Unpaid invoices - chasing payment

peterpaz

New Member
Hello
I've got a client who is a pretty smooth operator. We tried to be cautious but after 3 or 4 job done for him, we are left with 2 invoices from June 2015 we just can't get paid for, totalling almost £1,000 inc. VAT

We tried to offer more time to pay, we were promised payment 3 or 4 times, but nothing materialised.
So eventually we paid for a Thomas Higgins Partnership solicitors letter to try and recover the monies owed.
Again our client promised to pay-up but didn't.

So we decided to try the wonderful government online moneyclaim.gov.uk route. But this, to put it bluntly' is an absolute farce. We paid the £60 and yes, they sent him a form and we got a copy of it when he'd sent it back to them, stating that he admitted he owed the full amount and ticked the box stating he can pay the full amount on 11 December.... that came and went and still no payment!

Then I notice the form said he 'CAN' pay the full amount - as appose to he 'WILL' pay the full amount! Which basically means he can but he won't.. ggrrrr

So we the applied for county court judgement (CCJ) against him, which he now is the proud owner of.

So what do we do now?.... we've spend hours and hours trying to work out the best way forward, of what looks like 4-options. (won't go into detail about these as it'd be like writing a novel) But to be honest, all of these option seem like a waste of time and soooooo much effort.

So questions are:
• Has anyone else gone down a similar route?
• Did you have any luck?
• Did you take a different (successful) route to get your cash?
• And.... am I just shortening my own life by trying to jump through what seems 100 hoops and should just ignore the situation, forget about the dept and roll over to get taken up the ar*se?

The whole government based legal system for dept recover is shameful... I don't wish this one anyone, least honest graphic designers who quite frankly don't have time to fight tooth and nail to get what they are owed!

Thanks for reading anyway and if you do have anything to comment - please do so
Cheers
One frustrated graphic designer!
 
Yep been through the whole farce although when you get to the end (which you are now), you can proceed to send in the bailiffs, which we have had to do many times. I think that is an option on moneyclaim online, I think you pay extra but that is added to the overall debt.
 
Hi Boss Hog.
I thought of that option, but this guy obviously knows how to play the game. After looking into it, he's in a huge rented house with no furniture and 2 Range Rovers on the tick!.... he's been here many times I suspect!! Where's the justice eh!
 
Hello Peter

When I had these problems in the past I usually sent a big friend to make a nuisance of himself until he got the cash - I remember one time he drove away with a computer from the office and said he'd return it when payment rcvd - they paid up later the same day...

Best of luck, David
 
Nice one David!
I'm starting to think that would be a far better system in this country... far better than the sh*te route I chose to take anyway!
Cheers for sharing the idea :)
 
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