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Invoiced for work 8 months ago!

AlabamaPay Applications

I am a home owner. I did a >$200k renovation on my home. I had a contractor. The work finished in August 2019. We paid all our bills to contractor immediately when we received them. The subcontracted HVAC company sent my contractor an invoice for their work LAST WEEK. Our contractor said “I’m going to let you decide whether to pay them”. He sent us the invoice and said he doesn’t want to be the middle man. I feel like he’s telling us we are legally allowed to not pay, but he doesn’t want to come right out and say that. Or I feel like maybe he’s actually on the hook somehow since this is a subcontractor and doesn’t want to be the one paying the bill. What’s the right thing to do? We don’t have money to pay this bill (because those credit cards from the reno are paid off and cancelled, and hello, covid-19!) Thanks so much

1 reply

Apr 27, 2020
If the HVAC subcontractor performed work but wasn't paid for that work, then they should still be paid - even if the work was done months ago. If they remain unpaid, they could still create some headaches by pursuing legal claims from their customer (the GC) - and if you haven't paid the GC for that work, then those legal troubles could be yours as well. Though, the deadline to file an Alabama mechanics lien claim has likely come and gone, so that dispute might mostly remain between the sub and the GC. Considering the sub has been able to go this long without payment, and considering the bill sprung up out of nowhere - it might be possible to negotiate partial payment. Plus, keep in mind that they may be open to a payment plan or something of that sort. But, because that sub will still have avenues for recovering payment and creating headaches for you and your GC, it might not be a great idea to push the limits.
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