12/12/2023
I've ran my business pretty successfully for coming up on six years. Zero college, zero business classes, zero inheritance, just a whole lot of winging it figuring it out as I go. I've won some and lost some throughout the years, tried to treat people the best I could without sacrificing the ability to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. I have nice things that the bank has agreed to let me have on a month to month basis, my kids don't go without, and overall I feel like I'm a semi successful business owner, living what some would call the "American dream".
And the dream was going pretty well until a certain gentleman required my services. Good dude, seemed like many customers I've ran across throughout the years, had a good job with Southern Nuclear doing electrical maintenance, family oriented type judging by his tagged photos on Facebook. Lived right down the road in cobbtown his whole life from what I could tell.
He walked into my shop July 20, 2023. We sat down and discussed what he wanted, what he used the machine for and I went to work coming up with a good reliable setup that would suit his riding style. Throughout my possession of this gentleman's machine he was very good at communicating, asking questions or replying to questions I had for him. August 11 he showed up to pick up his machine and loved it. Everything was perfect. He asked if I would take a check and said sure, and I jokingly replied that I knew where he worked. Customer had a check his mother had given him and he filled out amount, loaded up his machine a left.
August 17th I received a call from my banking institution that I had a check that came back for insufficient funds. It was a feeling that in 35 years I have never felt, it felt like time stood still as I hung the phone up. I sat down in my office for what felt like hours that ended up being minutes. 9,000.00 dollars.
I contacted the customer, explained that the check he had written out of his mother's account had came back for insufficient funds. Immediately he replied back and said he'd get right on it, finding out why, etc. he even offered to send partial payment via cash app. What a stand up guy. I felt that it was a honest mistake, and he'd make it right, next week came and he paid another portion of the balance due. Once again, solid guy, doing what he said he'd do. All until the point that he had paid a total of 7,300.00 out of the 9,000.00 total due. 1700 was left due. Conveniently enough, he did pay for all the parts and none of the labor.
I pleaded with the customer, I did not want to take it through the legal system, I didn't want hard feelings, I didn't want to waste my time chasing something that honestly, I shouldn't have to. Just do the right thing.
Fast forward to October , 3 certified letters went out to the address I had on file. All three were returned to sender.
October 20th, filed suit in small claims court in candler county.
October 23rd, defendent and defendants mother served with small claims suit personally due to it being his machine and her check.
December 6th, default judgement given to me due to defendant not replying to suit. One of the rarest things that ever happens, a judgement is awarded due to the defendant just not showing up or giving a written reply to my suit.
3 months later and I'm still as persistent as I have ever been. I want nothing more than what is owed. Nothing more, nothing less. It's truly remarkable that someone will work this hard to avoid paying a debt, and as the days go by, the debt grows larger with every filing in the courts. His 1700 dollar debt has now grown to 2,330.00 after court fees and other expenses incurred by avoiding payment and will continue to grow after each legal step I take to secure the debt.
For anyone in the sxs, boating, or automotive repair business. I strongly urge you to beware of sikes
