Not getting paid

Have you ever had any situations in which the customer refuses to pay? Sometimes I'm responsible for collecting after we've finished the job. These are usually small jobs so not much of a problem. Occasionally when I'm suspicious I've required payment ion advance. The boss does a lot of billing, and one mutli-day remodel he says he never got paid. I've worked in another service industry where people have either refused to pay or claimed they had no money even after signing a written estimate and work authorization in advance. How often has this happened to you and what do you do about it or how do you prevent it? Here small claims court is a joke and absolutely biased in favor of the defendant. The state wants to make it so difficult for the service provider so that they don't even bother. It's not worth it unless the amount is large enough to justify getting a lawyer. Part of the problem for us is that the boss is too easy going. Even though he has in his agreement the provisions for 1/3 down, 1/3 upon substantial completion and 1/3 upon finish, he seldom enforces that and just goes ahead and does the work, expecting people to be honest. We all know how well that works.

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