Money Moral Dilemma: Do I need to keep chasing someone I owe £1,000 to?

MsMoon

If you were really so desperate to pay you would have popped a cheque in the post with a handwritten invoice/note.

Octagon

One explanation might be that they are having a tough time in their personal life.  A very conscientious person would still ensure to not let clients down, but the admin might end up on the back burner. 

£1000 is often the minimum pay in for current account swap offers. I might be tempted to open a ‘donor account’ and make a bit of money with it in the mean time. (Not suitable if a mortgage application etc. is imminent, of course.)

fifty-something

Loads of reasons why he might not want the money right now. 

Call him. 

Make provision for it in your accounts.

Littledaler

MsMoon - you are out of order!  This person has tried to pay, generating official paperwork for their accounts.  Sending a handwritten note with a cheque is unprofessional.  Other contributors are correct, note the amount in your accounts and put the money in an interest-bearing savings account - if you can find one!!

bunnygo

as others say - keep the money aside. Their disorganisation is not your crisis. I've had tradies take two years to invoice, despite calling, texting, even WRITING to ask for the invoice.

Chris2022

We run a small music venue and often have this problem. Generally we pay small-time artists without insisting on a receipt/invoice assuming we have necessary bank details and some paperwork supporting the booking in case there is an HMRC/ACE query on the reason for the payment, as we assume the person owed the is simply are not on top of their paperwork (lots of performers aren't). For larger concerns, we'd await the invoice. When the person is a regular contractor with us (like our builders) we just remind them next time we use them. Some tradespeople seem to leave billing for a long time deliberately, presumably to keep themselves below VAT/Tax thresholds. However, in your case it sounds like they are just overwhelmed, which fits with your experience of there being more work in the field than you can handle. I would have thought if you had chased them up a couple of times you had done your bit - just be careful now not to forget about the pending debt and spend the money. Speaking personally, we would try and find a way to pay it - eg by cheque or BACS - if the work was satisfactory and we had been paid for it down the line, but this one-sided approach might be a problem e.g. if VAT is involved. Legally I believe you do not have an obligation to chase it further, but it does remain a debt you owe in perpetuity although it can't be chased up by court action after six years, but I am not a lawyer!    

yorkie22

I would send them a letter ( and photocopy it ) telling them you need the bill asap or there could possibly be a fine forthcoming. Send it recorded deliver aswell so you will know that they have received it. Better still if you are not far from the company hand it in and ask for a receipt. See what happens after then. It could be, the left hand does'nt know what the right hand is doing. Good Luck

RonMoorhouse1

I personally would put the £1,000 into my savings account and let it sit there to gain interest until they send you the invoice. Once they send you the invoice, pay them and be happy that you gained a bit of interest on it whilst waiting for the invoice. The interest you gain would be a bit of a bonus.

primrose_penguin

I would do as others have suggested and put the money aside ready for if and when they send you an invoice. I would also make sure you have a copy of the letter or email you have sent requesting the invoice for the work done, just to be on the safe side. The longer it goes on makes it awkward if you need to use them again. Any chance you could actually visit them personally to get the invoice and make the payment at the same time?

Ath_Wat

People, this is business.  Nobody needs to be poking round putting money into savings accounts or putting it aside, or going round with cheques in envelopes.  There's no "awkwardness". It will get paid when it gets invoiced, out of whatever money the business account is holding at the time.  Conflating personal and business accounts is madness, and these people are not friends, they are doing business.