[Smart-n-Pretty]

Go to her house ,during dinner, and offer to drive her to the nearest ATM

Good idea. Instead of letting the DA do their job go vigilante on her so later she can claim you robbed her and you do hard time. Brilliant.

[k2p1e]

Send her bill to collections...lket them harass her life for the next year no you won't get your money but the satisfaction that she is now as annoyed as you are