Collecting on small claims award across state lines

[mikeinpdx]

I'm in Oregon, I won a small claims case against a Speedpro in Misson Valley, California.

Collecting the award is a bit of a challenge, the owner is just ignoring it. So I'll need to get a sister state order ( as I understand it, based on talking with court staff in California ) to enforce the court's decision and collect. It's not a huge amount by any means, it's just the principle at this point.

Has anyone had to collect across state lines before on a small claims judgement? Did you garnish wages or a bank account instead?

I decided to keep a blog on it to see if he can be shamed a bit into paying in the meantime : http://speedpromissionvalleyreview.blogspot.com/

 

[Gino]

Some years ago, we won a decision by the local courts to be paid by a company from New Jersey. We never collected a dime. It would've cost more than the court's decision to go further plus our time, so we stopped chasing. Lost about $4,500 or so on the deal. Our lawyer told us how the courts work and that it is a big game if one or the other party has enough money to draw it out. It really didn't cost them a thing to just ignore everything we would be paying for to try. $150. here, $75. there and the next thing ya know, ya have another $1,500 in costs, which are collectable, if ya finally win, but the time spent is horrendous. These companies which do this kind of 'deceit and run' seem to be very good at it. If you feel it necessary, it might be different today, because this happened to us a few times in the late 80's. It could very well be differnt with the internet and all kinds of blackmail on your part.

 

[SignManiac]

A few years ago I got burned out of state for $3k... I knew what I would have to go through getting a judgement and said fukit. Instead I prayed for the first time ever that the bassterd would drop dead from a sudden heart attack. I would have been happier knowing he was dead than getting the money. I hope my karma credits are good and he is in deed in a box.

 

[Techman]

Save your butt from a rip off hint #123.

Break your large orders into several small ones. Then if the maggot tries the old bad product or whatever other excuse to attempt a rip off you only lose a small part of that order.

 

[mikeinpdx]

Thanks for all the feedback

Interesting feedback, I suspected I'm not the only person to have had this happen.

As someone mentioned, you can collect most of the fees you incurred while attempting to collect, but yep, what a @_#)( pain in the a** to be forced to do so. But the paperwork is something that can be filed without an attorney, so it's a pleasant time filler during those slow periods.

And I would agree that it doesn't seem like a very smart strategy to stiff someone like that when you're running a b2b business, there's a court document ordering you to pay, and it's fairly easy for the guy getting the shaft to make it public. I don't consider that blackmail, though. It's posting facts and I don't see anything at all wrong with that.

 

[John Butto]

A few years ago I got burned out of state for $3k... I knew what I would have to go through getting a judgement and said fukit. Instead I prayed for the first time ever that the bassterd would drop dead from a sudden heart attack. I would have been happier knowing he was dead than getting the money. I hope my karma credits are good and he is in deed in a box.

I actually got the wish for someone who burned me dropping dead. My only regret is I found out after the funeral. It would have been nice to spit in his grave as they were lowering the casket down, but hey ya can't have everything.

 

[mikeinpdx]

I actually got the wish for someone who burned me dropping dead. My only regret is I found out after the funeral. It would have been nice to spit in his grave as they were lowering the casket down, but hey ya can't have everything.

If you know where the grave is, maybe you could leave a "present"?

 

[CanuckSigns]

Save your butt from a rip off hint #123.

Break your large orders into several small ones. Then if the maggot tries the old bad product or whatever other excuse to attempt a rip off you only lose a small part of that order.

Can you explain this a bit more, I'm not sure i follow. Lets say bob's auto parts orders 5000 magnets. I create 5 orders for 1000 pcs each, bob is still going to expect all 5000 pcs at once, so what's to stop him from saying they were bad/defective?

 

[binki]

In California you can file for an abstract of judgement, take that to the county recorder, and file against their real property. From there you become a secured debtor.

Also, you can file for a statement of assets and if they ignore that a bench warrant is issued for their arrest.

You can get some free legal advice from http://www.handelonthelaw.com/ which is based in SoCal so you might get lucky there.

Good Luck.