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It's been almost a year. what other steps we can do at this point?

I am a contractor, hired by Home owner (Heather Kang) to do repiping whole house in Montabello almost a year ago. She refused to pay due to there's leak in garage and stated to send the items damage in garage to our insurance company but never did, that because there was none. At this point, I wonder if there's any action that actually make her pay for all the service we provided almost a year ago?

1 reply

Aug 20, 2020

When a debt is over a year old, mechanics lien claims will generally be off the table. However, other claims - like breach of contract, claims under CA's prompt payment laws, etc. - will still be on the table since they don't follow the same strict deadlines mechanics liens do. So, identifying some legal claims you might have against the owner might be a good place to start. Obviously, though, nobody wants to get into a lawsuit. Still, simply threatening legal claims can be extremely effective. By sending a payment demand letter that lays out the legal consequences if the customer fails to pay, you can let them know you're serious about getting paid and willing to do what it takes to stand up for yourself. More on that here: Construction Demand Letters – How To Write One That Gets You Paid. If threatening legal claims isn't enough to get you paid, it might also be useful to consult with a local CA construction lawyer. They can help to evaluate what claims may be available to you and assist you in creating a recovery plan. And, demand letters sent via attorneys will often garner more attention. Plus, if you do decide to pursue legal claims, there help will be invaluable. You can begin the search for an attorney here, if that sounds like something you might need: Top California Construction Lawyers. Of course, other options will be on the table too - like sending the debt to a collector or pursuing the claim in small claims court.

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