I took final electrical and the inspection to sign pass for final . But the customer doesn’t pay what can I do .?
1 reply
Jan 28, 2019
I'm sorry to hear you've been going unpaid. While I'm not entirely sure I understand your situation, there's some general information that should be helpful here. When construction work has been performed but gone unpaid, there are a number of potential recovery tools available. First and foremost - a mechanics lien is the most powerful way to recover construction payments owed and unpaid. We explain that in more detail in this post: How Do Mechanics Liens Work? 17 Ways a Lien Gets You Paid. Essentially, though, a mechanics lien filing will threaten the title to the owner's property and put extra pressure on the customer (be it the owner, a general contractor, or someone else) to make payment for the work performed. Because a mechanics lien is so powerful, a tool that can be helpful for recovery is a Notice of Intent to Lien. A Notice of Intent to Lien essentially acts as a lien threat, and it can be very effective. You can learn more about that tool here: What is a Notice of Intent to Lien? Of course, there are other options, too, outside of the mechanics lien process that might be useful. Sending a demand letter, coupled with specific legal threats (based on something like breach of contract, unjust enrichment, or prompt payment laws, to name a few potential options) could go a long way to compel payment. Nobody likes a lawsuit, so if payment is truly owed, often, a customer would prefer to make the payment that is due rather than fighting a legal battle. Further, depending on the amount of the dispute, small claims court might be an option. Of course, traditional litigation is always an option for recovering construction payments, though it can be particularly risky and expensive.