How do I respond to an email threatening court proceedings?

goodsunshine

Hello, I hope you can help me.
I have been in dispute with a company who has sent me an invoice which I believe I paid their fitter for. We have been going round in circles, getting no-where for some months and now I have received an email saying that if I don't pay their invoice they will be taking me to court. What should I do next?

eskbanker

Your choices are to pay their invoice or wait for the court documents.

Or use mediation/ADR if they support that, see what their terms of business say on the subject of dispute resolution.

Clive_Woody

goodsunshine said:

Hello, I hope you can help me.
I have been in dispute with a company who has sent me an invoice which I believe I paid their fitter for. We have been going round in circles, getting no-where for some months and now I have received an email saying that if I don't pay their invoice they will be taking me to court. What should I do next?

I would respond in writing confirming that you paid the bill. Confirm amount, date and to whom you made the payment. All future correspondance should be in writing or confirmed by email/letter.

kazwookie

Did you get a recipt from the fitter, if so I would send a copy of that to the company, pointing out to them you have paid the fitter, copy attached, and you consider the matter closed.

If they take you to court, produce the recipt again.

If no recipt or you cannot prove you paid, then I would suggest it is likely you are going to have to pay again, unless the fitter can back you up.

Was your contract with the company or the fitter? if with the company why did you pay the fitter?

eskbanker

goodsunshine said:

I have been in dispute with a company who has sent me an invoice which I believe I paid their fitter for.

If you're not 100% confident, then that would suggest (at least) two sides to the story, so if you share more details on here, posters can perhaps offer thoughts on the strength, or otherwise, of your case, from the perspective of uninvolved and independent third parties, i.e. like courts would be?

DullGreyGuy

goodsunshine said:

Hello, I hope you can help me.
I have been in dispute with a company who has sent me an invoice which I believe I paid their fitter for. We have been going round in circles, getting no-where for some months and now I have received an email saying that if I don't pay their invoice they will be taking me to court. What should I do next?

Pay the bill or await court papers to arrive. 

"I believe I paid their fitter" doesn't sound great basis to go to court on though... what evidence do you have you did this? Was it agreed that the payment should have been made to the fitter?