We have numerous open jobs, and employees willing to work. Personally, the company owes me about $2000 for finished projects. If we can at least finish the other jobs that are contracted and receive payments from those customers, how do I ensure that I get paid? The wife had a small hand in running the business, so she's not a total stranger to the business. But of course, she's in no condition to think about this right now.
Even if the company just dissolves and everybody moves on, is there a way to get paid for the three invoices I have currently submitted? I've been doing jobs with these guys for 10 years, never had a problem getting paid, but now I fear that the wife who is now left alone with three children will take this opportunity to keep as much money as she can. I believe she has an official title within the company, possibly co-owner and/or vice president.
Any advice or info from anybody who knows what to expect would be greatly appreciated.
just my perception here, but if it was me, i would approach it like this:
contact the father in law, as he seems to be the de facto executor of this,
regarding the $2k for work fully completed. see about getting that money,
but it'll be iffy. it's not enough money, imho, to spend a lot of time and effort
trying to collect. how long would it take you to earn that much, versus how
long will it take to collect? i'm guessing there isn't any money at all, and what
has come in isn't available to pay you.
the rest of the jobs in progress, i'd contact the customer directly, and ask how
they wanted to proceed, those that you actually want to continue with of course,
and proceed directly with them if warranted. coordinate with the general contractor,
and most likely they will just want to close this stuff out, as they have contractural
obligations to the customer, and you don't. and they don't need any more grief
than they already have. don't be surprised if you find that there are progress payments
that part of should have gone to you, that you haven't seen any money on yet.
that is where it'll get fugly. customer has paid progress payments, part of which are
yours money, to general, and you haven't gotten paid, and the money got spent on
something else.
people tip over for all sorts of reasons, and for no apparent reason, but it sounds like this
guys money was all screwy, and has been that way for a while. don't assume that
any of the work in progress partial payments are in order. most likely they aren't.
guy i grew up with blew his brains out with a shotgun, in a spec house he'd just
finished, and owned free and clear. in theory, anyway. when the final accounting
was done, that house was absorbed in it's entirety by a ton of financial disarray.
it gets complicated as the guy who needs the work done, and you, have no
contractural relationship. make sure to correct that before any other work gets done.
good luck. it'll probably work out ok in the end, but it'll be fugly getting there.
