to put it simply...
i'm self employed (as many of you may already be aware), hard working, dedicated to both my trade and my family. the problem is that as things stand currently i am owed somewhere in the region of £8k and for a second month i cannot afford to pay the mortgage. just what the fuck am i supposed to do? it's only £325 per month but the cash flow is simply fucked right now.

don't know what i'm expecting from my fellow b3tans but right now i'm close to tears for not the 1st time lately :-(

edit: writing that really hurt, i feel like such a failure because it seems like i cannot even provide properly for my family.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Thu 26 Feb 2009, 23:27, 23 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Fuck man...
Afraid I can't offer anything but sympathy. I think it's a bad time for a lot of small buisnesses at the moment. My mate's is going downhill at the moment as well. He called the bank to get a top up on a loan he'd got at 7% to find the interest on the top up had magicaly increased to 21%. It's not your fault though, and if you've worked hard and tried your hardest there's certainly no reason you should be feeling like a failure. The only actual advice I can give is maybe speaking to citizens advice RE the mortguage position or something. Hope things get better for you.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Thu 26 Feb 2009, 23:40, Reply)

Fredz is right
It's not your fault and if things were normal you'd be supporting them and supporting them well.

If you can't pay some visits, flash some charisma and squeeze part-payments out of any of those who owe you, try talking to your mortgage providers. They might be able to offer you a short-term payment holiday or at least give you slight leeway. Make sure you talk to them if you haven't already. You're not the only person in this position, and they might be more helpful than you'd think.

If anyone has owed you money for longer than is acceptable, don't let pride get in the way and come clean with them - their monies due are key to the survival of your family and business, so please pay what you can, as soon as you can.

Good luck chap.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:02, Reply)

hey fredz...and no3l
a mortgage of £325/month is fuck-all, yeah? guys i know are paying more than that in rent. the problem i'm facing is simply the cash flow. february is a short month and that means that march 3rd (next mortgage payment) comes round 1/2 a week faster than i would like...

i'm owed money by an artistic twat, a big company, a middle-aged bloke who won't answer the phone and three little-old-ladies with barely a pot to piss in.

the big company have owed me £4.5k since january.

any ideas how to get blood from a stone? i know i WILL get my money eventually and that it is simply their ploy to improve cash flow...BUT...fuckmeiam feelingittonight!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:05, Reply)

Go see them individually
and lay it out. Nothing wrong with telling it like it is.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:07, Reply)

I feel for you....
The only thing I can suggest that works sometimes with big companies is just persistance - with veiled threats of legal action. Seemed to work when my mate was owed 10 grand by some supply company. And yes, cash flow is always a massive problem. It's not that you haven't got/aren't owed the money needed, its' just that it always seems to be tied up somehow. Hope the post and all has been somewhat cathartic. Oh, and also - Have you shared your concerns and such with your family? They won't exactly be able to provide you with financial support, but the emotional support would be useful I imagine. And if you haven't told them, then I bet they know something is wrong - which in some way is worse.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:12, Reply)

went to see the middle-aged bloke who won't answer the phone for a second time...
and he called the cops and said i was harrassing him. when i told them it was only the second visit and that he owed me over a grand they told me to not visit him again and take him to the small claims court.

how long am i supposed to wait?

the fact that you answered so rapido means a lot, if we ever meet mano-a-mano then i will buy the pints, if the cashflow allows...



edit: yeah, have talked to my sweetness and she understands but i know she doesn't actually grasp how serious it all is. don't get me wrong, she's not daft BUT finance and being self-employed is not her bag, she's 14yrs younger than me and her focus is our 26month old bundle of joy (who thankfully doesn't give a fuck about all this!!)...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:15, Reply)

Don't know about how long you should wait legaly speaking
But where I've worked it tends to be if they haven't paid up or arranged a payment plan after double the time they're usualy given to pay, then we sent a letter explaining that we would have to take legal action, give them a couple of days and then pursue it through small claims. Small claims does take a while though.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:21, Reply)

He's a bad debt at the moment.
He's deliberately being evasive and troublesome and Small Claims might be a solution. I recommend you simply forget about him until such time as you feel able to persue him through more thorough means, and concentrate on those you might get some success with.

Off to bed... gaz if you like - I've been in similar positions before - I'll get back to you in the morning.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:21, Reply)

i'm simply afraid to go seeking the debt personally...
cos i'm afraid i'll twat some cunt in the chuff and 1) never get my money and 2) get busted by teh feds!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:28, Reply)

Yeah....
Getting arrested for GBH is bad news. Are there any debt collection agencies you could use?
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:40, Reply)

so...
i guess i simply have a problem with confrontation!!?

and twunts who have a problem with coughing up teh cash...

@fedz: yeah, i paid £295 to SLC (source, locate and collect) 9 months ago but i think now that they have ripped me off...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:42, Reply)

at the end of the day...
all i want is the money i earned!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:46, Reply)

Well yeah, too right
People like that don't understand how much their actions affect everyone. If they don't cough up their money, their suppliers can't pay their suppliers, or pay their staff, eventualy they may go out of buisness alltogether, screwing over everyone in the same line of buisness as everyone else. It's not just money at the end of the day - it's people's lives.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 0:52, Reply)

but on a lighter note...
kristin hersh is touring teh uk this spring!!!!

king tuts or the sage (sold out already?) seeming good...

off to bed, love you all xxx
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 1:02, Reply)

that's crap
good luck. apalling how some people fuck others over without a care in the world. will be hoping you can sort this out. times are tough for all of us, no matter how large or small our bills are. hang in!
( cackers, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 1:44, Reply)

Good luck to you
I don't know the differences between here and there, but here you do have to pay a filing fee and a judgement doesn't always mean the person will actually pay, it just means there is a judgement against them. However, as a creditor, you have few options. I'd check with your local magistrate to find if you have to pay a filing fee and what the consequences are to the bad debt people not paying.

Years ago, I had an ex who owned a construction company. I did the bookkeeping and therefore, the bill collecting. We had one builder who kept making excuses for not paying. One afternoon, I went to his office and told him I was there to collect. He said he was far to busy to write a check just then. I sat down and told him, "I have time to wait. I'll just sit here until you get that check written." Then he said, "Well actually, I'm just on my way out of town." I told him it was awfully convenient that I too was on my way out of town, was travelling to the same place as he, and wouldn't it be nice to sit together on the airplane. When I started inquiring about what hotel he had chosen, he grabed his checkbook and asked how much he owed to make me go away.

My grandmother was the bill collector for her husband's electrical company, she always used a stern voice and guilt.

You know what? I have found that women make far better bill collectors than men. Sorry guys, we are just far more devious and hard to duck. I'd suggest you send the Mrs after those who owe.
( flirting with badgers What? It sounded good at the time., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 3:34, Reply)

Bad debt
If you have supplied any materials to these people - take them back. They haven't paid for them, they're yours.
As to the company that owes you money, apply to the courts to have them compulsorily "wound up", you can do this for a debt of more than £200 IIRC.
Don't be sympathetic. It matters not one whit that THEY don't have a pot to piss in, they've taken your service at a quoted rate and, if they don't pay it'll affect your kid. Think on that and get angry.

Sue them, break them financially, ruin their reputation, tell other suppliers about their lack of funds.

Above all GET PAID.
(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 8:41, Reply)

If it's a big company that owes you a lot
Chances are phoning enough times, sheer persistence and if possible get higher and higher up the chain of command as possible via phone or e-mail.

This has the effect of making everyone below that particular manager look like an arse and get hell from those above. If you know what I mean.

That's how it works here anyway...
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 10:40, Reply)

hey
I'm sorry I can't give you any advice or anything along those lines - I've never been in any situation even vaguely similar.

Don't be a stranger though okay? Keep talking to us about it - if nothing else it may help put things into some sense of order and it'll let us help you if we can.

Have a hug.
/hugs.
(Poppet some assembly required., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 11:08, Reply)

companies are cunts
before xmas, my company was contracted by some large italian mob for a few jobs. they paid most of the money on time, except for the final job. we finally got the money last week, for a job completed 14 WEEKS ago (payment conditions 15 DAYS). Total cost over all jobs was over 6k €. The amount the took donkeys to pay? under 200. fucking pathetic.

Keeping plugging at them - constant phone calls, emails, faxes - and mention your contract and payment conditions EVERY TIME - they will get the point eventually.
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Fri 27 Feb 2009, 12:53, Reply)

to all who have responded or gazzed...
i will be in touch individually over the next couple of days...but...

i just need to say right here and right now...

if anyone out there is ever in danger of losing faith in humanity then i can assure you that it is alive and well at

jelly.b3ta.com/questions/offtopic/

*insert cock-gag/joke*



love you all

;-)
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 27 Feb 2009, 22:19, Reply)

stat demand them
if they don't want to be wound up or made bankrupt, they will have to pay you within 21 days. it's the quick and dirty way to get a response.

do a companies house search against the company, www.companieshouse.gov.uk, check it's not in admin. then serve a stat demand. it will cost you around #500 - 750 plus VAT if you instruct a law firm, or i will draft it for you for free on a purely friendly, not in a solicitor/client relationship, if you gaz me the details?

i hate people who don't pay their debts!
( rachelswipe with a fork, Sat 28 Feb 2009, 2:33, Reply)

I just saw this
I hope you work things out.........can you take these people to small claims court or something?
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Sat 28 Feb 2009, 6:47, Reply)