Being taken to court.

[Octopus]

I'd look at any court option as an absolute last resort even if you have legal cover. Try hard to come to arrangement direct with him and if that fails go the arbitration route via your scheme if possible. Ending up in court without exhausting all other options is a lot of stress and expense and courts don't like cases where insufficient effort has been made to resolve the dispute before the case unless the amount falls under a small claims court which is geared up to sort out petty disputes quickly and efficiently.

If and I say if, this goes to Court then the first question the customer will have to answer is why they didn't invite you back tho complete the works.

Sit tight and see what happens.

What do your scheme recommend?

 

[Toneyz]

Criminal and civil law is different,any judge will see the contract was paused due to compassonate grounds I am sure that one of your insurance providers/part P can provide you with free legal advice.If you want to claim through small claims court note that you can not claim for your legal cost if you win as it is thought you shoud be able to present your case

 

[AdamDee]

Thanks for all the comments. I am with the NICEIC and have contactedthem today for advice.
Luckily I'm good with paperwork and have over 20 emails to him with the quotes, invoices, changes to original quote and emails trying to contact him.

Also the last email I have before he disappeared was a final invoice for £1350with he agreed to pay and I have that email.

Reading back over the original quote, I never agreed the undercounter lightingand on a separate email I said once he has picked the LED strip light hewants I would buy them and this would be added on to the final invoice formaterials and labour.

My ex-wifes dad is a solicitor so is on the case and has adviced me totake the client to a small claims court. I contacted the clienttonight and I'm going to his house on the weekend with all the email proof andmy phone logs which are highlighted with 32 calls over the first 5 months hewas away for. I think he will pay the bill and I will sign off only the work Ihave completed.

 

[rolyberkin]

Tell him to pay what he owes you and then you will come and certify, then tell him to jog on!

 

[Marvo]

Good luck, I hope you get whatever is outstanding. Pop back and let us know how you get on.

 

[ipf]

^^^^^ Yes consider the offset against the legal fees. £200 won't go far hiring a solicitor to defend your case.

No solicitor needed, small claims court....from experience. If everything is as said, there won't be any problem winning the case. You put your claim in. He puts his case, you put yours...the judge makes his decision, amount decided, along with the interest and expenses he decides, all from the details given. Just get as much fact and proof as possible.

Oh, and claim back the expense of taking out the action, probably still less than £100.

 

[ruston]

No solicitor needed, small claims court....from experience. If everything is as said, there won't be any problem winning the case. You put your claim in. He puts his case, you put yours...the judge makes his decision, amount decided, along with the interest and expenses he decides, all from the details given. Just get as much fact and proof as possible.

Oh, and claim back the expense of taking out the action, probably still less than £100.

All I was thinking was that the time it takes to go through all that time consuming process and stress was that the situation could have bee solved amicably with a 'without prejudice' proposal .
The money was gone anyway, he would not have had anything at all the way the situation was.
Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour.

 

[richy3333]

Thanks for all the comments. I am with the NICEIC and have contactedthem today for advice.
Luckily I'm good with paperwork and have over 20 emails to him with the quotes, invoices, changes to original quote and emails trying to contact him.

Also the last email I have before he disappeared was a final invoice for £1350with he agreed to pay and I have that email.

Reading back over the original quote, I never agreed the undercounter lightingand on a separate email I said once he has picked the LED strip light hewants I would buy them and this would be added on to the final invoice formaterials and labour.

My ex-wifes dad is a solicitor so is on the case and has adviced me totake the client to a small claims court. I contacted the clienttonight and I'm going to his house on the weekend with all the email proof andmy phone logs which are highlighted with 32 calls over the first 5 months hewas away for. I think he will pay the bill and I will sign off only the work Ihave completed.

Sounds like a plan, good luck mate.