Not all customers pay on time and occasionally , you get one who plans to never pay . Benjamin Dyer ,
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will take court action if they
don ’ t pay by a stated date .
Background information
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CEO of app supplier Powered |
It ’ s best if you have a written |
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Now , looks at how you can use |
agreement about the work and |
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the small claims court to sort |
cost but remember that a verbal |
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out the problem . |
agreement is still legally binding . |
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So , your customer hasn ’ t |
It ’ s also good if you have proof of |
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just been tardy in paying , |
the work with pictures showing |
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they ’ ve made all sorts of |
what happened plus emails |
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promises , none of which |
etc where you chased them |
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they ’ ve kept . You ’ re now |
for payment . If you used an |
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thinking they will never pay . |
app for generating quotes and |
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The question is what can you |
invoices , such as Powered Now |
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do about it ? |
from my Company , this record |
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The short answer is to use |
will be useful evidence about |
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the “ small claims court ”. This |
the work and that will help . |
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article is designed to give you
some pointers on how to sue
someone using this route .
Just remember this article
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When can you use the small claims court ?
The total amount claimed can
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Making the case |
everything in date order and |
is not formal legal advice . |
only be up to £ 10,000 (£ 5,000 in |
File the case online at |
clearly stating what each item |
To be absolutely certain of |
Scotland and £ 3,000 in Northern |
www . gov . uk / make-money- |
is . The evidence consists of : |
your ground , pay a qualified |
Ireland ). Claims in England , |
claim . It ’ s cheaper and more |
• Contracts and agreements |
solicitor for advice . |
Wales and Northern Ireland must |
efficient . |
• Expert witness statement |
Why use the small claims court ? |
be lodged within six years and
within five years in Scotland .
You are encouraged to try
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You will be asked to explain :
• How you have attempted to resolve the dispute
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( only allowed if the court has previously agreed to this )
• Letters , emails and other
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The difficulty with asking for |
mediation but this isn ’ t com- |
• Your details |
correspondence |
money is that you do all the |
pulsory . If there is a genuine |
• Their details |
• Photo evidence |
running . If the debtor ignores |
dispute rather than the debtor |
• Claim amount listing each |
• Receipts |
you , there are no conse- |
simply won ’ t pay , this may be |
claim and amount but |
• Statements of account |
quences for them . |
a better route to try , see civ- |
excluding interest and |
• Other evidence |
That changes if you go to |
ilmediation . org / for-the-public / |
court costs |
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the small claims court . If they |
about-mediation /. |
• Claim details explaining |
Your objective is to estab- |
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do nothing all sorts of nasty
things can happen to them
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How much does it cost ? |
what happened , who is responsible and why . State |
lish that what you are claiming is on the balance of proba- |
including a County Court |
The costs go from £ 25 for |
the facts in plain unemo- |
bilities the truth . Remember if |
Judgement that will blight their |
under £ 300 claims up to £ 410 |
tional terms |
someone is given a contract |
credit record and a bailiff turn- |
for £ 5,000 to £ 10,000 . Never |
and pays the money related |
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ing up to seize their goods . |
leave the “ Amount claimed ” |
The next page has the list |
to it and the work is done , the |
However , before you start you |
blank . You may get interest too |
of evidence . Try to make it |
contract exists whether it has |
must have stated your claim in |
but don ’ t include this in your |
as easy as possible for the |
been signed or not as it has |
writing and warned them you |
“ Amount claimed ”. |
judge to find things by listing |
been “ accepted by conduct ”. |
88 JUNE 2022 |
CLEARVIEW-UK . COM |