deadbeats

[George Stolz]

I can email it to you in .doc format if you would like, just pm me.

Depending on the size of the document, you might be able to post it for all to download here, as an attachment. The size limit is 146 kb.

 

[Energy-Miser]

What I meant was that since most GCs do not sign our contract, but instead send one for us to sign, I have a clause that if they send a contract for us to sign based on our Proposal cost, then they in effect have agreed to all terms in our Proposal.

I also forgot to mention that in order to collect interest on past due amounts, you MUST have it written in your contract.

Yes that and the reasonable attorney fees, as someone had pointed out earlier. e/m

 

[romexking]

Ok, here is the Generic Proposal file in .doc format.

 

[ITO]

Thansk I checked it out, the exchanage of ideas there was very useful. I still have one question though. Is the lien thing only for commercial outfits or is also applicable when you do a residential job as well? And second, how is it that a lien against property will pressure the GC to pay you, as it is not his property that the work was done on? Thanks, e/m.

If you file a lien on the property the owner wont pay the GC until the lien is settled. When you stop his money, he will pay attention to yours. If in the rare case the owner is not savvy enough to hold the GC's money, then they will have to settle with you before they can sell their property.

To date, I have almost always gotten my money very shortly after filing an "intent to lien" (it's a requirement here to file an intent first), and very rarely do I have to actually file the lien but when I do, my invoice gets paid.

Of all your options the lien is the cheapest and most effective way to get paid.

 

[Energy-Miser]

If you file a lien on the property the owner wont pay the GC until the lien is settled. When you stop his money, he will pay attention to yours. If in the rare case the owner is not savvy enough to hold the GC's money, then they will have to settle with you before they can sell their property.

To date, I have almost always gotten my money very shortly after filing an "intent to lien" (it's a requirement here to file an intent first), and very rarely do I have to actually file the lien but when I do, my invoice gets paid.

Of all your options the lien is the cheapest and most effective way to get paid.

Thanks, I will definitely follow this route next time around, and hope that it will not be for a long time!! e/m.

 

[melanconelectric]

All states differ, but in Louisiana if a lien is placed, the lender will not close the loan. So, more pressure still. Try this out... www.jlcbooks.com... the contractor's legal kit. Great book... includes cd-rom with fill in the blank contracts, but mostly geared toward GC use but can be re-worded

 

[Energy-Miser]

All states differ, but in Louisiana if a lien is placed, the lender will not close the loan. So, more pressure still. Try this out... www.jlcbooks.com... the contractor's legal kit. Great book... includes cd-rom with fill in the blank contracts, but mostly geared toward GC use but can be re-worded

Thanks for the link. I did a little Google search and for those of you who are Marylanders (like me), looks like the deadline to watch for serving "intent to lien" is 120 days after the last day you performed work at the job, or delivered material. The intent to lien is simply a letter expressing your intent to put a lien on the property, and goes out in certified mail to both GC and the property owner. It does not matter if they receive it after the said 120 days, as long as it is post dated to that. I need to credit Niles, Barton & Wilmer LLP, as they have a nice article on this at the following website:
http://www.niles-law.com/CM/Articles/Articles11.asp
e/m.