I am so tired of deadbeats and their sob stories.

You should make a gofundme page to raise funds so you can spread the awareness about the drag on society deadbeats place upon it.
 
Me too, especially physical effort. My skin, especially my forehead, becomes wet, and I develop an intense thirst. Started at a young age, and I was repeatedly assured by my parents it wasn't fatal yet it will kill me one day, I just know it.
 
but on the other hand.....pickled beats and eggs are the bomb. :D
 
So is this a bad time to post a link to my friends go fund me page helping him raise funds for a pancreas transplant?
 
I mean, once you harvest them...
 
tree96 said:
So is this a bad time to post a link to my friends go fund me page helping him raise funds for a pancreas transplant?
Click to expand...

No, I don't mean people in need. I do plenty for those kinds of folks. I mean people who contract for services that they don't want to pay for, give me sob stories instead of money, and then threaten me with lawsuits when I reject their sob stories and shut off the services.

It doesn't work, of course, because they have no cases. I give them (or their lawyers) the address of the court house and spell out my name for them when they threaten to sue. But this monthly ritual sure does get tiresome.

Rich
 
That's why a plumber buddy of mine quit his own business and went to work for another company. He spent more time collecting than working and it was putting him out of his own job.
 
I recently had to evict some deadbeat tenants. Their lease had ended and I allowed them to stay month-to-month for a couple of months while I listed the house for sale. After I sent them the requisite 30 day notice to terminate tenancy, they decided not to pay rent but would not move out. Then they declared bankruptcy and tried to tell me they did not have to leave because of that fact. They were wrong and the judge ordered them out. Unfortunately the time that it took to get this done caused a potential buyer to walk away from the deal we had struck on the house. So now the house sits empty while I try to find another buyer. After all is said and done, I'll probably sue them for as much as I can due to the damages and hardship they imposed on me by not moving out when asked. One thing for certain is that once this house is sold, I doubt if I will ever get back in the landlord business. Too many lowlife deadbeat scum in this world.
 
When I drive to the hangar I see no less than 3 bums holding "homeless and hungry" signs at various intersections. Sometimes there are more and some of them have been there for months. Sometimes they'll add a twist such as using a wheel chair and/or "US Marine" on their signs. It's always "Marine" though; you never see "Air Force" on the signs. Hmmmmm.
 
RJM62 said:
No, I don't mean people in need. I do plenty for those kinds of folks. I mean people who contract for services that they don't want to pay for, give me sob stories instead of money, and then threaten me with lawsuits when I reject their sob stories and shut off the services.

It doesn't work, of course, because they have no cases. I give them (or their lawyers) the address of the court house and spell out my name for them when they threaten to sue. But this monthly ritual sure does get tiresome.

Rich
Click to expand...
You and me both. It's the feeling of entitlement that's prevalent in this country.
 
SkyDog58 said:
I recently had to evict some deadbeat tenants. Their lease had ended and I allowed them to stay month-to-month for a couple of months while I listed the house for sale. After I sent them the requisite 30 day notice to terminate tenancy, they decided not to pay rent but would not move out. Then they declared bankruptcy and tried to tell me they did not have to leave because of that fact. They were wrong and the judge ordered them out. Unfortunately the time that it took to get this done caused a potential buyer to walk away from the deal we had struck on the house. So now the house sits empty while I try to find another buyer. After all is said and done, I'll probably sue them for as much as I can due to the damages and hardship they imposed on me by not moving out when asked. One thing for certain is that once this house is sold, I doubt if I will ever get back in the landlord business. Too many lowlife deadbeat scum in this world.
Click to expand...

I refer to these entitled brats as "professional victims." Everything that happens to them is someone else's fault. Every deadline missed has an excuse. The warrant's not their fault, they couldn't make court because of blah-blah. They can't pay their fines so their license is suspended, but they have $ for dope, cigs and booze. They are "going to move out" but just "need a few more days."

I was standing by on an eviction of a bunch of squatters (never true tenants, but due to our state's landlord-tenant laws, their encampment on a rural property required eviction). The woman overseeing the property owner's interests turned to me partway through (after numerous complaints of "not enough time to get their stuff" by the squatters) and said "maybe I should have given them a few more days." I said "ma'am, you could have given them 10 years, and they'd still be saying the same thing minutes from the deadline."
 
Omalley1537 said:
I refer to these entitled brats as "professional victims." Everything that happens to them is someone else's fault. Every deadline missed has an excuse. The warrant's not their fault, they couldn't make court because of blah-blah. They can't pay their fines so their license is suspended, but they have $ for dope, cigs and booze. They are "going to move out" but just "need a few more days."

I was standing by on an eviction of a bunch of squatters (never true tenants, but due to our state's landlord-tenant laws, their encampment on a rural property required eviction). The woman overseeing the property owner's interests turned to me partway through (after numerous complaints of "not enough time to get their stuff" by the squatters) and said "maybe I should have given them a few more days." I said "ma'am, you could have given them 10 years, and they'd still be saying the same thing minutes from the deadline."
Click to expand...

That reminds me of another thing I've learned: Giving clients more time to pay almost always assures that all of their future payments will also be late.

When I do shut clients down, I get combined excuses / sob stories / promises like, "I had to make my [car, cell phone, electric, etc.] payment, but you're next." I suggest that they pay their [car, cell phone, electric, etc.] payment late, and pay me on time. I've figured out that slow-paying clients pay their bills in the order of negative consequences to themselves of not paying them on time; so the only way to get paid on time is to make the consequences of not paying my bill worse than those of not paying any of the others'.

It's not the way I like to treat people. But more and more people simply don't pay their bills until there is some negative consequence to themselves. So I accommodate them.

I'm not heartless, though. I do make exceptions for some truly exceptional situations, such as a fellow last month who'd been in the hospital. He's a long-time client who had never been late before, so I was happy to work with him. I'll also do things like change annual or quarterly accounts to monthly ones. But if they then miss the monthly payment, they're shut down, and an additional late charge is added to the bill and must be paid before they're restored

This month the big excuse is the Fourth of July holiday. What that has to do with payments that were due in June I don't quite understand, but that's the excuse they're using -- except for the one exceptionally creative guy in California who told me that he didn't know that there was a fee for the renewal. I have to admit that that was a new one. I thought I'd heard them all, and now I'm quite certain that I have.

Rich
 
RJM62 said:
No, I don't mean people in need. I do plenty for those kinds of folks. I mean people who contract for services that they don't want to pay for, give me sob stories instead of money, and then threaten me with lawsuits when I reject their sob stories and shut off the services.

It doesn't work, of course, because they have no cases. I give them (or their lawyers) the address of the court house and spell out my name for them when they threaten to sue. But this monthly ritual sure does get tiresome.

Rich
Click to expand...

I agree. I see the same quite a bit. It ruins it for people who genuinely need it.
My comment was meant to be tounge in cheek.
 
My parents had a very similar story on a rental. The occupant gave them notice, moved out. My dad went in to do the usual paint the walls, fix discrepancies. He never charged tenants for what he considered normal stuff.

Well, holes in walls, door punched through, dishwasher literally ripped out of the cabinet. He fixed it all, they got back about $400 out of a 3k deposit. They sued him! They claimed he was singling them out over race. Judged found in dads favor. At court they said they didn't speak English and needed a translator. Yet, for the 2 years they were in, they spoke perfect English.

After the judgement, those terds refilled for basically the same thing. This time, making more claims and now a fair housing act claim. They just got served again two weeks ago.

So you destroy someone else's property who you are entrusted with, give it back, they keep the damage deposit as outlined in your lease, and then demand it back? WTF is wrong with people today?
 
unfortunately a few Marines are chronically unemployed.the skill set most marines acquire like how to kill as many people as quickly as possible is not easily transferred to every day life.so i almost always stop and ask questions only a real Marine could answer correctly and i try to help as best as i can .the 50% of posers i run across i would rather not say what happens. edit.I changed the word some to a few
 
Last edited:
Err... I disagree Props. This Semper Fidelis circa 97-09 knows a lot of motivators and they tend to be more resourceful, driven and focused than some other vets. More with less, suck it up buttercup, rub some dirt on it and we are Oscar mike is the name of the game.

I too have come across some posers and a few questions and they are found to be full of crap. Everyone wants to play that card as Marines are the service where every war hero is considered a stone call, motivated facilitator of killing and breaking things.
 
For all those who dislike dead beat customers, contact Tim W. he'll hate ya for messing with them.
 
Fearless Tower said:
That's because no one would believe them if they claimed hardship from serving in the Air Force....
Click to expand...
Oh there's hardship in the Air Force, trust me. Just not the same kind.;)
 
Hank S said:
Yep, ran out of steak for dinner, and the other food wasn't warm when they got it . . .
Click to expand...
I Kuwait, I lived in a circus tent, on a cot, with a sand floor and no heat/cooling. We ate tray rats, had to go,to Doha for a shower **** and ****ed looking at everyone in camp. We got paid out standard rate.


At Ali Aselem airbase not 30 min from us, they lived in HVAC portable living dorms, two man to a quarters, with a chow hall, running water a gym and on demand ice cream machine. They got "unsat living conditions" pay.

A bad day to them was when the PortaCool was out of water and it got uncomfortable in the hangar.
 
Those folks who stand alongside the road holding a piece of cardboard and a black marker. Hard to feel sorry for them when you hear they take the money given to them and use it for a pack of marlboro's and budweiser. Tell them Mickey D's is hiring, if they are actually looking for some money.
 
It's been a while since I've seen anyone panhandling on the side of the road. But the last couple times, I've seen a guy with a cardboard sign, and he makes sure to have his girlfriend/wife sitting nearby holding a baby. Another time I saw a girl going car to car in the Home Depot parking lot begging for gas money to get back to Wichita to see her baby. I have no idea how she got up here without any money, or how she intended to get back to Wichita without a car, or how her baby ended up in Wichita without her, or ...

I still remember a guy in Scotland asking me for money. It was my last day there on a business trip, and I couldn't exchange coins when I got back, only bills, so I had a pocketful of change I had to spend down. Some guy, pretty lit up, asked me for change for train fare so he could get home. I asked, "You're going to spend it in the pub, aren't you?". He said, "Aye." At least he was honest that time, so I told him it was his lucky day and handed him a couple pint's worth of change. I really thought about going in with him, I had nothing better to do, but I didn't think it was worth the risk of all his buddies trying to hit me up for rounds of drinks, too.
 
Hey now, don't be hating on me because you guys joined the wrong branch. ;)

I was waiting on line in the Kadena Air Base chow hall...no, make that the "dining facility" as its called now or D-FAC for short, one time with my room mate when these Marines walked up behind us. They were looking at the menu (which happened to be the one day they served lobster and crab) and said, holy ****e, the Air Force wimps get served lobster and we're eating MRE's. I couldn't pass up the chance. I turned to my room mate and said, you know I was trying to sleep in this morning and the damn maid came in and started making a lot of noise. Did she wake you up too?


Yes, we had maid service if you wanted to pay $20 a week for it.
 
Matthew said:
That's why a plumber buddy of mine quit his own business and went to work for another company. He spent more time collecting than working and it was putting him out of his own job.
Click to expand...

You have to fill out the invoice and collect right after the work is complete. I rarely get a bad check and if I do, I'll bug them daily until they pay.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Hey now, don't be hating on me because you guys joined the wrong branch. ;)

I was waiting on line in the Kadena Air Base chow hall...no, make that the "dining facility" as its called now or D-FAC for short, one time with my room mate when these Marines walked up behind us. They were looking at the menu (which happened to be the one day they served lobster and crab) and said, holy ****e, the Air Force wimps get served lobster and we're eating MRE's. I couldn't pass up the chance. I turned to my room mate and said, you know I was trying to sleep in this morning and the damn maid came in and started making a lot of noise. Did she wake you up too?


Yes, we had maid service if you wanted to pay $20 a week for it.
Click to expand...


We had field day and the subsequent inspection by the Staff Duty. Let me find soap scum on that rain room wall. I'll have your ass out boots and Utes singin Loh righty left. Lefty righty Loh.
 
Unit74 said:
I Kuwait, I lived in a circus tent, on a cot, with a sand floor and no heat/cooling. We ate tray rats, had to go,to Doha for a shower **** and ****ed looking at everyone in camp. We got paid out standard rate.


At Ali Aselem airbase not 30 min from us, they lived in HVAC portable living dorms, two man to a quarters, with a chow hall, running water a gym and on demand ice cream machine. They got "unsat living conditions" pay.

A bad day to them was when the PortaCool was out of water and it got uncomfortable in the hangar.
Click to expand...

Yeah. My small Nam-era kaserne in Bavaria had 2 companies of Army and a small detachment of Chair Force. The solders considered it one of the best postings in Europe, the Chair Force one of the worst...
 
6 inches.
The combined thickness of my binders, containing one page per deadbeat, collected over the last 25 years in business, for amounts from $10 to $1000. Estimated total exceeds $150K.
The laws favor deadbeats when it comes to small business v the public.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
6 inches.
The combined thickness of my binders
Click to expand...
296.png
 
16
Let'sgoflying! said:
6 inches.
The combined thickness of my binders, containing one page per deadbeat, collected over the last 25 years in business, for amounts from $10 to $1000. Estimated total exceeds $150K.
The laws favor deadbeats when it comes to small business v the public.
Click to expand...

16 years in HVAC service. 20 bad checks from $75-$400. All collected by me within a week on most, three months on one. From then on, it is cash before I start.
 
the labor is 50% up front, 50% when you're happy. the parts, shipping and machine services are on your C/C.
 
16 years in HVAC service. 20 bad checks from $75-$400. All collected by me within a week on most, three months on one. From then on, it is cash before I start.
Click to expand...

Some businesses are different than others. HVAC is not usually seen as an immediate essential.
How do you tell a person with a dying animal that they need to show their financial commitment to the process before you will stop the bleeding/relieve the bloat/sew up the wound/unblock the penis/etc, etc, etc. I know they do in the city but in a small town, you would be crucified ("he's only in it for the money" is what would be heard).
I explain to everyone beforehand what the are looking at and to a person I get "I promise to pay you" and a huge number never make good on their promise, once the animal is fixed and home I am a distant memory. Small claims is a joke, nsf checks can occasionally be collected but it is not easy, taking name address phone, drivers lic, ssn, etc has never helped me. I worked for a guy who seriously had a roomful of stereos, other toys, even car titles put up as collateral, none of that worked either. Might be time to reconsider debtors prisons!
Its a completely demoralizing situation.
 
Last edited:
Let'sgoflying! said:
Some businesses are different than others. HVAC is not usually seen as an immediate essential.
How do you tell a person with a dying animal that they need to show their financial commitment to the process before you will stop the bleeding/relieve the bloat/sew up the wound/unblock the penis/etc, etc, etc. I know they do in the city but in a small town, you would be crucified ("he's only in it for the money" is what would be heard).
I explain to everyone beforehand what the are looking at and to a person I get "I promise to pay you" and a huge number never make good on their promise, once the animal is fixed and home I am a distant memory. Small claims is a joke, nsf checks can occasionally be collected but it is not easy, taking name address phone, drivers lic, ssn, etc has never helped me. I worked for a guy who seriously had a roomful of stereos, other toys, even car titles put up as collateral, none of that worked either. Might be time to reconsider debtors prisons!
Its a completely demoralizing situation.
Click to expand...

Give an estimate up front or as soon as possible and collect 25-50%. Especially for new customers check funds availability if payment is made by check. You can call your local banks and get passwords to do this by phone. It takes me less than 1 minute to hear, "A check in the amount of $400 will or will not clear at this time". I do not take CC, but would assume you can do similar with a hold. You won't offend honest customers. You can even post the policy for new customers. I don't worry about my regular customers paying. Good luck, you sound like a nice guy.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Some businesses are different than others. HVAC is not usually seen as an immediate essential.
How do you tell a person with a dying animal that they need to show their financial commitment to the process before you will stop the bleeding/relieve the bloat/sew up the wound/unblock the penis/etc, etc, etc. I know they do in the city but in a small town, you would be crucified ("he's only in it for the money" is what would be heard).
I explain to everyone beforehand what the are looking at and to a person I get "I promise to pay you" and a huge number never make good on their promise, once the animal is fixed and home I am a distant memory. Small claims is a joke, nsf checks can occasionally be collected but it is not easy, taking name address phone, drivers lic, ssn, etc has never helped me. I worked for a guy who seriously had a roomful of stereos, other toys, even car titles put up as collateral, none of that worked either. Might be time to reconsider debtors prisons!
Its a completely demoralizing situation.
Click to expand...

Some times you have to be a hard ass, no money, no service. Keep a public record of those who have stiffed you and if anyone tries to "crucify" you, show them the log and tell the crucifier to go talk to the deadbeats.
 
Give an estimate up front or as soon as possible and collect 25-50%.
Click to expand...
Good comments, thanks -we do an estimate on all cases, but it makes no difference. Collecting a percentage; see below.
90% of this happens after 5pm or on weekends. All the other vets got smart and leave town or don't answer their phone after hours. And we don't do elective things on credit for the most part.)
So you are face to face with parent and 9 year old, "I have no money right now but promise to pay you Friday, please do something (9yo sobbing starts about now) [actually some of the adults are way better at emotional storms in the reception than kids]" Anyway, it would take a heartless bastard to say "Sorry, can't stop Fluffy's bleeding til you cough up the dough"
So we try to help and worry about $ later. At checkout, we attempt to secure payment or have a payment plan with dates agreed to, and signed. (none of these folks seem to have CCs or a checkbook)
And I have been ok with this, even though it is stealing (I usually see them later in the groc store buying smokes and beer, or on Facebook buying rec. vehicles and other toys).
What really bugs me is....they try to do it again and again!
Need to improve phone screening. I don't want to get to the point of taking credit card #'s before agreeing to meet them but we have to improve this problem somehow.

Good luck, you sound like a nice guy.
Click to expand...
Thanks but I was thinking 'putz' or 'sucker'.
Anyway, the venting helps - thanks
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Good comments, thanks -we do an estimate on all cases, but it makes no difference. Collecting a percentage; see below.
90% of this happens after 5pm or on weekends. All the other vets got smart and leave town or don't answer their phone after hours. And we don't do elective things on credit for the most part.)
So you are face to face with parent and 9 year old, "I have no money right now but promise to pay you Friday, please do something (9yo sobbing starts about now) [actually some of the adults are way better at emotional storms in the reception than kids]" Anyway, it would take a heartless bastard to say "Sorry, can't stop Fluffy's bleeding til you cough up the dough"
So we try to help and worry about $ later. At checkout, we attempt to secure payment or have a payment plan with dates agreed to, and signed. (none of these folks seem to have CCs or a checkbook)
And I have been ok with this, even though it is stealing (I usually see them later in the groc store buying smokes and beer, or on Facebook buying rec. vehicles and other toys).
What really bugs me is....they try to do it again and again!
Need to improve phone screening. I don't want to get to the point of taking credit card #'s before agreeing to meet them but we have to improve this problem somehow.

Thanks but I was thinking 'putz' or 'sucker'.
Anyway, the venting helps - thanks
Click to expand...
Do repeat offenders get the cold shoulder if they come back?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top