He will just BS his way out of it, say someone told him it was his fault, maybe they did the damage on purpose knowing they could just easily fix it, his friend the plumber probably made it rain a little, plumber probably handy himself could fix it up.
Man, so sorry you had to go through all that, but I'm really glad your day in court turned out the way it did for you. That scamming lawyer (ahem - solicitor) ought to lose his license to practice (or whatever they do across the pond) for refusing to settle your initial transaction in the first place (theft by deception). It certainly sounds like he was setting up to never pay you in the first place (and the whole refusal to accept the results of mediation...? What a joke!) I've seen too many good people cheated out of an honest days/weeks/months work like this, myself included. It is no joke that going through court is an intimidating process, and that's why so many other guys do 'call it quits' when it comes to this. Who wants to go (and also profits from going) to court? ONLY LAWYERS! I totally understand just wanting to put it behind you, because who needs the stress of dragging this shit out for another year or more... but again, I'm glad your day in court turned out the way it did for you. Hopefully the anxiety over it will subside over time, cause you still seem to be suffering some PTSD over this, and I know how you feel.
Almost the exact hing happened to me. Sued a lawyer in court to collect unpaid bill. He tried to intimidate me throughout the process as I was arguing Pro Se (by myself) and I still prevailed as you did. I am proud of you man.
I've been a Contractor for thirty years. A bit of a tip: Everyone knows the last payment is the hardest. They love the work but buyers remorse sets in and they don't want to pay. So I've found it's much easier if I ask for half up front on small jobs. For larger jobs, I always ask for ten percent at signing, 1/3 at start and 1/3 at half way point, which means the final payment is only 24 percent (a lower payment then the 30%). Much easier to get out of them. Change Order payments are due before work is commenced on change orders, not at the end of job.
Agreed and as i customer if I can pay more at the start I will especially if they have a decent track record. After all there also other incentives they are more likely to go out of their way put in extra effort, etc.
@@zerpo "which means the final payment is only 20 percent. Much easier to get out of them." Was my quote. I got lazy on the math . However, most large jobs have miscelaneous extras or over allowances versus under allowances that balance out to slightly above quoted price.
I am a carpenter and I have found that the people with the most money are the most penny pinching. Well done sticking to your guns because it would have been so easy to just swallow your loss. People like your customer try it on and hope that the tradesman will back off. Brilliant stuff mate. So glad you stuck it to him.
You hit the nail on the head, the more money they have the more hassle. So many times I’ve had to wait till the client gets his monthly wage, shows you they are all on the credit.
Thats the reason they have money in first place, by scamming and pulling tricks like this on people,and being cheap fucks. Pathethic is what the world came out to be
@@HowToSandAFloor As a chartered surveyor working for more than 45 years, I can assure you that everything that you said was correct, something that is quite rare these days. Keeping to your trade has paid dividends. If we met to discuss a job, one look into the back of your van would tell me 90% of what I needed to know about the quality of your work. Had the dopy solicitor called me in to supervise his job, I would have insisted that the entire area be treated as one.
@@johnchristmas7522 When I an looking for a good tradesman outside my normal work area, a quick chat on the phone gives me a good idea about the quality of their work. On a few occasions when I sense a cowboy. I still invite him to take a look at the job. I just tell him to call me 30 minutes before he arrives, so that I can have someone to meet him and tie his horses up. I have not yet had a guy take me up on my offer. 😊
@@wilsjane Obviously the "someone else" is pertinent. During my business life I always insisted on a contract and stage payments. That way we were both protected
As a solicitor, I am embarrassed that you were treated this way. Well done for sticking to your guns, but trying to be reasonable about it before you had no choice but to go to court.
@lightningphox would you mind me asking you a question please as I've had a solicitor as a customer who has tried playing clever too, do I go to bar about them?
You're not the only layman to have taken a solicitor to court and won. I too have done this and recognise all the feelings you described. Only because I had all my evidence was I able to refute his story was I able to gain victory. I feel that there are a lot of bullies in the legal profession who as you said try to intimidate and push others around. Well done you for not collapsing under the pressure. Best wishes my friend.
My dad was a bricklayer years ago and every so often he would get some smart alec customers refusing to pay for his work. He always offered to redo the work if they weren't happy for no labour cost , just materials. If they refused this he would go to the pub , have a few beers and go back in the evening with a sledge hammer and smash it all down!
If my brickie built a wonky wall, I'd expect him to put it right without it costing me extra in labour or material costs, not saying your dad's work was poor but just talking my own experience with poor trades people
@@fazillahi As someone who helped build a house from the ground up(I was part of the building team), and having had a client who had the nerve to deny payment for the whole thing under the pretense that he just didnt like it, (client is an architect, and the house was entirely made according to his project& design, from the foundation to the furniture), i can tell you, some people just have no decency or common sense what so ever. Needless to say the court case still goes up to this day, and we've finished the project in 2009.
@@fazillahi So would I ! Unfortunately in every case where someone tried to rip my Dad off; the brickwork was top notch. They just didn't want to pay. They were sure sorry though they crossed my old man when they were left with a pile of smashed bricks and mortar to clean up!
All that anxiety and discomfort you experienced is just evidence that you're a decent person. Good for you for going through the courts even though you didn't know what the outcome would be.
Firstly, it's not at all pathetic of you to be shaking and anxious due to this ordeal. Secondly, I applaud you for having the courage to face the fear and go through the whole process. Thirdly, congratulations on winning the case. Rightly so!
Im 72 year old, retired painter and decorator, self employed, over the years i took 6 customers to court for non payment and won every time, heres the secret, do the paperwork yourself(it can now all be done on line, it really is easy) dont get enoyed just treat it like a game and dont give up, thats what they hope you will do, its soooooo satisfying when you win and the best is that they end up with a county court judgement against their name, good luck and dont back down.
Hi jsut question from a guy whos been painting for 20 years..do you have any ill health affects from painting or is it relatively safe in your estimation long term??
@@Canadian_Eh_I Hi, started when I was 15 yoa retired at 70 yoa, I don't have any health issues, I always made sure I wore a mask when spraying any product, the trade is as safe as you care to make it, remember you are your own health and saftey officer, Take care, Jim
A self employed electrician friend out here in the sticks sometimes finds it very hard to get farmers to pay bills for vital work on their farms, often for emergency repairs at very short notice. He tends to just give up on unpaid bills after a while to 'avoid unpleasantness'. I think it's pretty disgusting that some people, often well off, get away with exploiting working people. My father had a simple system for rogue payers for his business that seemed to work. After a couple of letters, he would visit or telephone them on a Friday and ask for payment by Monday lunchtime, or he would go down to see his solicitors on Monday afternoon. He'd politely remind them he always went to court for such things, had a cast-iron case and had done it a dozen times over the years and had never lost. Not only would they be forced to pay the money owed by a court order, they'd have to pay court costs as well. Thus a £200 bill would turn into a £600 bill, that could be enforced by bailiffs. Most customers paid on the Monday.
To be honest, solicitors aren’t known for their integrity or compassion. I’ve heard and seen so many bad stories about them that I would refuse to work for one ever again. Making a very rich living out of other people’s misfortune and charging them handsomely for the privilege.
There are three kinds of person that won´t pay all and get in a discussion. These are Lawyers or Solicitors, Architects and Teachers and thats also here in Germany.
"Making a very rich living out of other peoples' misfortunes and charging them handsomely for the privilege". Not all of them. A lot of solicitors only do conveyancing and buying a property isnt a "misfortune". You might complain about the fee but it's a LOT less than the estate agent!
@@gbwildlifeuk8269 You don't even need a solicitor for conveyancing, you can do it yourself. All the searches, all the paperwork, visit to land registry etc will be done by his secretary and he will simply rubber stamp it. And charge you full whack of course.
Or honesty, all lawyers get taught how to lie, how to lie convincingly, and how to swing any argument to the other side. For lawyers that do supposed conveyancing, you pay a hell of a lot of money just for a few papers to be signed.
Why are you putting yourself down ? You ABSOLUTELY did the right thing. You might not have been the first person he has done this to either, but you might have been the first person who has actually stood up to him and refused to be intimidated. You are not stupid or silly! This is your livelihood. You did a good job and you both need and deserve to be paid for it ! Wonder what he would do if someone refused to pay him ?
@@dewindoethdwl2798 Solicitors are crooks. They all work together to take as much as they can from us. It's the case with many other agents that we employ to do work for us, sovereign beings, that we are more than capable of doing ourselves.
I thought you were about to tell us that you lost the case. I'm soooo glad you won it in the end. You deserved it. And thank you for sharing your experience and being so open and honest about it.
great idea!! I may try starting something like this in my area..... awesome... lets contractors know when to require all or part up front or invest in their own materials. why should we take all the risk all the time while they get only rewarded. ty
Your experience of court and the anxiety brought it all back to me when l took a customer to court over bouncing a cheque for painting their light aircraft. Sitting in the room so nervous until my solicitor said to me stop being so nervous, you have done nothing wrong. l suddenly thought you are right and just stared at the two aircraft owners until they looked down. l knew l had won and when the judge entered the room and mocked them for bouncing the cheque. l was awarded full settlement.
GOOD FOR YOU but also think, that time in court is lost time-thats another expense. Sometimes you might win and then the judge gives them 5 years to pay it off! THE BEST, IS TO ARM YOURSELF WITH A CONTRACT-Wont sign? walk away. Then there is the other side, walking away may land you a better contract, which you would have missed if you had not left.
This makes me feel better about my situation. Going to court as this massive state rental company stiffed me on an entire emergency pull station with remote dialing install. 40k USD they been saying checks coming for over a year now. Fuck those people. That job would have sustained me for most the year. Now I'm -40k and I did all the work.
@@xcreeseseater38 On that size of job, didn't you have a contract? Thats a lot money to pass off- I have to say, I couldn't let that just rest there.I'd probably go on holiday, while the boy'ohs paid a visit.
@@johnchristmas7522 oh yeah there was a contract for sure. thats why we are suing them now, after giving them some time as they said they would get it done ( we all know how that goes). The owner of the whole thing who works at the city said he would personally send us a check this week as he prob shit bricks when he got served papers to go to court. He thought the lady who needed to pay us did it the last time he told her to like 3 months ago, she didn't. We will see, i actually believe this guy as he hasn't really been involved and it would look really bad for city elections and such if he went to court for not paying city contractors. no one would work for them again without 100% up front.
My mother was an interior decorator. Years ago she and her business partner did some work for a couple. The husband was a dentist and the couple appeared to have money. In addition to some other redecorating work, the couple ordered a very nice dining table and 8 matching chairs. When the set came instead of one "captain's" chair (a chair with arms which is more expensive) and 7 armless chairs, there were two captain's chairs. The couple were told about the mistake. They were giving the choice of accepting the second "captain's" chair at the same price as the armless chairs OR an armless chair could be ordered for them, but it would take several weeks to arrive. The couple accepted the second captain's chair. And then they didn't pay their bill. Just as in the video, my mother and her partner kept billing the couple. The couple wouldn't pay. It finally ended up in small claims court. The couple claimed that they didn't owe anything because they had not received what they ordered. They then offered to pay only 5 cents for every dollar of the thousands of dollars they owed. Fortunately the courts did NOT find in their favor. My mother and her partner did a little checking around and found that this couple had pulled this type of stunt several times and owed money all over town. There were essentially thieves.
I am an Interior Designer. Typically, when a potential client asks you to come to their home for an initial consultation, the first 1/2 to full hour is complementary. During that past ‘Great Recession’, many designers were offering a full hour of complimentary consultation time before charging an on-the-clock fee, as we desperately needed to line up jobs. I got a call from a potential client, spent my one hour with them, and then they asked if I could provide them with my contract terms, as they were very interested in working with me, and they wanted to move forward with their project. Great! I sent them the contract, and then heard nothing. They didn’t answer my calls, as if they didn’t know me. Worse yet, this couple lived about 3 blocks away from me! Okay, so they most likely either went with another designer, or they simply had to tighten their budget, due to the recession, and couldn’t proceed with the project. A few months later, I was at a local professional designer meeting where we were discussing business, marketing, customers, etc. It turns out that seven of my fellow designers had also dealt with this same couple, each providing one hour of free design consultation, and then failing to sign the client. So far, the ‘clients’ had received eight FREE hours of designer assistance. There was a designer present, who happened to have them scheduled for a consultation in a couple of days. When she heard our conversation, she immediately called the client, placing them on speaker (with their permission), confirming the appointment. She then asked if they had any ideas of design direction they had in mind so that she could provide paint samples, cabinet hardware samples, etc. She also asked if they’d had contact with other designers, who’s design styles she may have to be aware of, and perhaps incorporate into the overall plan. They said no, she would be the first designer they’ve ever had at their home, so it was a blank palette for her to work with. Okay, great, she actually kept the appointment. The next month at our meeting, she reported that upon entering the house, it was abundantly clear that the couple had implemented design elements they had been advised of by a number of the designers, and they happened to have their construction contractor there, waiting for a direction on their next project. After about 15 minutes of surveying the project site, she was able to distract the couple and pull the contractor aside, explaining she was there for an initial consultation only, they were NOT her clients, and they’d done this to at least eight other designers in the previous 6 months. They’d been getting plenty of free design advise, although it was at times conflicting styles. The contractor realized what was happening and was furious, as they’d been stalling his progress payments. When the clients returned to the room, she told them that with so many styles, representing so many designer tastes (many of whom she was very familiar with), she couldn’t possibly provide them with any additional time or design services, as they were doing the profession a disservice by using our valuable time and resources. They were shocked that they’d been called out. None of our local designers heard from them again. Yes, word ripples through the industry when there are bad customers, AND potential customers, out there.
You have my wholehearted sympathy. I made wooden furniture for 30+ years, and my two worst customers were both solicitors. I consulted craftsmen at our local craft fair and they all had similar stories. This is a sad reflection on our legal system
I think they hope to intimidate, and if they lose and pay in the end it was worth the gamble. Look at insurance adjusters, they always low ball, really low ball the claim, many many people just accept it. Then there is me, 8 claims in my lifetime, I have never lost and always got what I was after. A lawyer would be no different, I would say bring it.
The reason the solicitors are considered the worst is due to the fact they know how to use the legal system. Most other dissatisfied customers would not be as confident and would not take it to the end.
I had a Greek customer ask for 4 extra double sockets in 3 bedrooms as we were repairing previous plumbers damage to the victorian floorboards in these rooms and would have enough of them up to easily run the wires , before reclaimed timbers were laid and the rooms and the upstairs landing sanded.So we did , the spark fitted the sockets , all good but he refused to pay above the £1200 flooring quote,, first excuse was some of them were a couple of inches either side of the X marks on the wall (but it was vertically above where the removed floorboards were and this was explained to him beforehand) , then he came back with the excuse that in his country a customer gets extras for free if asked for during a job !! Anyway the £400 was never paid . But there is a payback, the sparky sneaked into his driveway on the 25 december at about 2 am , lifted off the cast h2o cover ( and took it away), turned off the water to his grand stone built Victorian Villa with a toby and back filled the 3 feet of access pipe with a few bags of postcrete. smoothing it out and dressing it with dirt to blend in with the surrounding area. As well as the huge bill for diggers, tarmac , drainage experts and ground radar to even find the on/off valve , they had to move into a hotel for the festive period. Payback nailed.
You're a hero man. Honest workman who stood their ground. I made a claim, but settled and took a deal for a little less than what I was owed, instead of going to court. I did not want to go through what you had to. For me this worked out since COVID hit and it would have dragged on. So good on you for not letting people get away with being dishonest, and becoming wiser.
Just recently I heard someone say: If you don't get agitated, even angry in the face of injustice, if your heart does not beat faster when you see injustice, then a piece of your soul is missing. I can fully relate to the emotions you felt, even feel now when you are talking about - it is not just about money - it is about Truth, Justice, Fairness, Respect for yourself, being vulnerable, at the mercy of others or the system, Trust, overcoming Fears, Courage even if you think you might loose. I take my hat off - you did wonderfully, and are a wonderful man! Your family and friends can be proud of you!
Is it weird that a story about going to court over an unpaid bill had me on the edge of my seat? Very happy you won! Next winter I am going to be moving into a "fixer upper" and the wood floors will need a lot of work. Glad I found your channel
As a web developer, I feel your pain. I have had so many "customers" not pay that I take 50% up front and the second half before I hand over the rest. I retain the copyright to ALL WORK until it is paid. That means they can't use it without committing copyright infringement if they don't pay me. They still don't pay but at least I can keep them from getting the website for free.
just brought back a great memory with this story A buddy of mine had a similar situation he’s a master plumber he did a job for a school where he put in three brand new bathrooms they stiff him on the entire bill so he went in there and took all of the toilets and sinks he had just put in out he then called the state and said they were operating without proper facilities they had to pay him for the original job the cost of removing them and the cost of putting them back again lol
In the UK that would have got you arrested-its called trespass. Your client has to give you permission to re-enter his property. Check it out, it might be the same in the USA and your buddy was lucky not to get prosecuted.
@@johnchristmas7522 Nope - in fact you could also have opened a case of unlawful possession/theft against the truant client as they had not paid for the goods.....retrieving them is not against the law.
So proud of you you explained everything perfectly clear. You had me all wound up reading about your bad experience ,and I was so angry about what you had to go through but you managed everything so well.
Dude, he wasn't a solicitor, he was an a@@hole. We think that the stress isn't worth it with these guys, but giving in to them only emboldens them. Thanks for your work on behalf of society. I have self-represented in court and convinced others to do so. If a person is articulate, the results are often rather good.
I had a similar situation where a client wanted me to take the fall for another contractor's mistake. I had all the documents, attempts to try to head off the problem and later reconcile the situation, even offered a reduced settlement plus numerous photos and emails. They refused. As you said, you never really know if you missed something that might backfire but my gut told me I was right. The other party hired an attorney (American for solicitor) who immediately filed a change of venue to drag me an hour's drive to a court near their office. The actual job was in another city, far from either of us. We had a hearing in my local court and I beat the change request which boosted my confidence. We finally had our day in before the judge and and as you did, wearing jeans and a polo shirt, I prevailed in the matter. Good for you for going with your sense of what was right!
It sounds to me like this customer was what we in America call a "bottom feeder" and simply tried to scam you out of paying full price. Well done for seeing it thru to a satisfying outcome.
I’ve been a contractor here in United States for about 30 years and you can tell you’re probably a genuine reasonable man and you took a great attitude about you’re gonna go through the entire process it’s not about the money it’s about educating yourself what a great attitude to take You also want the reputation that you’ll do a good job you’ll show up you’ll try to resolve the issues face-to-face with your customer but if you’re not paid you have no problem going to court that type of reputation will make people pay you believe it or not
So many times you use words like ‘pathetic’ to describe your stress reaction. It’s very normal to react like that, not pathetic at all. Well done for getting through it.
Going through something like that can be very stressful especially over a long period of time. Glad he got through it without any detrimental psychological damage. If it had of gone against him could well have been different. I agree well done for getting through it.
Best not to get too emotionally tied up in it. Be as sure of your case as you can, and just wait. Law does look for "reasonableness" and things like trade practice. So in this case he came to the party and tried seek a resolution and other reasonable steps before taking legal action, which does help in any court case. Some tradespeople don't understand they can have a huge liability by taking money for work, things like having an extension cord stretched across a room an be a liability issue. If someone trips and gets injured you could be liable. Anything you do that causes some other problem might be a problem, since you are meant to know better and avoid certain pitfalls.
This story made my blood boil. Good for you for standing up to him. Can you please put the solicitors name up? It would be a matter of public record anyway so you are fully entitled to.
I had a client like that, I didn't sleep for 2 weeks. The stress is real. I eventually got my money. Why are some people just arsholes and think they can get away with this. Also at the time, I wasn't exactly a successful company and money aside, I took it personally. Running your own company is no walk in the park.
I can't take it. I've had many customers not pay for a few weeks and I want to do physical harm to them. They tell me they're going to pay 'tonight' so I go home and then 2 weeks later they've still not paid. All faith in humans lost.
@@garnhamr I host foreign students who are learning english.ive had to leave companies go as ihad to chase my payments .nothing is worth that stress.its also so disrespectful to people .it's undervaluing a persons work and effort.Its a false economy in the end as they usually end up having to pay more as nobody wants to del with them.
I have no idea why UA-cam recommended this video, I don't have a wooden floor, I don't drive a van! But, I'm actually glad it did. I enjoyed your story. Clearly this customer was going to be a problem from the start. And his bully tactics did not work. You did the right things to stand up against him. Especially after you had clearly set expectations. Plus, attempted to repair the issue, twice! The system is there for just such a situation. I am glad you went through with the full experience. You have grown in confidence and have discussed the issue so you can move forwards. Many of us, would have just eaten the costs and bottled that negativity within! Respect.
@@krisniznik3953 Nice, I can see the link there. Other than a van life video I watched, I still cant see the link. Damn UA-cam bots are smart little blighters! lol.
Well done for highlighting this! My husband laid a floor many years ago and the customer got down on his hands and knees with a magnifying glass to see if he could find any faults! Glad you got justice in the end.
In future refer him to RRP5007, a Rolls Royce visual inspection spec which specifies “1x vision or corrective vision at arms length. Also ask him is the lights are 1000lux at 12” distance from the inspection area. Even inspectors like myself wouldn’t use a magnifying glass on the floor! Ridiculous! ❤
He’s done this before your turn and you won’t be he’s last, people with this type of job pray on good people. It’s how they role . Why no one likes them. Good job 👍
Bravo for you. There is a reason why lawyers are called “bottom feeders”,not all but some. I used to do contract work and found that those times when we had issues with customers not paying it turned out they were wealthy. The average bloke was willing to pay because he appreciated what labour was worth and when a good job was done.
Exactly. These @rse-holes get a degree, go to law school, and then end up with a minimum effort job. Probably do a lot of cheating and bribing to pass exams too, so probably never done any real work anyway.
As Plumber myself I am delighted to hear you got a positive outcome and I'd like to commend you for sticking to your guns as it in itself proves your integrity.Well done.
This was a great story. I was feeling stressed just listening to it. You are clearly an honest bloke, someone who cares about the quality of their work, and someone who takes great care of your clients. It actually angers me that someone thought they could get away with ripping you off when you put in good honest work. I am so happy for you getting the win, yet so sorry you had to go through this.
My father warned me when I decided to enter into business - "be careful of the wealthy guy who drives up in a flashy car. They are not your customer, your best customers are the people who live in council houses".
Definitely! Some guy in a Porsce stood me up for an appointment withy sports coaching business, offered to pay me for my time anyway then told me he'd paid me twice and wanted his money back even though he didn't pay me a penny!
Absolutely, I had a builder at my old house and he said "it's like trying to get blood out of stone when asking rich people to pay you, people with little money pay you straight away".
As a small independent one-man show, I know what it’s like to deal with customers that want something for nothing. Usually it’s the People with money, they always want something for cheap or free. I’m glad the court was in your favor. I’ve spent countless nights with my nerves on edge having to defend myself and my work, when I know the work and workmanship is spot on.
Deep, deep, deep respect for you. You are not the only one who has shaken when going to court and representing yourself. This was an extremely courageous video!
Very well done! Having work for esteemed Solicitors for over decades many tend to think they are gods on earth and the rest of us simple plebs, so glad you were successful!
i had this when i painted an exterior of a country house , he flat out refused to pay saying the job looked great and paint was already on the windows , he chuckled and said thanks but im not paying for it ! i never went to court but i did go back a few days later when he was at work , i decided it just didn't look right and needed one more coat , i painted them all again with a quick coat of paint stripper ! job done, it was well worth the 2 hours free labour ! He didn't even contact me about it ! My friend supplied and fitted a carpet for a guy that said im only going to pay half the bill , after a short argument saying the carpet was fitted and no good for anybody else to use he asked him once more ... "are you only paying for half the carpet" ? yes ! he took the money for it , cut through the middle of the room , rolled it up and left !
The guy was clearly trying to rip you off and intimate you with the court process and procedures. Well done to you for taking those actions before you went to court. By doing so you enabled the court to make a judgement based on what was done on your part instead of going to court and trying to plead your case, which is no doubt what the customer was expecting. And like you it was valuable knowledge to be aware of what you need to know for the next time you end up going to court with a customer. I would also advise to finalise any quote with an email to the customer. That way there are no arguments made of hearsay. Well done to you, sir.
I came here to learn how to stain my floors tomorrow and ended up here! As a tradesman myself (sparky) it so good to hear that your not going to get pushed over by the blokes in suits!! Hats firmly raised to you for standing your ground!! Also thanks for the videos showing how to stain the floors, it’s given me the confidence to take it on myself!!
You'd be amazed how much that story meant to me. It was lovely to hear you as a genuine true contractor win against someone who knew the system. Absolute respect.
I'm glad you liked it. I felt there was no way I could win, but at the same time, I felt that on the subject, I was clearly right and he was clearly wrong. Have a nice weekend!
I doubt that anyone thinks you’re a bad person for doing that, reminded me of being unfairly dismissed. Got railroaded in a disciplinary meeting and was fired. Hired a union rep, we found hole after hole in their procedures. Staff had told lies to save themselves and basically gave the owners a week without sleep. I was wrongly dismissed and won my job back. I went into debt paying for that rep but felt awesome to win. Union rep said that it was a shocking farce what they had done to me and the company gave me my job back. However it would have been in a different location and I didn’t except but it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Looking through their lengthy handbook and building a strong case was a pain in the ass but was worth it 😀 It was so funny, because they were terrified of me after that 😂😂 They felt that they wouldn’t win in court, and was instructed by their lawyer to quit while they were ahead because I had too many things on them. Yay! me. ✌🏻 They’ll think twice before they treat anyone else like crap again.
I just got stiffed by an attorney this week $1,200 of the hardest work I've ever had to do digging through cypress tree roots I wouldn't wish that on my enemy and then the jerk doesn't want to pay
Record everything conversation photo and film the job have a written contract and or agreement no matter who the person is you can sue anyone we are all equal in law as long you have full name and birth date and the identity to the name lawyer don't know about laws that have codes and section and acts and rules these types of people want things done for nothing stealing from people greed that why they have more money stolen from people
As I understand it, what you call a solicitor is what we call a lawyer. My philosophy is that lawyer, liar, swindler, and politician all have the same meaning, just different spelling. Well done beating the devil at his own game. Thanks for sharing.
A solicitor does house sales, advises on legal matter, draws up wills and contracts, all basic legal stuff. He does not go to court but prepares cases which a barrister argues in court. A barrister is a member of 'the bar' which is the register of barristers. Judges are appointed from members of the bar.
Well done to you 👍 We made the mistake of using the ‘Mediation Service’ at the suggestion of the court for a similar issue. Absolutely shocking experience which ironically has a non disclosure caveat (so claimants aren’t permitted to discuss it afterwards). Wish we’d continued on to court instead. Strongly advise against a mediation phone call hearing. Detrimental things can happen during the phone call which can never be revealed and there’s no further recourse. So glad you pursued your case, well done.
I had the exact same issue with a “ police prosecutor “ living next door to my hair dressing business, it ended up in the Brisbane magistrates court, and it was just me against, what seemed like the entire police force, and guess who won? ME! So we’ll done to the little guys , thank you for your encouraging video 🥰
Best way to deal with a low life like this is to black list them with every contractor in town. Make it where they can't get any contractor to do anything for them.
A story I heard was that back in the good old days, when a mason built a chimney he'd put a sheet of glass into the flue and clean it well before finishing the job. When the fireplace wouldn't draw properly he'd promise to fix it after he was paid in full. Then he'd go up and drop a brick down and everybody was happy.
A true David and Goliath story, and a salutary lesson for all small and self-employed contractors. I wonder if you make a video of each completed job would it be a good defense in court in case such an ordeal was to ever occur again.
I remember the time I took three university graduate lawyers to court. They were from Johannesburg South Africa and I lived near a town called Bergville in Natal. I laid a charge against them and they said that was okay as the case would be tried in Johannesburg. When the policeman said no, the case will be tried in the Magisterial District Court of Bergville, the big shot of the three went white realising he'd forgotten basic court boundaries. I shouted out YES. This meant that each time he had to appear in court he would have to make the three hour trip from Johannesburg to Bergville regardless of how important a case he was dealing with.
@ivan schafeldt Probably did it to his plumber as well friends or not lol people like that normally keep pushing and dont quit while ahead, doubling down so to speak.
Dude. Respect. You’re the ideal tradie. You give advice, get the job done, and you try to keep the customer happy even though they were wrong. You have integrity. I’m blessed to have found a few tradies in my home town who have that same work ethic and they get paid on time, every time. Got to respect hard working people. Keep up the good work. Also, you’re not a coward in the courts. I’ve had to defend someone twice in court and it is stressful as so I can totally relate. Glad it all worked out in the end. Subbed!
Brilliant result; Good Man; I went through a divorce and was screwed but when I had to return 3 times to get what little I was awarded I represented myself. The best thing I have ever done. An eye-opener. All young people should be taught in school about such matters and be brought to court several times for hands on experience. In my opinion it would bring down the crime level in our society and give people a greater feeling of empowerment and confidence in their everyday lives.
I have known quite a few and they are the most useless incompetent workers I have ever come across they are no more clever than the ordinary blue collar worker
I think I would have reached out to The Black Belt Barrister, on UA-cam. Good on you for standing your ground and standing up for yourself. Life is full of bullies & you’ve just made sure he won’t be bullying you again. Having said that, I hope you never have anything to do with this “gentleman” again. I think I would be spreading the word around the self- employed service providers, as customers like this deserve every misfortune that comes to them. Good luck to you in the future 🍀
Brilliant. I work in electronics, and a guy who had obtained funding, and actually drove a Rolls Royce, withheld payment. He dissolved the company before I could take him to court. I was naive at the time. It is a horrible feeling when this happens. You totally took the right approach, and it worked.
Dude, stay away from the rich pricks with their fancy cars. That was the first lesson I learned when I was introduced to the "home repair" business. I just would never accept a job from such individuals. Common people would just give up on the money when they need the work to be done.
I had a customer similar in a sense, she attempted to get out of paying for services rendered. What I learned in contracting school is make sure you document the job before and after pics, and don't hesitate to place a lean on a customers property if they don't want to pay. I had a conversation with both the husband and his wife and he asked "what if I don't feel like paying, what are you gonna do?" I told him that would be very unfortunate since I've documented my work and I would be forced to place a lean on your property, which protects me as a contractor. After that conversation I received my check. Some customers believe they can try and out smart people who do labor intensive work, you just have to know what laws in your area protect you as a contractor.
Well done! My husband and I had small business doing stone work and nothing worse or more stressful than chasing payments...we learned to include in written contracts our practice of issuing serial invoices during the job for work completed, then if not paying we would work elsewhere for a while or have time off, they seemed to get the message and added pressure (especially when other contractors are relying upon work being done) motivated them to pay. Often it seemed that people with the most money were the hardest to get to cough some of it up. Agree with this YT'er, it is very stressful he shouldn't feel embarrassed but instead should feel very pleased with himself.
So this guy is a solicitor, and he probably knows how backlogged the courts are, and he decided to take it all the way to the Royal Courts of Justice. This should have professional consequences for him, it's just an abuse of perceived power.
There is a law against people bringing malicious cases to Court. I think its part of the wasting the Court's time. There is a possibility that one of the reasons you won is that the Judge isn't a fool and may well have realised your situation. Well done. Just for the hell of it |I subscribed I hope it helps.
It's called vexacious litigation however, in my experience, the Courts tend to bend over backwards to fall on the side of legal professionals, in order to ensure the integrity of the law profession.
My heart goes out to this lovely gent. He did his job. And I have no doubt from listening to him that his work is exceptional. I clicked without being the least bit knowledgeable about this business. Kudos to him for getting the word out.
Hey mate, im a Floor Sander based in Australia and ive had a very similar Experience. Thankyou so much for sharing, im one of the youngest here in my state so I dont get any support from some of the older blokes who have been working around and ive been really able to relate to your story so much and its given my confidence. Keep doing the awesome work youre doing!
AddyC. its a truth of business that you find out the hard way. Business people don't give up ideas. The best way (it will still cost you!) is to see a Barrister who specialises in non payment. I did, it was expensive but paid off later. As a general rule insist on a contract. It protects you and your customer and if you ever have to go to court, theres nothing better than a written agreement.
There is such a thing as cash flow system and agreement everystep of the way. When people fails that then trouble can be ahead. First cash flow before I do the job, then when I do one room etc he signs it and says I like it if not I do not carry on this is the only way to protect one self in this crazy world.
I'm not a contractor, just a YT viewer from the States. I wanted to say, "Bravo!" You taking that solicitor to court was brilliant. I am quite pleased that you won your case. In the States, we can also represent ourselves if we cannot afford to pay an attorney (lawyer), or do not wish to pay for one. It's called pro se representation. For contractors out there, yourself included - I say this as an American: to the extent that it is legal for you to do so, I would recommend that you put into your contracts specific wording regarding incidents like this, so that it is clear before you start your work that you are not responsible if the issue comes up - in this case, the connections between the rooms, and water damage to the parquet flooring that was due to an issue other than the refinishing (lacquering). This is to protect you and your business. We do this fairly regularly in the States. You would have to check with a lawyer in your area to see what exceptions to a warranty you may include. Anyway, I am glad for you that things worked out, and that you have gained some insight into how the legal system in your country works. All the best to you! = )
When all else fails, a contractor can put a lien on the house for nonpayment. You might not get your money right away but they can't sell the house until it's settled. I've been there and done that. Not only did I get paid for services rendered, I got accumulated interest and what amounted to punitive damages.
This is good sound advice, but regrettably for whatever reason, usually in the UK there is very little set out on paper because too many tradesmen think they don't need these type of contracts and so therefore will not have a properly binding contract drawn up, which is why they often end up in the kind of situation that was played out in this instance.
@@CM-ve1bz A mechanic's lien is not possible in the UK - no such thing. But you can take the debtor to court and sue for the money owed (as the poster did). I'm no lawyer .... but my understanding of what can be done to get debts paid in English law is :- If the case is won, and the debtor still doesn't pay after 30 days, the court judgment and debt goes into the Register of County Court Judgments, and credit reference agencies will hold it against the debtor for the next 6 years. In the meanwhile, the claimant can go back to Court and get a "charge" (equivalent of a lien) registered against the debtor's home - provided he/she it the homeowner. If the debtor rents, then that's not possible. Once a charge is in place, the claimant can enforce it at any time and force repossession and sale of the home :-) If the debt is over £750, and particularly if the debtor isn't a home owner, then the debtor can be bankrupted.
I would also print out all the e-mails and contact information and make an time-based event list to accurately describe anything that happened over those 5 months.
My experience as a tradesman was that accountants and lawyers where the most likely ones to try and avoid paying. Trust your instinct, and dont do work for people if you get that initial bad feeling, it works and they hate it when you tell them you dont want to do their job. Good on you buddy!
We call them Bottom Feeders Here in the states, He knew he was wrong and thought he could wait you out and you would think it is too costly to continue.
My father was an electrical contractor. He did a fairly large job for this guy and there were a lot of (authorised) variations. When the time comes to pay, the guy says "i'm not paying". He says "take me to court, see what happens, I never loose". So he goes to court, disputing the variations. The judge says "so, you are disputing the variations, but concede that the basic amount is justified and payable?" The guy says "yes", so the judge says "pay what you owe". First win. For the remainder, he start claiming bankruptcy, then not and then again - and my dad has to chase him back and forth through various courts, driving up costs. The guy is hoping that my dad will run out of money and give up. Finally, there is a judgement in dads favour, including the legal costs, which by now are much greater than the disputed amount. So then the guy disputes the costs - so back to court again. The court audits the costs and approves a larger sum! The guy disputes this. More court time. Finally, there is a judgement "stop, pay up, do it now, it's finished". And still, he doesn't pay. My dad asks his solicitor "what should we do now" and the solicitor says "take him to court (lol)". The guy eventually payed about 3x more than the original bill. What a waste of time and energy. He didn't plan on coming up against my dad, who would fight to the death and never let these types of cheats triumph.
@@robertmorris2363 :-) In another instance, he was working on some high rise appartments. I don't know the details, but the place had to be finished by a certain day and the project was running late. I was helping him and his crew. All the trades were working frantically on this job - late into the evenings. There were tilers, carpenters, carpet layers all working on top of each other. I remember one instance in the foyer, where me and another guy were on ladders installing downlights, while the plumber was below us brazing something to get a fountain going, while the landscaper was tossing dirt and plants around him into the fountain thing, while a painter painted the walls... All at 9 in the evening. Anyway, the job finishes and everything opens on time - and the builder turns around and says to everyone "I will give you half of what I owe you and you can take it now - or you can take me to court and see how you go". Most of the little guys, operating week to week, just took what they were offered. My dad got together with the plumber and went to court. After a long fight, everyone got paid. (and the builder went broke - good riddance - one less shark in the sea)
I think you absolutely did the right thing. Most builders who been there, as I have, will agree. Don't feel bad for protecting yourself, your family and your business. Sometimes this course of action is all that is left. Well done, I'm very happy for you.
You did the right thing, I was a floor layer for years, Carpets, Altro, polyfloor, Amtico and Lino, I always took a 50% deposit as a matter of course and the only times I got stiffed was from large flooring companies that I had subbed to, I would suggest that any estimate be given in writing also pointing out issues that could arise and get the customer to read and sign that they understand, this covers you when issues that are pointed out prior to the work do not come back to bite you and yes I always tried to make the customer happy.
it doesn't hurt to take clear, close up photos of work completed either. Most people have a computer for business, so saving photos to the clients file only takes a couple of minutes. Saves a lot of hassle with one bad client due to time stamps.
I went 5 months being owed £5000. Was a bad time, I could have dragged the customer through the courts but they were very open about sudden money issues and they had to wait for a bank loan. They fully paid me though band it was a huge relief
It's weird that there are some services carried out by highly skilled people where payment can take place in stages over verbal agreements. You'd never go shopping and ask the shop if you could take it home and pay after you've ate the food and you'd never go to other shops and ask to just pay a deposit (unless there's a legal signing of 'on tick'). Yet trades unfortunately get shafted regularly when clients want a project fully completed for 25% up front cash. I'm sure people think you've all got surplus funds for materials. It's just daft.
That bloke was taking the piss and it bit him in the arse. I've had similar situations with clients over web sites and software projects. I never thought I would be in that situation but I've had people trying not to pay, trying to lower the price, etc. It's stressful and you're not pathetic or anything for feeling how you did, it's a very stressful situation. Glad you got it sorted and put him in his place!!
He had no intention to pay and thought you would fold as soon as he mentioned been a solicitor. Well done for sticking to your principles and I hope you a successful future
Bravo. You could have put a charge on his property, effectively ensuring that he cant sell it without discharging the charge on it. You could also consider sequestration of assets or a garnishee, but Im glad you nailed him.
Knew a landscaper who did that. Years later, he received a VERY VERY VERY angry phone call one afternoon from the a-hole that tried to screw him, who was now sitting in a lawyer’s office trying to sell his house. Got paid.
I do not know how do you negotiate with your customers, but in order to avoid similar cases[ not paying you], you must sign a written contract before you start the job. There are forms , which you can buy from the W H Smiths, approved by the English solicitors. You fill in the form and write down all the details of the job - how it will be done, quality and quantity and how it will be paid - the sum and when it will be paid. I have not any problems, using these forms for 21 years.
I once had a low-life dude that refused to pay me for shoeing his horses. After slamming his head with his pickup door a couple of times he payed me with solid silver dollars. Of coarse this was 2 decades ago and was in the country. Texas to be exact.
I'm a retired Litigation Executive / Criminal Law Paralegal with many years of experience under my belt and I congratulate you on your actions. To many folk they would have been too daunted to pursue this case unrepresented and that is exactly what this debtor was expecting. You, on the other hand, didn't put a foot wrong and won a Judgement. Well done, the Law is there for everyone to use and provided , like you, tradesmen keep careful records and you are honest then no-one need fear representing themselves. A perfect example for others to follow.
Such a good account of yourself m8. So glad you didn’t budge on your resolve! I’m a retired floor installer and had a few customers who stuck it to me. Never had the courage to go through the court system, wished I had now.
I just subscribed to you even though I have no interest in floor sanding. :) I can tell you are a really good person, and you shouldn't stress out so much. People like you are not used to go to courts and it is a natural feeling to feel the way you felt as opposed to people who do it all the time. Good luck on your journey and your channel.
Solicitors have a strict governing body. I would inform them with the details of this case. Yes, I know, it would do little good, but if you did it would establish a "track record", and one day might help another person in your position . . . Leopards and spots come to mind. Well done!
Hey Sandy...amazing story and I'm happy you didn't fold like the solicitor had hoped you would. I'm in America and there was a time when solicitors were not allowed to hang their shingle inside city limits (for obvious reasons). Today most politicians are solicitors and they run the country in the same spirit as your solicitor experience. You're my new hero.
What is a solicitor?
A solicitor is a type of lawyer in the U.K.
@@HowToSandAFloor Ok got ya! Good for you too stand your ground and take him to the mat on this one.
@Paul Moore Hey not all of them are bad, you get a few rotten ones in every trade
@@fazillahi agreed but they do charge extortionate amounts of money for their time, however since the reduction of legal aid thats been devastated
Google is free, babe
He had no intention of paying and will likely have done this in the past, I would now send an email to the bar association as he is clearly a crook.
You mean the SRA Solicitors Regulation Authority
He has to meet an ethical standard he has to meet and not paying is very unethical
Yes do that because if keeps getting complaints they will act for dishonesty
It's the Law Society, not the Bar. The LS govern solicitors.
He will just BS his way out of it, say someone told him it was his fault, maybe they did the damage on purpose knowing they could just easily fix it, his friend the plumber probably made it rain a little, plumber probably handy himself could fix it up.
Being anxious isn't pathetic. It just shows you're a decent guy who isn't used to that sort of aggro.
Man, so sorry you had to go through all that, but I'm really glad your day in court turned out the way it did for you. That scamming lawyer (ahem - solicitor) ought to lose his license to practice (or whatever they do across the pond) for refusing to settle your initial transaction in the first place (theft by deception). It certainly sounds like he was setting up to never pay you in the first place (and the whole refusal to accept the results of mediation...? What a joke!) I've seen too many good people cheated out of an honest days/weeks/months work like this, myself included. It is no joke that going through court is an intimidating process, and that's why so many other guys do 'call it quits' when it comes to this. Who wants to go (and also profits from going) to court? ONLY LAWYERS! I totally understand just wanting to put it behind you, because who needs the stress of dragging this shit out for another year or more... but again, I'm glad your day in court turned out the way it did for you. Hopefully the anxiety over it will subside over time, cause you still seem to be suffering some PTSD over this, and I know how you feel.
would have stressed me out n all fella. sad truth is this type try all the tricks to not pay. its out of order. i get it myself. paint and dec.
Almost the exact hing happened to me. Sued a lawyer in court to collect unpaid bill. He tried to intimidate me throughout the process as I was arguing Pro Se (by myself) and I still prevailed as you did. I am proud of you man.
Thank you!
@@HowToSandAFloor Was this guy a Jew my any chance lol ? Well done for getting justice I am very happy for you 😁
@@alisonhilll4317 no, straight up Brit, as English as they come
@@alisonhilll4317 Are you serious? Your antisemitism is rather ugly.
@@alisonhilll4317 wow that's racist/antisemetic AF
I've been a Contractor for thirty years. A bit of a tip: Everyone knows the last payment is the hardest. They love the work but buyers remorse sets in and they don't want to pay. So I've found it's much easier if I ask for half up front on small jobs. For larger jobs, I always ask for ten percent at signing, 1/3 at start and 1/3 at half way point, which means the final payment is only 24 percent (a lower payment then the 30%). Much easier to get out of them. Change Order payments are due before work is commenced on change orders, not at the end of job.
Agreed and as i customer if I can pay more at the start I will especially if they have a decent track record. After all there also other incentives they are more likely to go out of their way put in extra effort, etc.
1/3 is about 33%. So you say 33% a signing, 33% at half way, which in total is 66%, and 20% at final = 86%? Where is the remaining 14%? You let it go?
@@zerpo he said 10 % at signing then at start 33.33% then 33.33% at midpoint which leaves a final 23-24%
@@zerpo "which means the final payment is only 20 percent. Much easier to get out of them." Was my quote. I got lazy on the math . However, most large jobs have miscelaneous extras or over allowances versus under allowances that balance out to slightly above quoted price.
I don't pay until the job is done to my satisfaction.
I am a carpenter and I have found that the people with the most money are the most penny pinching. Well done sticking to your guns because it would have been so easy to just swallow your loss. People like your customer try it on and hope that the tradesman will back off. Brilliant stuff mate. So glad you stuck it to him.
Cheers 🍻
Their not penny pinching they are thieves.they are stealing.
You hit the nail on the head, the more money they have the more hassle. So many times I’ve had to wait till the client gets his monthly wage, shows you they are all on the credit.
Thats the reason they have money in first place, by scamming and pulling tricks like this on people,and being cheap fucks. Pathethic is what the world came out to be
couldn't agree more, fuck the rich, they only get that way by taking advantage of others!
It's such a good feeling to hear when someone takes on a LOWLIFE SCUMBAG and beats them. You're a hero to all those who have been victims!
Not all hero’s wear capes 😂 thank you
@@HowToSandAFloor As a chartered surveyor working for more than 45 years, I can assure you that everything that you said was correct, something that is quite rare these days. Keeping to your trade has paid dividends.
If we met to discuss a job, one look into the back of your van would tell me 90% of what I needed to know about the quality of your work.
Had the dopy solicitor called me in to supervise his job, I would have insisted that the entire area be treated as one.
@@wilsjane I would say after 45 years in business, that you would have seen this coming and walked away.
@@johnchristmas7522 When I an looking for a good tradesman outside my normal work area, a quick chat on the phone gives me a good idea about the quality of their work.
On a few occasions when I sense a cowboy. I still invite him to take a look at the job.
I just tell him to call me 30 minutes before he arrives, so that I can have someone to meet him and tie his horses up.
I have not yet had a guy take me up on my offer. 😊
@@wilsjane Obviously the "someone else" is pertinent. During my business life I always insisted on a contract and stage payments. That way we were both protected
As a solicitor, I am embarrassed that you were treated this way. Well done for sticking to your guns, but trying to be reasonable about it before you had no choice but to go to court.
.Solicitors Ugh! Thats why I sought a Barrister for non payment issues
Dude probably didnt know about the UA-cam. Thought he was slick. Almost Million Views so 1000 Dollars off the video so far
Surely this is breach of contract issue
@lightningphox would you mind me asking you a question please as I've had a solicitor as a customer who has tried playing clever too, do I go to bar about them?
More like simple dishonesty than breach of contract
You're not the only layman to have taken a solicitor to court and won. I too have done this and recognise all the feelings you described. Only because I had all my evidence was I able to refute his story was I able to gain victory. I feel that there are a lot of bullies in the legal profession who as you said try to intimidate and push others around. Well done you for not collapsing under the pressure. Best wishes my friend.
My dad was a bricklayer years ago and every so often he would get some smart alec customers refusing to pay for his work. He always offered to redo the work if they weren't happy for no labour cost , just materials. If they refused this he would go to the pub , have a few beers and go back in the evening with a sledge hammer and smash it all down!
If my brickie built a wonky wall, I'd expect him to put it right without it costing me extra in labour or material costs, not saying your dad's work was poor but just talking my own experience with poor trades people
@@fazillahi As someone who helped build a house from the ground up(I was part of the building team), and having had a client who had the nerve to deny payment for the whole thing under the pretense that he just didnt like it, (client is an architect, and the house was entirely made according to his project& design, from the foundation to the furniture), i can tell you, some people just have no decency or common sense what so ever. Needless to say the court case still goes up to this day, and we've finished the project in 2009.
@@fazillahi So would I ! Unfortunately in every case where someone tried to rip my Dad off; the brickwork was top notch. They just didn't want to pay. They were sure sorry though they crossed my old man when they were left with a pile of smashed bricks and mortar to clean up!
@@serbanindigo689 Why is the court case taking so long?
I love the sledgehammer idea! (Just don't end up in jail)
He was taking the mick and thought he could intimidate you. glad you stood up to him
I am so lost. What's a mick?
@snodgrass snod thanks! I didn’t know what the mick was either 👍🏼
Cheers!
Dignitas
Lol, I lived in England from 82 to 86, haven’t heard that phrase since. Good times 😎
All that anxiety and discomfort you experienced is just evidence that you're a decent person. Good for you for going through the courts even though you didn't know what the outcome would be.
Firstly, it's not at all pathetic of you to be shaking and anxious due to this ordeal. Secondly, I applaud you for having the courage to face the fear and go through the whole process. Thirdly, congratulations on winning the case. Rightly so!
Im 72 year old, retired painter and decorator, self employed, over the years i took 6 customers to court for non payment and won every time, heres the secret, do the paperwork yourself(it can now all be done on line, it really is easy) dont get enoyed just treat it like a game and dont give up, thats what they hope you will do, its soooooo satisfying when you win and the best is that they end up with a county court judgement against their name, good luck and dont back down.
Hi jsut question from a guy whos been painting for 20 years..do you have any ill health affects from painting or is it relatively safe in your estimation long term??
@@Canadian_Eh_I Hi, started when I was 15 yoa retired at 70 yoa, I don't have any health issues, I always made sure I wore a mask when spraying any product, the trade is as safe as you care to make it, remember you are your own health and saftey officer, Take care, Jim
Good advice
@@jimwalker5412 golden advice
A self employed electrician friend out here in the sticks sometimes finds it very hard to get farmers to pay bills for vital work on their farms, often for emergency repairs at very short notice. He tends to just give up on unpaid bills after a while to 'avoid unpleasantness'. I think it's pretty disgusting that some people, often well off, get away with exploiting working people.
My father had a simple system for rogue payers for his business that seemed to work. After a couple of letters, he would visit or telephone them on a Friday and ask for payment by Monday lunchtime, or he would go down to see his solicitors on Monday afternoon. He'd politely remind them he always went to court for such things, had a cast-iron case and had done it a dozen times over the years and had never lost. Not only would they be forced to pay the money owed by a court order, they'd have to pay court costs as well. Thus a £200 bill would turn into a £600 bill, that could be enforced by bailiffs. Most customers paid on the Monday.
To be honest, solicitors aren’t known for their integrity or compassion. I’ve heard and seen so many bad stories about them that I would refuse to work for one ever again. Making a very rich living out of other people’s misfortune and charging them handsomely for the privilege.
There are three kinds of person that won´t pay all and get in a discussion. These are Lawyers or Solicitors, Architects and Teachers and thats also here in Germany.
"Making a very rich living out of other peoples' misfortunes and charging them handsomely for the privilege". Not all of them. A lot of solicitors only do conveyancing and buying a property isnt a "misfortune". You might complain about the fee but it's a LOT less than the estate agent!
@@gbwildlifeuk8269 You don't even need a solicitor for conveyancing, you can do it yourself. All the searches, all the paperwork, visit to land registry etc will be done by his secretary and he will simply rubber stamp it. And charge you full whack of course.
Yup I've had my bad non payment with lawyers in the US
Also include family, they never pay
Or honesty, all lawyers get taught how to lie, how to lie convincingly, and how to swing any argument to the other side. For lawyers that do supposed conveyancing, you pay a hell of a lot of money just for a few papers to be signed.
Why are you putting yourself down ? You ABSOLUTELY did the right thing. You might not have been the first person he has done this to either, but you might have been the first person who has actually stood up to him and refused to be intimidated. You are not stupid or silly! This is your livelihood. You did a good job and you both need and deserve to be paid for it ! Wonder what he would do if someone refused to pay him ?
Thank you!
That solicitor is a crook trying to scam you. Well done standing up to the bully. Don’t feel bad, stand tall😎
@@dewindoethdwl2798 Solicitors are crooks. They all work together to take as much as they can from us. It's the case with many other agents that we employ to do work for us, sovereign beings, that we are more than capable of doing ourselves.
I thought you were about to tell us that you lost the case. I'm soooo glad you won it in the end. You deserved it. And thank you for sharing your experience and being so open and honest about it.
Contractors should get together with lists of their non payers ,and create a blackball list.
Good on you son
There is a blackball list . . .anybody who is a solicitor.
My city has a list. Unfortunately I don't know where to find it 🤣
I will concur that . My dear chap ,!
great idea!! I may try starting something like this in my area..... awesome... lets contractors know when to require all or part up front or invest in their own materials. why should we take all the risk all the time while they get only rewarded. ty
Maybe not a black ball list, maybe a "bill them triple" list, but I like the way you think😁
Your experience of court and the anxiety brought it all back to me when l took a customer to court over bouncing a cheque for painting their light aircraft. Sitting in the room so nervous until my solicitor said to me stop being so nervous, you have done nothing wrong. l suddenly thought you are right and just stared at the two aircraft owners until they looked down. l knew l had won and when the judge entered the room and mocked them for bouncing the cheque.
l was awarded full settlement.
GOOD FOR YOU but also think, that time in court is lost time-thats another expense. Sometimes you might win and then the judge gives them 5 years to pay it off! THE BEST, IS TO ARM YOURSELF WITH A CONTRACT-Wont sign? walk away. Then there is the other side, walking away may land you a better contract, which you would have missed if you had not left.
Well done!
This makes me feel better about my situation. Going to court as this massive state rental company stiffed me on an entire emergency pull station with remote dialing install. 40k USD they been saying checks coming for over a year now. Fuck those people. That job would have sustained me for most the year. Now I'm -40k and I did all the work.
@@xcreeseseater38 On that size of job, didn't you have a contract? Thats a lot money to pass off- I have to say, I couldn't let that just rest there.I'd probably go on holiday, while the boy'ohs paid a visit.
@@johnchristmas7522 oh yeah there was a contract for sure. thats why we are suing them now, after giving them some time as they said they would get it done ( we all know how that goes). The owner of the whole thing who works at the city said he would personally send us a check this week as he prob shit bricks when he got served papers to go to court. He thought the lady who needed to pay us did it the last time he told her to like 3 months ago, she didn't. We will see, i actually believe this guy as he hasn't really been involved and it would look really bad for city elections and such if he went to court for not paying city contractors. no one would work for them again without 100% up front.
Good to see an honest hard working guy win against a scumbag who thought he had the deck stacked . Well done sir ☺️👍
My mother was an interior decorator. Years ago she and her business partner did some work for a couple. The husband was a dentist and the couple appeared to have money. In addition to some other redecorating work, the couple ordered a very nice dining table and 8 matching chairs. When the set came instead of one "captain's" chair (a chair with arms which is more expensive) and 7 armless chairs, there were two captain's chairs. The couple were told about the mistake. They were giving the choice of accepting the second "captain's" chair at the same price as the armless chairs OR an armless chair could be ordered for them, but it would take several weeks to arrive. The couple accepted the second captain's chair. And then they didn't pay their bill. Just as in the video, my mother and her partner kept billing the couple. The couple wouldn't pay. It finally ended up in small claims court. The couple claimed that they didn't owe anything because they had not received what they ordered. They then offered to pay only 5 cents for every dollar of the thousands of dollars they owed. Fortunately the courts did NOT find in their favor. My mother and her partner did a little checking around and found that this couple had pulled this type of stunt several times and owed money all over town. There were essentially thieves.
I am an Interior Designer. Typically, when a potential client asks you to come to their home for an initial consultation, the first 1/2 to full hour is complementary. During that past ‘Great Recession’, many designers were offering a full hour of complimentary consultation time before charging an on-the-clock fee, as we desperately needed to line up jobs. I got a call from a potential client, spent my one hour with them, and then they asked if I could provide them with my contract terms, as they were very interested in working with me, and they wanted to move forward with their project. Great! I sent them the contract, and then heard nothing. They didn’t answer my calls, as if they didn’t know me. Worse yet, this couple lived about 3 blocks away from me! Okay, so they most likely either went with another designer, or they simply had to tighten their budget, due to the recession, and couldn’t proceed with the project.
A few months later, I was at a local professional designer meeting where we were discussing business, marketing, customers, etc. It turns out that seven of my fellow designers had also dealt with this same couple, each providing one hour of free design consultation, and then failing to sign the client. So far, the ‘clients’ had received eight FREE hours of designer assistance. There was a designer present, who happened to have them scheduled for a consultation in a couple of days. When she heard our conversation, she immediately called the client, placing them on speaker (with their permission), confirming the appointment. She then asked if they had any ideas of design direction they had in mind so that she could provide paint samples, cabinet hardware samples, etc. She also asked if they’d had contact with other designers, who’s design styles she may have to be aware of, and perhaps incorporate into the overall plan. They said no, she would be the first designer they’ve ever had at their home, so it was a blank palette for her to work with. Okay, great, she actually kept the appointment.
The next month at our meeting, she reported that upon entering the house, it was abundantly clear that the couple had implemented design elements they had been advised of by a number of the designers, and they happened to have their construction contractor there, waiting for a direction on their next project. After about 15 minutes of surveying the project site, she was able to distract the couple and pull the contractor aside, explaining she was there for an initial consultation only, they were NOT her clients, and they’d done this to at least eight other designers in the previous 6 months. They’d been getting plenty of free design advise, although it was at times conflicting styles. The contractor realized what was happening and was furious, as they’d been stalling his progress payments. When the clients returned to the room, she told them that with so many styles, representing so many designer tastes (many of whom she was very familiar with), she couldn’t possibly provide them with any additional time or design services, as they were doing the profession a disservice by using our valuable time and resources. They were shocked that they’d been called out. None of our local designers heard from them again. Yes, word ripples through the industry when there are bad customers, AND potential customers, out there.
You have my wholehearted sympathy. I made wooden furniture for 30+ years, and my two worst customers were both solicitors. I consulted craftsmen at our local craft fair and they all had similar stories. This is a sad reflection on our legal system
I think they are so used to confrontation they just take it everywhere they go
I think they hope to intimidate, and if they lose and pay in the end it was worth the gamble.
Look at insurance adjusters, they always low ball, really low ball the claim, many many people just accept it. Then there is me, 8 claims in my lifetime, I have never lost and always got what I was after. A lawyer would be no different, I would say bring it.
The reason the solicitors are considered the worst is due to the fact they know how to use the legal system. Most other dissatisfied customers would not be as confident and would not take it to the end.
moral of story don t work for solicitors they are scum lol
'Theft by deception' is a crime, and they can get away with it due to their previous 'standing' with the court system. CORRUPT!
I had a Greek customer ask for 4 extra double sockets in 3 bedrooms as we were repairing previous plumbers damage to the victorian floorboards in these rooms and would have enough of them up to easily run the wires , before reclaimed timbers were laid and the rooms and the upstairs landing sanded.So we did , the spark fitted the sockets , all good but he refused to pay above the £1200 flooring quote,,
first excuse was some of them were a couple of inches either side of the X marks on the wall (but it was vertically above where the removed floorboards were and this was explained to him beforehand) , then he came back with the excuse that in his country a customer gets extras for free if asked for during a job !!
Anyway the £400 was never paid .
But there is a payback, the sparky sneaked into his driveway on the 25 december at about 2 am , lifted off the cast h2o cover ( and took it away), turned off the water to his grand stone built Victorian Villa with a toby and back filled the 3 feet of access pipe with a few bags of postcrete. smoothing it out and dressing it with dirt to blend in with the surrounding area.
As well as the huge bill for diggers, tarmac , drainage experts and ground radar to even find the on/off valve , they had to move into a hotel for the festive period.
Payback nailed.
2am in 25th December, but sure ain’t Santa!
Very naughty Santa! Lol
Ho ho ho. I'm half Greek and he is a tosser.
Love this , well done 👍🏻
Top man.
You're a hero man. Honest workman who stood their ground. I made a claim, but settled and took a deal for a little less than what I was owed, instead of going to court. I did not want to go through what you had to. For me this worked out since COVID hit and it would have dragged on. So good on you for not letting people get away with being dishonest, and becoming wiser.
Just recently I heard someone say: If you don't get agitated, even angry in the face of injustice, if your heart does not beat faster when you see injustice, then a piece of your soul is missing.
I can fully relate to the emotions you felt, even feel now when you are talking about - it is not just about money - it is about Truth, Justice, Fairness, Respect for yourself, being vulnerable, at the mercy of others or the system, Trust, overcoming Fears, Courage even if you think you might loose. I take my hat off - you did wonderfully, and are a wonderful man! Your family and friends can be proud of you!
Thank you 🍻
Is it weird that a story about going to court over an unpaid bill had me on the edge of my seat? Very happy you won! Next winter I am going to be moving into a "fixer upper" and the wood floors will need a lot of work. Glad I found your channel
As a web developer, I feel your pain. I have had so many "customers" not pay that I take 50% up front and the second half before I hand over the rest. I retain the copyright to ALL WORK until it is paid. That means they can't use it without committing copyright infringement if they don't pay me. They still don't pay but at least I can keep them from getting the website for free.
Many times l have heard about customers in the leagle profession knocking installers
Why not build in a switch you can control?
just brought back a great memory with this story A buddy of mine had a similar situation he’s a master plumber he did a job for a school where he put in three brand new bathrooms they stiff him on the entire bill so he went in there and took all of the toilets and sinks he had just put in out he then called the state and said they were operating without proper facilities they had to pay him for the original job the cost of removing them and the cost of putting them back again lol
🤣 ninja moves
What's your buddies name, does it begin with a P
that is top bollox.....fuckin awesome!!!!
In the UK that would have got you arrested-its called trespass. Your client has to give you permission to re-enter his property. Check it out, it might be the same in the USA and your buddy was lucky not to get prosecuted.
@@johnchristmas7522 Nope - in fact you could also have opened a case of unlawful possession/theft against the truant client as they had not paid for the goods.....retrieving them is not against the law.
So proud of you you explained everything perfectly clear. You had me all wound up reading about your bad experience ,and I was so angry about what you had to go through but you managed everything so well.
Cheers Tam! 🍻
Dude, he wasn't a solicitor, he was an a@@hole. We think that the stress isn't worth it with these guys, but giving in to them only emboldens them. Thanks for your work on behalf of society. I have self-represented in court and convinced others to do so. If a person is articulate, the results are often rather good.
You look up solicitor in a dictionary and it's got a picture of an a$$hole
I had a similar situation where a client wanted me to take the fall for another contractor's mistake. I had all the documents, attempts to try to head off the problem and later reconcile the situation, even offered a reduced settlement plus numerous photos and emails. They refused. As you said, you never really know if you missed something that might backfire but my gut told me I was right. The other party hired an attorney (American for solicitor) who immediately filed a change of venue to drag me an hour's drive to a court near their office. The actual job was in another city, far from either of us. We had a hearing in my local court and I beat the change request which boosted my confidence. We finally had our day in before the judge and and as you did, wearing jeans and a polo shirt, I prevailed in the matter. Good for you for going with your sense of what was right!
It sounds to me like this customer was what we in America call a "bottom feeder" and simply tried to scam you out of paying full price. Well done for seeing it thru to a satisfying outcome.
Yes. Also known as a parasite.
I’ve been a contractor here in United States for about 30 years and you can tell you’re probably a genuine reasonable man and you took a great attitude about you’re gonna go through the entire process it’s not about the money it’s about educating yourself what a great attitude to take
You also want the reputation that you’ll do a good job you’ll show up you’ll try to resolve the issues face-to-face with your customer but if you’re not paid you have no problem going to court that type of reputation will make people pay you believe it or not
Agreed. Cheers Ron 🍻
Congratulations for your intelligence and courage to fight for what is right! You represent what is best in society.
So many times you use words like ‘pathetic’ to describe your stress reaction. It’s very normal to react like that, not pathetic at all. Well done for getting through it.
Going through something like that can be very stressful especially over a long period of time. Glad he got through it without any detrimental psychological damage. If it had of gone against him could well have been different. I agree well done for getting through it.
Once?
@@gingerleegirl6697 What do you mean?
Best not to get too emotionally tied up in it. Be as sure of your case as you can, and just wait.
Law does look for "reasonableness" and things like trade practice. So in this case he came to the party and tried seek a resolution and other reasonable steps before taking legal action, which does help in any court case.
Some tradespeople don't understand they can have a huge liability by taking money for work, things like having an extension cord stretched across a room an be a liability issue. If someone trips and gets injured you could be liable. Anything you do that causes some other problem might be a problem, since you are meant to know better and avoid certain pitfalls.
This story made my blood boil. Good for you for standing up to him. Can you please put the solicitors name up? It would be a matter of public record anyway so you are fully entitled to.
You did the ONLY right thing. Never let arrogant pricks run you down. Great video and wish you all the best mate.
I had a client like that, I didn't sleep for 2 weeks. The stress is real. I eventually got my money. Why are some people just arsholes and think they can get away with this. Also at the time, I wasn't exactly a successful company and money aside, I took it personally. Running your own company is no walk in the park.
I can't take it. I've had many customers not pay for a few weeks and I want to do physical harm to them. They tell me they're going to pay 'tonight' so I go home and then 2 weeks later they've still not paid. All faith in humans lost.
@@garnhamr I host foreign students who are learning english.ive had to leave companies go as ihad to chase my payments .nothing is worth that stress.its also so disrespectful to people .it's undervaluing a persons work and effort.Its a false economy in the end as they usually end up having to pay more as nobody wants to del with them.
Professional non payers, all too common these days
Too true. Too true.
So true
Happened to my uncle he did an extension on a solicitors house
I take him to my court😜
Solicitor or not I'd get even when he's out😉
I have no idea why UA-cam recommended this video, I don't have a wooden floor, I don't drive a van! But, I'm actually glad it did. I enjoyed your story. Clearly this customer was going to be a problem from the start. And his bully tactics did not work. You did the right things to stand up against him. Especially after you had clearly set expectations. Plus, attempted to repair the issue, twice! The system is there for just such a situation. I am glad you went through with the full experience. You have grown in confidence and have discussed the issue so you can move forwards. Many of us, would have just eaten the costs and bottled that negativity within! Respect.
That's why UA-cam recommended it to you.
@@BUSTRCHERRI Exactly, I guess they know me better than I know myself! lol
They recommended it to me because I looked up how to fill a wood floor yesterday. It was a great diversion though!
@@krisniznik3953 Nice, I can see the link there. Other than a van life video I watched, I still cant see the link. Damn UA-cam bots are smart little blighters! lol.
I was looking up wood & wooden floors for Minecraft & this video was like "Hi, watch me"
Well done for highlighting this! My husband laid a floor many years ago and the customer got down on his hands and knees with a magnifying glass to see if he could find any faults! Glad you got justice in the end.
Thank you Rosemary!
In future refer him to RRP5007, a Rolls Royce visual inspection spec which specifies “1x vision or corrective vision at arms length. Also ask him is the lights are 1000lux at 12” distance from the inspection area. Even inspectors like myself wouldn’t use a magnifying glass on the floor! Ridiculous! ❤
He’s done this before your turn and you won’t be he’s last, people with this type of job pray on good people. It’s how they role . Why no one likes them. Good job 👍
Bravo for you. There is a reason why lawyers are called “bottom feeders”,not all but some. I used to do contract work and found that those times when we had issues with customers not paying it turned out they were wealthy. The average bloke was willing to pay because he appreciated what labour was worth and when a good job was done.
Exactly. These @rse-holes get a degree, go to law school, and then end up with a minimum effort job. Probably do a lot of cheating and bribing to pass exams too, so probably never done any real work anyway.
As Plumber myself I am delighted to hear you got a positive outcome and I'd like to commend you for sticking to your guns as it in itself proves your integrity.Well done.
This was a great story. I was feeling stressed just listening to it. You are clearly an honest bloke, someone who cares about the quality of their work, and someone who takes great care of your clients. It actually angers me that someone thought they could get away with ripping you off when you put in good honest work. I am so happy for you getting the win, yet so sorry you had to go through this.
My father warned me when I decided to enter into business - "be careful of the wealthy guy who drives up in a flashy car. They are not your customer, your best customers are the people who live in council houses".
Definitely! Some guy in a Porsce stood me up for an appointment withy sports coaching business, offered to pay me for my time anyway then told me he'd paid me twice and wanted his money back even though he didn't pay me a penny!
100% true!
Exactly what I tell people who want to go self employed, too true
You are spot on there
Absolutely, I had a builder at my old house and he said "it's like trying to get blood out of stone when asking rich people to pay you, people with little money pay you straight away".
As a small independent one-man show, I know what it’s like to deal with customers that want something for nothing. Usually it’s the People with money, they always want something for cheap or free. I’m glad the court was in your favor. I’ve spent countless nights with my nerves on edge having to defend myself and my work, when I know the work and workmanship is spot on.
Deep, deep, deep respect for you. You are not the only one who has shaken when going to court and representing yourself. This was an extremely courageous video!
Very well done! Having work for esteemed Solicitors for over decades many tend to think they are gods on earth and the rest of us simple plebs, so glad you were successful!
Thank you!
You're spot-on..
it's a career that strongle appeals to bullies and narcissists. There's no way to escape either type unscathed
i had this when i painted an exterior of a country house , he flat out refused to pay saying the job looked great and paint was already on the windows , he chuckled and said thanks but im not paying for it ! i never went to court but i did go back a few days later when he was at work , i decided it just didn't look right and needed one more coat , i painted them all again with a quick coat of paint stripper ! job done, it was well worth the 2 hours free labour ! He didn't even contact me about it !
My friend supplied and fitted a carpet for a guy that said im only going to pay half the bill , after a short argument saying the carpet was fitted and no good for anybody else to use he asked him once more ... "are you only paying for half the carpet" ? yes ! he took the money for it , cut through the middle of the room , rolled it up and left !
The guy was clearly trying to rip you off and intimate you with the court process and procedures. Well done to you for taking those actions before you went to court. By doing so you enabled the court to make a judgement based on what was done on your part instead of going to court and trying to plead your case, which is no doubt what the customer was expecting. And like you it was valuable knowledge to be aware of what you need to know for the next time you end up going to court with a customer. I would also advise to finalise any quote with an email to the customer. That way there are no arguments made of hearsay. Well done to you, sir.
I came here to learn how to stain my floors tomorrow and ended up here! As a tradesman myself (sparky) it so good to hear that your not going to get pushed over by the blokes in suits!! Hats firmly raised to you for standing your ground!!
Also thanks for the videos showing how to stain the floors, it’s given me the confidence to take it on myself!!
You’re welcome Gavin! You wouldn’t happen to be a N Bundy Electrical subscriber would you?
You'd be amazed how much that story meant to me. It was lovely to hear you as a genuine true contractor win against someone who knew the system. Absolute respect.
I'm glad you liked it. I felt there was no way I could win, but at the same time, I felt that on the subject, I was clearly right and he was clearly wrong. Have a nice weekend!
I doubt that anyone thinks you’re a bad person for doing that, reminded me of being unfairly dismissed. Got railroaded in a disciplinary meeting and was fired. Hired a union rep, we found hole after hole in their procedures. Staff had told lies to save themselves and basically gave the owners a week without sleep. I was wrongly dismissed and won my job back. I went into debt paying for that rep but felt awesome to win.
Union rep said that it was a shocking farce what they had done to me and the company gave me my job back. However it would have been in a different location and I didn’t except but it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Looking through their lengthy handbook and building a strong case was a pain in the ass but was worth it 😀
It was so funny, because they were terrified of me after that 😂😂
They felt that they wouldn’t win in court, and was instructed by their lawyer to quit while they were ahead because I had too many things on them. Yay! me.
✌🏻
They’ll think twice before they treat anyone else like crap again.
Love stories like this! Thank you for sharing.
Your are a very rare craftsman in this day and age. A craftsman that truly cares about what he does. Be happy, be safe
As a contractor, I learned early on: NEVER work for lawyers. They rip you off because... they can.
good advice. more trouble than they're worth.
I just got stiffed by an attorney this week $1,200 of the hardest work I've ever had to do digging through cypress tree roots I wouldn't wish that on my enemy and then the jerk doesn't want to pay
@@ikeskifan lessened learned. Sorry about that. Should be disbarred by the bar association.
i do my DD. Never do work for lawyers anymore. Ive been stiffed 3 times. all 3 were lawyers. no thanks.
Record everything conversation photo and film the job have a written contract and or agreement no matter who the person is
you can sue anyone we are all equal in law as long you have full name and birth date and the identity to the name lawyer don't know about laws that have codes and section and acts and rules these types of people want things done for nothing stealing from people greed that why they have more money stolen from people
You stood up for honesty and integrity….RESPECT!!!
As I understand it, what you call a solicitor is what we call a lawyer.
My philosophy is that lawyer, liar, swindler, and politician all have the same meaning, just different spelling.
Well done beating the devil at his own game.
Thanks for sharing.
A solicitor does house sales, advises on legal matter, draws up wills and contracts, all basic legal stuff. He does not go to court but prepares cases which a barrister argues in court. A barrister is a member of 'the bar' which is the register of barristers. Judges are appointed from members of the bar.
@@geraldlrstubbs
Thanks for the clarification.
😂
Well done mate, NEVER be intimidated by a court, a judge, or the judicial process.
Well done to you 👍 We made the mistake of using the ‘Mediation Service’ at the suggestion of the court for a similar issue. Absolutely shocking experience which ironically has a non disclosure caveat (so claimants aren’t permitted to discuss it afterwards). Wish we’d continued on to court instead. Strongly advise against a mediation phone call hearing. Detrimental things can happen during the phone call which can never be revealed and there’s no further recourse. So glad you pursued your case, well done.
People can make any rules they want in mediation, and corporations will always have the advantage of experts with experience over any lay person.
I had the exact same issue with a “ police prosecutor “ living next door to my hair dressing business, it ended up in the Brisbane magistrates court, and it was just me against, what seemed like the entire police force, and guess who won? ME!
So we’ll done to the little guys , thank you for your encouraging video 🥰
Best way to deal with a low life like this is to black list them with every contractor in town. Make it where they can't get any contractor to do anything for them.
And always demand the full half payment! No exceptions no excuses no if ands or buts!
@@18wheeler77 100% if they try to change terms you KNOW they are shysters!!
Walking away is always cheaper, and not just cash, but stress too. Cheers
@@joeshmoe7967 no doubt.
What’s this black list then? If I knew of one there are definitely some customers I’d put on there to warn other trades about
A story I heard was that back in the good old days, when a mason built a chimney he'd put a sheet of glass into the flue and clean it well before finishing the job. When the fireplace wouldn't draw properly he'd promise to fix it after he was paid in full. Then he'd go up and drop a brick down and everybody was happy.
lol
Brilliant he had the right idea. Have remember the trick ck.
What happens when they do pay lol
🤣😂
I think he deliberately chose to have you do the rooms separately so he could have grounds not to pay.
Absolutely, a well practised routine.
A true David and Goliath story, and a salutary lesson for all small and self-employed contractors. I wonder if you make a video of each completed job would it be a good defense in court in case such an ordeal was to ever occur again.
Well done you. I can hear the relief satisfaction and pride in your voice. You stood up to the bully and won.⭐🏆⭐
Thanks Theresa 🍻
Sounds like this solicitor thought he was an experienced veteran and got over confident.. Well done mate.
I remember the time I took three university graduate lawyers to court. They were from Johannesburg South Africa and I lived near a town called Bergville in Natal. I laid a charge against them and they said that was okay as the case would be tried in Johannesburg. When the policeman said no, the case will be tried in the Magisterial District Court of Bergville, the big shot of the three went white realising he'd forgotten basic court boundaries. I shouted out YES. This meant that each time he had to appear in court he would have to make the three hour trip from Johannesburg to Bergville regardless of how important a case he was dealing with.
@ivan schafeldt Probably did it to his plumber as well friends or not lol people like that normally keep pushing and dont quit while ahead, doubling down so to speak.
Sounds to me like he was a cocky brash solicitor who thought he could stitch people up because he knew the system. I hate bent lawyers.
Excellent result 👍 I think you could have claimed some extra costs for your time...
Dude. Respect. You’re the ideal tradie. You give advice, get the job done, and you try to keep the customer happy even though they were wrong. You have integrity. I’m blessed to have found a few tradies in my home town who have that same work ethic and they get paid on time, every time. Got to respect hard working people. Keep up the good work. Also, you’re not a coward in the courts. I’ve had to defend someone twice in court and it is stressful as so I can totally relate. Glad it all worked out in the end. Subbed!
Brilliant result; Good Man;
I went through a divorce and was screwed but when I had to return 3 times to get what little I was awarded I represented myself. The best thing I have ever done. An eye-opener. All young people should be taught in school about such matters and be brought to court several times for hands on experience. In my opinion it would bring down the crime level in our society and give people a greater feeling of empowerment and confidence in their everyday lives.
That sucks, but not surprising tbh.. half the time solicitors are bigger crooks than the criminals they represent!🙄
Supertuna is right, biggest crooks on the planet.
" Re-present " in court. 🤔
I know some really nice solicitors, but they all do corporate work, none are involved in criminal cases.
Not all solicitors do criminal work. Unfair to tar them all with the same brush. People are people. There’s good and bad.
Honesty they have zero concept of
Just because he’s a solicitor doesn’t make him intelligent or have any common sense. Pure arrogance was his downfall. What a knob
I have known quite a few and they are the most useless incompetent workers I have ever come across they are no more clever than the ordinary blue collar worker
Nope doesn't matter who they are, they're not above the law
@@glennbartlett416 And being a solicitor don’t stop you being an A hole.
@@peterdurnien9084 I think you mean being a solicitor doesn't guarantee they are an a-hole, but assume they are.
He sould of disapeared ppl go missing for 500 bucks these days. Got on ya mate
No idea how this reached my recommendations on UA-cam but I really enjoyed the video. Glad you won, justice was served.
I think I would have reached out to The Black Belt Barrister, on UA-cam. Good on you for standing your ground and standing up for yourself. Life is full of bullies & you’ve just made sure he won’t be bullying you again. Having said that, I hope you never have anything to do with this “gentleman” again. I think I would be spreading the word around the self- employed service providers, as customers like this deserve every misfortune that comes to them. Good luck to you in the future 🍀
Brilliant. I work in electronics, and a guy who had obtained funding, and actually drove a Rolls Royce, withheld payment. He dissolved the company before I could take him to court. I was naive at the time. It is a horrible feeling when this happens. You totally took the right approach, and it worked.
Thats how he bought his RR! P people think that because he's rich, you will get paid. Ask yourself how did he get rich?
Dude, stay away from the rich pricks with their fancy cars. That was the first lesson I learned when I was introduced to the "home repair" business.
I just would never accept a job from such individuals. Common people would just give up on the money when they need the work to be done.
I had a customer similar in a sense, she attempted to get out of paying for services rendered. What I learned in contracting school is make sure you document the job before and after pics, and don't hesitate to place a lean on a customers property if they don't want to pay. I had a conversation with both the husband and his wife and he asked "what if I don't feel like paying, what are you gonna do?" I told him that would be very unfortunate since I've documented my work and I would be forced to place a lean on your property, which protects me as a contractor. After that conversation I received my check. Some customers believe they can try and out smart people who do labor intensive work, you just have to know what laws in your area protect you as a contractor.
Excellent advice!!
Well done! My husband and I had small business doing stone work and nothing worse or more stressful than chasing payments...we learned to include in written contracts our practice of issuing serial invoices during the job for work completed, then if not paying we would work elsewhere for a while or have time off, they seemed to get the message and added pressure (especially when other contractors are relying upon work being done) motivated them to pay. Often it seemed that people with the most money were the hardest to get to cough some of it up. Agree with this YT'er, it is very stressful he shouldn't feel embarrassed but instead should feel very pleased with himself.
It's a lien not a lean . Mechanics can do the same on customers cars who won't pay for repairs. It's sad that you have to do this though .
So this guy is a solicitor, and he probably knows how backlogged the courts are, and he decided to take it all the way to the Royal Courts of Justice. This should have professional consequences for him, it's just an abuse of perceived power.
good job, whats that lawyer's name? you should let all the other Brits know not to call him for defense as clearly, he is incompetent lol
I'm sure it made him look bad (the solicitor}, and the court probably looked down on him knowing he was trying to abuse the system.
There is a law against people bringing malicious cases to Court. I think its part of the wasting the Court's time. There is a possibility that one of the reasons you won is that the Judge isn't a fool and may well have realised your situation. Well done. Just for the hell of it |I subscribed I hope it helps.
I was also thinking he put his career in jeopardy but professionals often stick together. If the media picked this up it would hit the fan.
It's called vexacious litigation however, in my experience, the Courts tend to bend over backwards to fall on the side of legal professionals, in order to ensure the integrity of the law profession.
My heart goes out to this lovely gent. He did his job. And I have no doubt from listening to him that his work is exceptional. I clicked without being the least bit knowledgeable about this business. Kudos to him for getting the word out.
Thank you Kathryn
Hey mate, im a Floor Sander based in Australia and ive had a very similar Experience. Thankyou so much for sharing, im one of the youngest here in my state so I dont get any support from some of the older blokes who have been working around and ive been really able to relate to your story so much and its given my confidence. Keep doing the awesome work youre doing!
AddyC. its a truth of business that you find out the hard way. Business people don't give up ideas. The best way (it will still cost you!) is to see a Barrister who specialises in non payment. I did, it was expensive but paid off later. As a general rule insist on a contract. It protects you and your customer and if you ever have to go to court, theres nothing better than a written agreement.
Glad you proved your case and was paid what your are due!
There is such a thing as cash flow system and agreement everystep of the way. When people fails that then trouble can be ahead. First cash flow before I do the job, then when I do one room etc he signs it and says I like it if not I do not carry on this is the only way to protect one self in this crazy world.
I'm not a contractor, just a YT viewer from the States. I wanted to say, "Bravo!" You taking that solicitor to court was brilliant. I am quite pleased that you won your case. In the States, we can also represent ourselves if we cannot afford to pay an attorney (lawyer), or do not wish to pay for one. It's called pro se representation. For contractors out there, yourself included - I say this as an American: to the extent that it is legal for you to do so, I would recommend that you put into your contracts specific wording regarding incidents like this, so that it is clear before you start your work that you are not responsible if the issue comes up - in this case, the connections between the rooms, and water damage to the parquet flooring that was due to an issue other than the refinishing (lacquering). This is to protect you and your business. We do this fairly regularly in the States. You would have to check with a lawyer in your area to see what exceptions to a warranty you may include. Anyway, I am glad for you that things worked out, and that you have gained some insight into how the legal system in your country works. All the best to you! = )
When all else fails, a contractor can put a lien on the house for nonpayment. You might not get your money right away but they can't sell the house until it's settled. I've been there and done that. Not only did I get paid for services rendered, I got accumulated interest and what amounted to punitive damages.
@@CM-ve1bz That nay be possible in the US, but unfortunately not in the UK.
This is good sound advice, but regrettably for whatever reason, usually in the UK there is very little set out on paper because too many tradesmen think they don't need these type of contracts and so therefore will not have a properly binding contract drawn up, which is why they often end up in the kind of situation that was played out in this instance.
@@CM-ve1bz A mechanic's lien is not possible in the UK - no such thing. But you can take the debtor to court and sue for the money owed (as the poster did). I'm no lawyer .... but my understanding of what can be done to get debts paid in English law is :-
If the case is won, and the debtor still doesn't pay after 30 days, the court judgment and debt goes into the Register of County Court Judgments, and credit reference agencies will hold it against the debtor for the next 6 years.
In the meanwhile, the claimant can go back to Court and get a "charge" (equivalent of a lien) registered against the debtor's home - provided he/she it the homeowner. If the debtor rents, then that's not possible. Once a charge is in place, the claimant can enforce it at any time and force repossession and sale of the home :-)
If the debt is over £750, and particularly if the debtor isn't a home owner, then the debtor can be bankrupted.
I would also print out all the e-mails and contact information and make an time-based event list to accurately describe anything that happened over those 5 months.
My experience as a tradesman was that accountants and lawyers where the most likely ones to try and avoid paying. Trust your instinct, and dont do work for people if you get that initial bad feeling, it works and they hate it when you tell them you dont want to do their job. Good on you buddy!
Good story. Well done for standing your ground. Most wouldn't go up against a solicitor.
We call them Bottom Feeders Here in the states, He knew he was wrong and thought he could wait you out and you would think it is too costly to continue.
My father was an electrical contractor.
He did a fairly large job for this guy and there were a lot of (authorised) variations.
When the time comes to pay, the guy says "i'm not paying". He says "take me to court, see what happens, I never loose".
So he goes to court, disputing the variations. The judge says "so, you are disputing the variations, but concede that the basic amount is justified and payable?" The guy says "yes", so the judge says "pay what you owe". First win.
For the remainder, he start claiming bankruptcy, then not and then again - and my dad has to chase him back and forth through various courts, driving up costs. The guy is hoping that my dad will run out of money and give up.
Finally, there is a judgement in dads favour, including the legal costs, which by now are much greater than the disputed amount.
So then the guy disputes the costs - so back to court again. The court audits the costs and approves a larger sum! The guy disputes this. More court time.
Finally, there is a judgement "stop, pay up, do it now, it's finished".
And still, he doesn't pay. My dad asks his solicitor "what should we do now" and the solicitor says "take him to court (lol)".
The guy eventually payed about 3x more than the original bill.
What a waste of time and energy.
He didn't plan on coming up against my dad, who would fight to the death and never let these types of cheats triumph.
Good on your dad.
@@robertmorris2363 :-)
In another instance, he was working on some high rise appartments. I don't know the details, but the place had to be finished by a certain day and the project was running late.
I was helping him and his crew.
All the trades were working frantically on this job - late into the evenings. There were tilers, carpenters, carpet layers all working on top of each other.
I remember one instance in the foyer, where me and another guy were on ladders installing downlights, while the plumber was below us brazing something to get a fountain going, while the landscaper was tossing dirt and plants around him into the fountain thing, while a painter painted the walls...
All at 9 in the evening.
Anyway, the job finishes and everything opens on time - and the builder turns around and says to everyone "I will give you half of what I owe you and you can take it now - or you can take me to court and see how you go".
Most of the little guys, operating week to week, just took what they were offered.
My dad got together with the plumber and went to court. After a long fight, everyone got paid.
(and the builder went broke - good riddance - one less shark in the sea)
I think you absolutely did the right thing. Most builders who been there, as I have, will agree. Don't feel bad for protecting yourself, your family and your business.
Sometimes this course of action is all that is left. Well done, I'm very happy for you.
You did the right thing, I was a floor layer for years, Carpets, Altro, polyfloor, Amtico and Lino, I always took a 50% deposit as a matter of course and the only times I got stiffed was from large flooring companies that I had subbed to, I would suggest that any estimate be given in writing also pointing out issues that could arise and get the customer to read and sign that they understand, this covers you when issues that are pointed out prior to the work do not come back to bite you and yes I always tried to make the customer happy.
it doesn't hurt to take clear, close up photos of work completed either. Most people have a computer for business, so saving photos to the clients file only takes a couple of minutes. Saves a lot of hassle with one bad client due to time stamps.
"Two weeks and he hadn't paid.." - man, I get nervous if I haven't paid someone two minutes after they've finished, let alone two weeks!
I went 5 months being owed £5000. Was a bad time, I could have dragged the customer through the courts but they were very open about sudden money issues and they had to wait for a bank loan. They fully paid me though band it was a huge relief
It's weird that there are some services carried out by highly skilled people where payment can take place in stages over verbal agreements. You'd never go shopping and ask the shop if you could take it home and pay after you've ate the food and you'd never go to other shops and ask to just pay a deposit (unless there's a legal signing of 'on tick'). Yet trades unfortunately get shafted regularly when clients want a project fully completed for 25% up front cash. I'm sure people think you've all got surplus funds for materials. It's just daft.
Thats because you are a very honest and decent person that deserve respect
I thought most people were like this, obviously not
That bloke was taking the piss and it bit him in the arse. I've had similar situations with clients over web sites and software projects. I never thought I would be in that situation but I've had people trying not to pay, trying to lower the price, etc. It's stressful and you're not pathetic or anything for feeling how you did, it's a very stressful situation. Glad you got it sorted and put him in his place!!
He had no intention to pay and thought you would fold as soon as he mentioned been a solicitor. Well done for sticking to your principles and I hope you a successful future
It's not pathetic that you were anxious, so glad you won.
He thought he could bully you typical middle class looking down on you as just a workman glad you won made my day
Bravo. You could have put a charge on his property, effectively ensuring that he cant sell it without discharging the charge on it. You could also consider sequestration of assets or a garnishee, but Im glad you nailed him.
It felt great
Knew a landscaper who did that. Years later, he received a VERY VERY VERY angry phone call one afternoon from the a-hole that tried to screw him, who was now sitting in a lawyer’s office trying to sell his house. Got paid.
I admire your tenacity. When you have a customer that will not pay, when you know you are being used, take them to court, just do your homework.
I do not know how do you negotiate with your customers, but in order to avoid similar cases[ not paying you], you must sign a written contract before you start the job. There are forms , which you can buy from the W H Smiths, approved by the English solicitors. You fill in the form and write down all the details of the job - how it will be done, quality and quantity and how it will be paid - the sum and when it will be paid. I have not any problems, using these forms for 21 years.
I think they call that luck. Forms don’t deter people who are out to rip you off by gaming the system.
I once had a low-life dude that refused to pay me for shoeing his horses. After slamming his head with his pickup door a couple of times he payed me with solid silver dollars. Of coarse this was 2 decades ago and was in the country. Texas to be exact.
I imagined doing all sorts of things 😂😂 luckily I refrained
Fantastic my friend.
Sounds like a steers and queers story to me. Haha!
Don't mess with Texas!
Your gotta do what ya gotta do Lane! 👊
I'm a retired Litigation Executive / Criminal Law Paralegal with many years of experience under my belt and I congratulate you on your actions. To many folk they would have been too daunted to pursue this case unrepresented and that is exactly what this debtor was expecting. You, on the other hand, didn't put a foot wrong and won a Judgement. Well done, the Law is there for everyone to use and provided , like you, tradesmen keep careful records and you are honest then no-one need fear representing themselves. A perfect example for others to follow.
Such a good account of yourself m8. So glad you didn’t budge on your resolve! I’m a retired floor installer and had a few customers who stuck it to me. Never had the courage to go through the court system, wished I had now.
Thank you 🍻
I just subscribed to you even though I have no interest in floor sanding. :) I can tell you are a really good person, and you shouldn't stress out so much. People like you are not used to go to courts and it is a natural feeling to feel the way you felt as opposed to people who do it all the time. Good luck on your journey and your channel.
Same here this is great guy hand dwn
I wish this contractor, could have got something for his time and aggravation!
Solicitors have a strict governing body. I would inform them with the details of this case. Yes, I know, it would do little good, but if you did it would establish a "track record", and one day might help another person in your position . . . Leopards and spots come to mind. Well done!
Hey Sandy...amazing story and I'm happy you didn't fold like the solicitor had hoped you would. I'm in America and there was a time when solicitors were not allowed to hang their shingle inside city limits (for obvious reasons). Today most politicians are solicitors and they run the country in the same spirit as your solicitor experience. You're my new hero.