[angela stone]

Hi guys,

I have a situation and it's my own fault!!

I have a customer who we charge £60 a week to clean her house.  She has been a cust for about a year now.  Anyway, she always pays me cash weekly, no probs, if she's left for work early she will leave it in a drawer for me.  On occasion she has not paid until the following week, but overall never a problem.
Also she has never complained.

In Jan, I got a call the day before cancelling for the next day, she was going to Spain.  Then she cancelled by text for the following 2 weeks. It turned out her dad had died who lived in Spain, and I felt quite sorry for her.

Roll on to Feb, she now owes me £240 and cancelled in March by text at 9pm the night before and then we turned up the following week, for her to tell my staff that she had txt me the night before and that she didn't need us again (coincidentally she didn't txt!) - and the house was now up for sale!
The following week I tried to contact her to find out if she wanted us the following day - she was basically ignoring me.  So I then txt her to say that we would not be coming as was unfair for staff to find out so late what their hours for the following day would be and that I would be sending her invoices through for the amount owed. I posted them the following day with a letter to pay within 7 days.

The 7 days were up last Thursday and no payment. She doesn't return my phone calls.  I have a feeling I will have to go to a debt collecting agency now as I don't want her to move house and not be able to get what I'm owed.  It's principle more than anything, she's worth a bomb and I've done the work with no complaint from her.  She's really p****ed me off. 

What would everyone do now in my shoes?

p.s don't shout at me for getting in this situation.  I'm already kicking myself a lot !


cheers

ange

[BDCS]

Be brave, take a minder and go round and bang on the door really hard and very politely ask for the money, be firm and tell her you will start small claims proceedings against her if she dos'nt pay you. If you get nowt that evening fill the forms online then when you win she won't be able to sell till she pays you - Warm feeling !!!!

[Wipe Away]

the best thing you can probably do is get a small charge put on her house, if you speak to a solicitor they will advise you (they have to give you 15 mins free time) then when she sells she will have to pay to release the charge and costs to you..... or speak to the local court and they will advise you, i would write her a letter first saying your intentions and no doubt she will pay up

[rob fryer]

If you put a charge on her house i dont think she can sell it so that will make her pay i would think.

[Stevie G]

send a headed letter with invoice total at the bottom.
"you must pay within 7 days to prevent court action also interest
will be added after 7 days"

done this a few times seems to work. iv'e a copy somewhere if you need it.

good luck.

[The Great One]

Hi

You can say that you will go to the small claims court, or you will hand it over to a debt collection agency, this will damage her credit rating, they may end up putting an order on her house.

Regards

Martin