Unpaying customers

[owScott]

I'm taking your advice I'm entitled to at least 3600 but more like 4400 I'll take a thousand off for the tree we couldn't do because of the crane co. Your right it's always the rich ones tryin to get over on ya money wise. so in the end they will wind up paying a bunch of extra money an serves them right trying to get over on people like us who bust our ass to make a living. Thanks for the advice that was really helpful

If you take the hit on using the bigger crane how much in the end are you short? Can you break down the numbers here so we can evaluate how much money we are talking about. You have $5600 to work with so your not as screwed as you think. Some how believing some lawyer is going to do this for free or write some letter for free is crazy. Do you really think the homeowner is to blame here. Keep down this road and this lesson is going to really sting.

 

[owScott]

Get a lawyer verbal is an agreement your entitled to intial agreement price
They will also have to pay your fees lawyer court costs. Aslo estimate isnt a set price. Judge will take into consideration if it was crane mistake and hold them liable if they quoted the job with small crane.
Let one side and your regret it. Typically a letter from lawyer will kick defendant in gear.
Get your money bro.
Had similar situation lawyer didnt even charge me. Said he sees it all the time typically super rich asshole on a power trip.

He is entitled to the agreement price if he completed the contract. He didn't. He will lose this in court. He didn't complete the contract. He can try and sue the crane company, but with no paper work its their word against his, good luck there. No connection with the crane company to the customer they work for the contractor. Estimate, quote, proposal call it what you want once the contract is done and no mention of a possible fluctuation in price in the contract the price is set. The price was set at $5600 for 2 trees not 1 tree at the price he decides after. Your also saying lawyers generally write letters of intent for free? Lawyers doing things for free is not the norm and you make it sound like that. What if these "rich assholes" decide to counter sue for breach of contract? Messing with angry people who have way more money in court can end up bad. All bad advise. By the way welcome to Treebuzz, expect to be challenged .

 

[owScott]

Final point indulge me. You got $1500 which you said the crane for the 1st day. 40 ton $200 pre hour x 7.5 hours is $1500. 2.5 hours drive time leaves 5 hours on site about right for a decent size tree, generous numbers. 2nd tree more expensive crane but smaller should go quicker. 90 ton 5 hours x $300 per hour equals $1500. 3 hours with 90 ton on site for smaller tree. $3000 from $5600 leaves $2600. $600 for wood disposal. At $2000. 2 guys at $300 each per day is$1200. This leaves you at $800. $400 a day for you. Definitely not great, but far from really losing your ass. And definitely not worth lawyering up and all that BS. These are generous numbers. I am curious at what you other guys and gals think, and how far off am I. And what is your threshold for getting a lawyer beyond just advise. If I hired a contractor at my house and 1/2 finished a job then set a new price that he thought he was entitled to for 1/2 the work then threatened to sue me when he breached the contract, I would say bring it on. My attorney would break him off. I think the home owner was generous by giving him the deposit and $400. Trying to paint the customer here as a rich asshole trying to get over is lame. They have every right to be mad. I would be. People need to get off this people with money are all assholes and take advantage of the small guy crap. Some do for sure, but this resentment seems to be a common theme in a lot of these threads. I do not defend bad behavior by wealthy people nor defend bad business by fellow tree contractors. But this whole thread put forth by our fellow tree guy gives us all a bad image. Do what you say you will do, suck it up when things don't go as planned, simple.

 

[tomstrees]

It comes down to contracts, understandings and clearly delineated agreements. I made a lot of mistakes learned the hard way of only doing verbal agreements, misunderstanding do happen and you have to think out various contingencies and not think that the customer is also going to have a human heart taking into consideration all you are going through when you go all out to do your job and somehow come up short with unexpected circumstances. It is human to err, and divine to forgive, and this is Good Friday, the most solemn day in the Christian calendar. Communication is the world's biggest problem and why it is vital at every turn to communicate with the customer, the workers and the subcontractors. And try to do so with genuine human concern for their well being. It isn't "all about money". In the end we will all have to meet our maker and give an account for all our actions.