Repo Sign?

[surf city]

A couple of years ago I had a guy that hadn't paid for a free standing outdoor sign for 6 months, my bad I should have gotten payment in full when I installed it but was being nice and told him he could pay me on Monday. Well 6 months of calls go by and I had it with the crap. I showed up at his business with my truck, trailer and skid steer and politley told him I needed payment or I was taking the sign back. He called the cops, they came I explained myself to the officer he turned to the guy and said pay the guy cause if not he's taking your sign cause I don't have time for this bullshit. Thankfully I got paid but, I was thinking the whole time I was gonna be in trouble. Go the legal route and to small claims court I just got lucky the cop thought it was bullshit and after the fact found out that if I had taken the sign I could have been arrested for theft. Oh and always get paid before the sign get's installed or right after cause your still on site and can take the sign down but, once ya leave it becomes part of the building in most jurisdictions.

 

[invizzible]

I've peeled vinyl off storefront windows on two different occasions. These were logos that I applied and billed the customer for.

The first occasion was a corporation I had agreed to bill. Over the course of six weeks I mailed three invoices and called repeatedly. The lady who arranged the job with me would never be in the office and wouldn't return my calls. So, I spent Saturday morning peeling the logos I had placed on her three storefront windows back off again. I also cleaned all the adhesive off the windows and hit 'em with Windex before I left. My phone was ringing first thing Monday morning. Suddenly the lady could take the time to talk to me. She said she would be more than happy to pay me if I'd put the graphics back on the windows. I kindly told her that I needed a check for twice the original amount since I was actually applying the graphics twice and that when I had the check I'd finish the graphics. A month later the business closed anyway.

The other occasion was for a dance studio that I had applied their logo to their store windows. The owner was not there to pay me on delivery so I came back three different times to hear about how she didn't have her checkbook that day. I quit going to the studio and tried calling before going up there but she quit taking my calls . After three weeks of not returning my calls I spent another Saturday morning removing her graphics, too. She e-mailed me on Monday saying she actually had the check in her purse, she just kept forgetting to mail it. Her business is also closed now.

I had a feeling in both situations that I would not ever get paid. I would not recommend to anyone in the same situation that they should go repo their graphics, signs or banners. It's just how I handled the situation and I understand there could have been ramifications as a result of my actions. I don't like being taken advantage of, tho, and it doesn't sit well with me when people benefit from my work when they haven't paid for it, nor do they intend to.

 

[visual800]

Invizzible GREAT STORY! Amazing how all of a sudden they find your number and find the time to call....IDIOTS! I will never understand what is so great about not paying someone for doing something. And then ignoring me is the kicker. By her doing this there is no doubt they get your messages, and of course we all know it.

People are sleazy. When agrown person will not face up to who they owe they have no spine, and we see it time and time again. Only thing is your not sure of who will screw you over. i have managed to ward off just a couple I had a bad feeling about, come to find out they actually screwed the company behind me that did the work

 

[MikePro]

this is why we won't even install it without half being paid in full... just in case it goes the distance to the court system, we've got some money in our pockets to pay for most of the labor/materials to keep us going. Permits cost money too!
Too much money/clients out there to be a sign company AND a finance office.