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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 14, 2013 - 10:42am PT
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you know the type.
you send them the invoice.
nothing.
a cordial phone call,
dodgy noise on the dumb-end of the line:
"uh, i don't have the money right now,
i'll call you by friday."
nothing.
short of expensive litigation,
threats, and guilt-ridden slander,
how do you hard-working folk
navigate these pieces of sheets?
what tactics could i employ to
avoid this in the future.
the situation under scrutiny,
is that i mounted an internet satelite
in a tree top for a client,
and when i held out my hand for payment,
the hippy freak in a cute dress
told me to send her an invoice.
should i collect 1/2 before stepping in the tree?
suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2013 - 10:48am PT
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randsi
i sent her an invoice,
no reply.
i called her hubby and he was dodgy,
and told me he'd call me by friday,
which has come and gone.
another pleading call from me?
give up on the 200 bucks?
drive to their place with my daughters in toe?
chalk it up to a lesson?
i'll probably just go climbing and forget about the mess behind me.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Jul 14, 2013 - 10:49am PT
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It's a judgement call. I don't have enough fingers and toes to account for the jobs i have turned down. You had a first impression, that is obvious. In the future, walk away or get advanced pay.
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 14, 2013 - 10:54am PT
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Climb back up the tree and disconnect it until payment which now includes a $50 a--hole fee!
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Stewart Johnson
climber
lake forest
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:00am PT
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Don't burp on you're client
No one wants to pay a drunk
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2013 - 11:01am PT
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so i drive an hour and re-climb the tree,
and now i've done it twice for free.
i don't know if my principles are worth 200 bucks.
shut the f*#k up stewy.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:04am PT
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If you are in California or any other state with a Contractors licensing law and don't have one you are truly f*#ked.
If you have one,
Mechanics liens and stop notices work wonders.
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:06am PT
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"should i collect 1/2 before stepping in the tree?"
Good judgment of the character of the client is the lodestar. If in doubt, only begin work with 50% upfront. On the quality of client continuum, some clients are so flakey that the only defense is to refuse to work for them. Doctors, lawyers, the ultra-rich are the prime candidates for workmen to decline to assist without payment in full in advance. With your story, I think the list now should include hippie chicks. During my years of active practice of law, I always got a retainer in advance and always sent monthly billing. If the monthlies weren't paid, my work stopped. Regular billing and retainers are in line for workmen too. Hey, you are a professional too.
Randisi, you are off base and out of line.
I think Churchill told this story of ethics. If a person fails to pay his workmen immediately upon completion and ask what he owes, that person is not a gentlemen. He must be billed and dunned until he pays up; he is not entitled to gentle treatment.
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Stewart Johnson
climber
lake forest
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:10am PT
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Sober up then think
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MisterE
Social climber
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:19am PT
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Deans tactic seems like a good one...for 50 Grand.
200 bucks? Not so much.
Drive up there once and make a deal with her on the spot for a discount to not bug her any more about it.
If she still doesn't pay anything, walk away from it and insist on 50% up front always in the future.
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Stewart Johnson
climber
lake forest
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:23am PT
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Have you ever had to deal with someone who's been drinking in the morning
or hugely hungover from the night before,
And wants to work or go climbing?
Not any fun
shits gonna hit the fan eventually.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:30am PT
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You've never been to a sushifest & certainly not climbed with many California's.
Almost everyone I climb with, drinks late into the night, till they pass out --- then get up early so they can down a few & smoke a lot --- & off to climb.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2013 - 11:33am PT
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yea i am admittedly naive (and i got no license for this satelite gig).
i agree that instinct is my best tool.
this client was sketchy from the get go:
a trailer way out in the middle of no map;
trash everywhere;
tons of dogs yapping and nipping at my ankles
(i wear knee high leather boots when climbing)
super spacy hippy chick wafts out of the trailer
when i arrive, all free smiles everywhere
but not a dime chinking in her patchwork pockets.
i try not to stigmatize,
my pops was the worst at that.
dont make fun of my 200 bucks!
that's funding for a week long climbing trip;
a week of groceries for the family.
by the way, my way is to feed
my gals organic food in the castle i built them,
while i drink keystone light out
in the wood crib with dirt floors.
stewart, sir. i always work sober,
and my dental hygiene is stalwart.
i do occasionally flatulate and
piss from the top of the tree when
my coffee needs to move out,
but only when no one is looking or listening.
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Dr. Christ
Mountain climber
State of Mine
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:35am PT
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Track them down. Call 911 and say they look like they are up to no good or on drugs or something. Then start a fight and shoot them... in self-defense, obviously.
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Stewart Johnson
climber
lake forest
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Jul 14, 2013 - 11:42am PT
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Yup there's nothing worse than doing work and not getting paid for it
Welcome to the club
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2013 - 12:29pm PT
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it's kind of a gray area, cragman.
i'm licensed / insured for tree removals
but not for tree installs.
if they want to spend the resources to tag me,
then so be it.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jul 14, 2013 - 12:33pm PT
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You have to be licensed to install a dish?
Wow, regional differences for sure. There's no such thing as a building contractors license here. Kind of stupid, IMO.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Jul 14, 2013 - 12:40pm PT
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CSLB is weak..They come over here and bust 1 unlicensed person and 30 others go scott-free...Offer the hippy scoundrels a free tune up on the dish , drop the tree , then hand them the dish..While sipping a kidneystone light of course....RJ
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Rankin
Social climber
Greensboro, North Carolina
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Jul 14, 2013 - 12:45pm PT
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Norweigan, don't engage in any form of self-help like removing the dish. In California you only have to be licensed for projects valued at $500 or more for labor and materials. You have legal recourse, but it will probably not be needed. But just so you know, California does handle small claims in their general court system, which do not require, and in fact prohibit lawyers from appearing in court. http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-smallclaims.htm
My advice, although I am not your attorney (disclaimer, haha), is to write a tasteful demand letter addressing the issues to the client. Good luck.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jul 14, 2013 - 12:48pm PT
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$200 to climb a tree and lag a dish to it sounds about right to me.
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