Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - A deal gone bad, advice on how to go about dealing with it.

BonesCPA · 11-26-2003, 02:01 PM

Get a lawyer. Possibly a letter threatening action is all that is needed. Of course if this is a scam artist, you probably won't see anything anyway, especially if the police won't investigate.

Have the lawyer contact him (in writing), and request a refund in full - who knows what quality the parts will be. If that doesn't work, threaten a lawsuit, and if necessary, file the suit.

Of course keep in mind, this all will cost money, and even if you win, it doesn't mean he will pay. Winning a civil suit doesn't mean you get the money on the spot. You then have to collect the funds, which could mean attaching pay or putting a lien on his home (if he has either). Putting a lien on his home will only get you money when he sells the house. And if this is a corporation you are dealing with, he can bankrupt the company, and you will never see anything.

You didn't say how much you have put out already, but I think your group needs to establish what your bottom line is for putting out new money. There is a reason why there is a saying: "Don't throw good money after bad money." Determine what that threshold is, and figure out what works out the best. (If you go with the lawyer, make sure the lawyer knows the cap, you don't want them going overboard.)

Oh, and showing up on someone's doorstop does work occasionally, but what happens if he is on vacation that week, or the address is a PO Box (or Mail Boxes Etc. or some such)? And if someone starts arguing, and things escalate, you will definitely have the NYPD get interested. Go the lawyer route.

11-26-2003, 02:01 PM	#4 (permalink)
BonesCPA No. It's not done yet. Location: sorta kinda phila	Get a lawyer. Possibly a letter threatening action is all that is needed. Of course if this is a scam artist, you probably won't see anything anyway, especially if the police won't investigate. Have the lawyer contact him (in writing), and request a refund in full - who knows what quality the parts will be. If that doesn't work, threaten a lawsuit, and if necessary, file the suit. Of course keep in mind, this all will cost money, and even if you win, it doesn't mean he will pay. Winning a civil suit doesn't mean you get the money on the spot. You then have to collect the funds, which could mean attaching pay or putting a lien on his home (if he has either). Putting a lien on his home will only get you money when he sells the house. And if this is a corporation you are dealing with, he can bankrupt the company, and you will never see anything. You didn't say how much you have put out already, but I think your group needs to establish what your bottom line is for putting out new money. There is a reason why there is a saying: "Don't throw good money after bad money." Determine what that threshold is, and figure out what works out the best. (If you go with the lawyer, make sure the lawyer knows the cap, you don't want them going overboard.) Oh, and showing up on someone's doorstop does work occasionally, but what happens if he is on vacation that week, or the address is a PO Box (or Mail Boxes Etc. or some such)? And if someone starts arguing, and things escalate, you will definitely have the NYPD get interested. Go the lawyer route. __________________ Back into hibernation.