Plowed all winter without getting paid

[doncampbellmodels]

I was plowing the other morning and the fellow that has plowed the new auto parts store stopped and told me if they walk over and ask me to plow them out, don't do it. He has plowed them all winter and they have not paid him at all. They keep saying they will but the main office has to do it. He said he feels like plowing some of the snow in front of the doors just to prove a point he wants to be paid . He said they owe him over $2,000.00 . He has stopped plowing them and I see someone else is doing it. I have a 10 day pay period, if I am not paid in 10 days , I call my customer and go talk to them and collect in person. That is my agreement. If they don't pay, I stop plowing them after that. This can be a thankless job, and not to be paid is a little depressing. I felt bad for the guy.

[Ohiosnow]

He said they owe him over $2,000.00
This can be a thankless job, and not to be paid is a little depressing. I felt bad for the guy.

That's what Small Claims Court is for ;) it's a slamdunk :D & then the MAIN OFFICE will get the BILL :p

[speedracer241]

A fast food chain resturaunt here owes me just over $1000.00. I talked to the manager a while back and he told me my bills need to read "invoice" instead of "statement" in order to get paid. We have had 12 snows and 12 bills were delivered, why wait till the last snow to tell me this???

I resubmitted all my "invoices" and still havent seen anything yet.

Going to give it a little more time and I will be going the small claims way.
Mark K

[doncampbellmodels]

A few years ago I had a couple customers who were slow at paying and we got a 12" snowstorm. I did not plow them and they were the first ones to call and complain . I told them I would plow them when they paid me. They told me they couldn't get out to pay me. I told them to have someone drive you over to my house and pay me and I will go plow you. I don't play that game. They both stopped over within the hour with checks for the last bill. They have always paid promptly since. That sends a clear message I'm not going to screw around. No need to go to court, just need to remind them of how the agreement works . That reminds them.

[WoofsPlow]

You have to stay on top of all customers in order to get paid. Two storms ago I plowed one of my customers and did not get paid because she was not home - 2 weeks later another storm was on the way, she calls that day "I have been trying to get in touch with you, I want to pay you!" Needless to say I got paid and plowed her out that night. Do everything to get paid NOW, once the snow stops you can all but kiss it goodby or find in very hard to get your money.:headwall

[GreenQuest Lawn]

I think it is great he came and talked to you. I know I had one place that I was going to sit in their unplowed lot the next storm at the time they opened and see what they had to say. At that time I would have to get a check before plowing. Good thing they paid cause it stopped snowing.

Then I like the excuses "I did not get that invoice", "Oh yea I have not opened that yet" "Oh that must have been misplaced"

I swear one day when I skip one of these accounts for not paying I am going to say

"MMMMMM I forgot where your lot was"

"Oh did it snow at your location, It must have slipped my mind that it snowed"

"Oh I did not even look outside today........DID IT SNOW?"


People are stupid sometimes.

Heck last year I almost broke the cardinal rule, I kept plowing a place when they were not paying, they were in to me for 10,000. I know I know, I was stupid, it was my biggest account. Well I ended up getting my money a week before they shut down.

Never again:headwall

[Pelican]

I'm always suspicious of accounts that come to me mid-season for that very reason. I research the customer with the prior contractor to learn if he was paid on a timely basis before I take this type of customer.

[Ohiosnow]

No need to go to court, just need to remind them of how the agreement works . That reminds them.
True if they intend on paying ;) but some have no intention of paying :( so that's why you take them to court ;) it really reminds them to pay their BILLS :cash

It sounds like they aren't going to pay him anytime soon
He has plowed them all winter and they have not paid him at all.
So since it's to late to stay on top of the BILL, you take them to Court & get your money :cash :cash :cash

[Mike Fronczak]

DON"T wait for the court thing. I just got a arbritration date (3/18)for a custmer from 2001 (paperwork was started). Two years to collect my money is crazy, mind you this isn't small claims.

[NNJSnow]

My boss had the same problem for a while at some place. He would go to the lot plow it ask the owner of the property to pay him he said he mailed a check so my boss waited, and after a year he got nothing so he went talked with the guy, guy said oh well ill check the mail must have gotten lost or something. Boss had enough went inside into the office told the guys secretary that he had said have her write a check out for the amount. Guy was pissed, but my boss was happy got his money and never plowed for him again.

[szorno]

My first year plowing I plowed for the apartment I lived in. The company gave me an eviction notice, saying I didn't pay rent. I told them they owed me more money than I owed them. They said tough. It snowed real good a couple days later. The on-site manager's brand new 2wd pickup was in the lot with fresh decals from the real estate company that managed the place. I buried it on 3 sides up to the top of the bed. I told them if they wanted their truck out they need to get me my money. 4 days later I had the check, paid rent, and... well... never dug the truck out. It melted in about 3 weeks. :mad:
wouldn't do it today, but ahhh... the foolishness of youth.

[Pickering Snow]

Oh yes the time of the season for excuses andi have heard them all i have a hotel that owes 7500.00 and the manager that told me see handles acounts payable i said do you have any idea when i might get payed she said no this place is run by property manager and to be honest its our first year and last year doing buss with them. Like Pelican said a person really needs to research a company before taking them on this is a new hotel
sleep inn and to be honest iam beyond small claims max so this one will end up in court wasting my time and my money.

Before anyone asks yes i still am plowing the place reason is i dont want another company going in this late in the season getting screwed for one but two making me even less a prority for payment.

[Earthscapes]

I'm going through this right now.....waiting for over $4,500 from Jan. 15th.
I do contracts with a 2 payment option. First payment due upon signing,,2nd due 1/2 season Jan. 15th.
Most customers pay in full in sept. Others chose the 2 pay deal.
Being the nice guy I am I plowed them until Jan. 23rd...then stopped all service. I am sick and tired of calling and sending letters. So there will be a change for the 04-05' season "Pay in full or call someone else".

Just sux that we need to go through this BS.

[PROMOWER]

I have my fair share of no-pay stories.But I must relate one that was done by a sewer contractor I know. Installed sewer lines for an addition to an existing restraunt. Also had the contract to install new asphalt parking lot. Did work as promised, was waiting to get paid. 1 1/2 years later, still not paid. Large sum of money $40,00 plus... Anyways, one night goes and fills up the last sanitary manhole in the line before the main.. WITH CEMENT!!! Few days later, plumbing backing up at banquet hall/ restraunt. Owner calls plumber out. Plumber hits obstruction, can't get through. Measure it out to manhole. Pop off cover, finds cement. Long story short, contractor was paid next day and had to pay to get concrete broken out of manhole!!:p

[Pickering Snow]

I really was thinking this over what is the point in retalating againist a buss for non payment i mean were does it get a guy i mean sure i would love to take and dump all the snow back in this hotels parking lot but were would that get me more wear and tear and wasted fuel.

I just think it sucks that corp america is tearing down the little man little by little just like they did to my fathers gas station so like Alan Jackson sings there goes the little man








i

[SunServicesLLC]

My biggest account, not even sure of the totals owed to me off the top of my head, has yet to pay me this winter. Big surprise, its owned by my father. He always waits til spring to cut me a check, which is okay since the money from plowing isn't depended on to pay the bills.

[paulsoccodato]

rearrange your route, so you plow the people who pay fastest first, and the slower ones, last.

they'll soon figure it out.

[urethane dino]

We resigned two convelescent centers this season, that have been slow pays in years past. Our payment arrangment was Nov, Dec and Jan. By Jan 1 we had no money in yet, so we stopped service. First event of the year, we get a call regarding why we havent serviced them, I reply read the contract, no money no plow. We recieved Nov payment for one facility about a week later, and Nov and Dec for the other facility. But since then nothing, and since we are now getting near March, they are shut off again. I call at least 3x a week, and have to chase them hard just to try and get something out of them. I wont be back next year thats for sure.
Dino

[Lawngodfather]

Originally posted by PROMOWER
I have my fair share of no-pay stories.But I must relate one that was done by a sewer contractor I know. Installed sewer lines for an addition to an existing restraunt. Also had the contract to install new asphalt parking lot. Did work as promised, was waiting to get paid. 1 1/2 years later, still not paid. Large sum of money $40,00 plus... Anyways, one night goes and fills up the last sanitary manhole in the line before the main.. WITH CEMENT!!! Few days later, plumbing backing up at banquet hall/ restraunt. Owner calls plumber out. Plumber hits obstruction, can't get through. Measure it out to manhole. Pop off cover, finds cement. Long story short, contractor was paid next day and had to pay to get concrete broken out of manhole!!:p He could of screwed himself out of all the money owed to him.

Hey yall think these new terms would work, "I will be dropping invoice off within the week ofter an event, all invoices to be paid on the spot."

Wishfull thinking, and no I don't depend on snow money, but sometimes it's nice to have that money going in the bank when you are paying it out.

[cat320]

Did you ever hear the story of a chiminy mason who put glass inside the chiminy? If he got paid he would just bust up the glass but if not the people would use it and not know why it did not work call him to fix ,but only after he got paid .

[CPSS]

I make sure all my seasonal customers are paid in full by Dec 1. That way they won't be saying " well it really didn't snow much this winter so I'm not making the last payment". If I don't have the last payment by the due date, I call them and advise that I won't be plowing again till paid in full. Follow up with a registered letter a couple of days later. I never have any problems this way, because they don't know how much more snow we will get for the next 3 months.