Tricky customer Quibbling price after emergency job, what would you do?

[Ian Leach]

Felix is right, small claims court, give him reasonable time to pay, send reminder and final reminder. All sent by email.  When you go to court make sure all your paperwork is in perfect order and the judges that you would of sent before. You'll get all your money back plus costs, lost wages going to court. Been in this situation before.

[Bustergasket]

Felix is right, small claims court, give him reasonable time to pay, send reminder and final reminder. All sent by email.  When you go to court make sure all your paperwork is in perfect order and the judges that you would of sent before. You'll get all your money back plus costs, lost wages going to court. Been in this situation before.

Just to cheer you up, this is a video of Joe and his bro, it’s highly concerning and somewhat entertaining as was the first video

https://youtu.be/VSGcEqNhWdo

[eggsarascal]

I could do a better job of it, and that's saying something.

[Agent-Arb]

Hi All, good advice here, thanks everyone.
As luck would have it, today I bumped into a soon to retire solicitor I know. Showed him the emails, photos & answered his questions.
He said it would be unlikely to get there as most (sane) people pay up before it gets that far. However, if it went all the way it would be me & quibbler(if he even turns up) explaining to a magistrate in small claims court. He said I’ve got a strong case.
Need to show that it’s a reasonable amount for the job done - none of which is disputable now.
He reckons it’s just a try-on & chuckled at the “non-negotiable” bit. Send invoice with brief explanation of job on it & that the price is reasonable & that he should be too & pay as agreed already. Wait the 28days then straight to small claims as he’s shortened going through any reminder process by being a quibbling cheapskate. Non payment = bailiffs/goods seized & auctioned or payment collected plus their fees.

So thats echoed a lot of you guys - thanks all. Shall see how it plays out, as has been said, it’s a learning process. Shall update when I can.

My mate was more shocked than me and hasn’t been paid either yet I don’t think(I don’t he’ll begetting messed about but who knows) - I’ll bell him tomorrow or whenever. I said to the customer it would have been £600 but to knock £150 off to cover my mates wage for the day as he was there already. It was a fit of generosity whilst probably being all chuffed with my little self on nailing a tricky one sweetly. A valuable lesson learnt there in itself. Along with kindness being mistook for weakness. Solicitor said to point that out in covering email with invoice.

[Steven P]

I would chase him for the fees, there was a verbal agreement (which might not be binding but it was there) and confirmed in his 1st e-mail I guess when he was saying you were charging too much and he could get it cheaper locally.

 

HAve you sent him an invoice yet? I would be making up a detailed invoice (travel to site, set up site, emergency works, clear site, remove waste and disposal, and travel again. etc). I would add a good description of the works you completed identifying why it wasn't a simple felling job (for example the nature of the dangerous tree - the failed parts, that it was roped so it didn't fall onto an overhung greenhouse and so on), and send him that - rather than what sounds like an informal e-mail chain. Obviously all on headed paper with things like VAT numbers and so in if applicable.

 

Then if it goes to small claims court you can pull out the invoice, and this will be considered and add to your case

 

 

[Mark Bolam]

I’m really looking forward to the outcome of this.

Good luck (you shouldn’t need it) and keep us posted.

[Agent-Arb]

I would chase him for the fees, there was a verbal agreement (which might not be binding but it was there) and confirmed in his 1st e-mail I guess when he was saying you were charging too much and he could get it cheaper locally.
 
HAve you sent him an invoice yet? I would be making up a detailed invoice (travel to site, set up site, emergency works, clear site, remove waste and disposal, and travel again. etc). I would add a good description of the works you completed identifying why it wasn't a simple felling job (for example the nature of the dangerous tree - the failed parts, that it was roped so it didn't fall onto an overhung greenhouse and so on), and send him that - rather than what sounds like an informal e-mail chain. Obviously all on headed paper with things like VAT numbers and so in if applicable.
 
Then if it goes to small claims court you can pull out the invoice, and this will be considered and add to your case
 
 

Nice one, that’s just what solicitor said, but better as he doesn’t know the ins& outs of our job. I was just about to send invoice, but looked on here. Have coloured it in nicely now, thanks.

Fingers crossed to affording a gloat

[Yournamehere]

Good news; well done; good luck.

Final(?) thought: if you detail & price all aspects of the job* as above, end with 'discount as just helping mate out' to bring it down to your £450 + £150. 

 

That + judge with sense of duty/obligation=win

 

*as a proper emergency job, not mates rates, three stems lowered as also above but further above so as to come out at £1 400 ish**

 

**Am I making sense here? I need more tea.

 

Happy days

[Agent-Arb]

Good news! Paid in full.
Thanks to all for some very good advice on here, it really helped get a good starting point together before filling out the small claims forms. Which took about 30 mins (10 to make an account) & £35 - really easy. You have to list your evidence you will be using if it goes to court. So the emails, photos & good old google earth to show the size and location of the tree - it dwarfed the greenhouse & was well over half the spread of the tennis court [emoji23]

He was getting bolshy, cos I wasn’t biting at his rudeness, then tried telling me to take it to his solicitor for which I would be charged £250 an hour for “!”
So I left it another 28 days after first reminder and thought well let’s leave it to the judge then.

His Mrs paid. They probably got the forms through just before Christmas, which will have confirmed the email the court also send out straight away was not a wind up.

Thanks again all. Good end to the year. All the best to everyone for the year ahead.

[Joe Newton]

23 minutes ago, Agent-Arb said:

Good news! Paid in full.
Thanks to all for some very good advice on here, it really helped get a good starting point together before filling out the small claims forms. Which took about 30 mins (10 to make an account) & £35 - really easy. You have to list your evidence you will be using if it goes to court. So the emails, photos & good old google earth to show the size and location of the tree - it dwarfed the greenhouse & was well over half the spread of the tennis court

He was getting bolshy, cos I wasn’t biting at his rudeness, then tried telling me to take it to his solicitor for which I would be charged £250 an hour for “!”
So I left it another 28 days after first reminder and thought well let’s leave it to the judge then.

His Mrs paid. They probably got the forms through just before Christmas, which will have confirmed the email the court also send out straight away was not a wind up.

Thanks again all. Good end to the year. All the best to everyone for the year ahead.

Well done Conrad