Open Association of Landscape Industries
continue maintenance contract or not?
After giving up most of my maintenance work a few years back due to increasing full landscape jobs i decided to get back in to it last year to build on the size of the business.
I mainly concentrate on domestic work for the maintenance but managed to get a commercial contract on a large set of flats. Since the contract started the owners have got rid of the original management agents and are now managing the site themselves. This has now put me in a difficult position as the previous agents missed 2 payments and the owners now have now missed 2 payments.
Originally i continued under the instruction that i would be paid as soon as the accounts were transferred but now i have been told that i have to wait until the next lot of service charges are recieved in March which will then make it 5 months owing!
Being a bit naive at the beginning i didnt include in the original contract any costs for late payments.(this may not have been upstanding anyway as it was with the management agency)
My question is basically would you continue the contract in the hope you will get paid in the end or cut your losses and not do any further work?
Replies to This Discussion
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gardens4u.co.uk on -
tell them u will continue to work AFTER you have been paid ...!!
you are legally entitled to % per month on top as a small business?
how much is owed , or how long have they paid you over previous periods,
do you get a feeling you will be paid ? are you owed 2 or 4 payments??
communication is key , dont be soft and write/print /copy a letter to them with ALL details confirming facts and situation............. do u use glyphos ;-/
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Permalink Reply by Classic Gardens on -
If it is a good contract that you need I would be a bit unsure about getting rid just yet as the lawn dosnt need to be cut and weeds arnt growing so they won't miss you.
If you do want to leave wait until the spring surge when every lawn is desperate for a cut. I think because of the change from HA to private, payment will take an age.
A few well written letters might work rather than Pune calls or emails.
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Permalink Reply by Ian Power on -
Thanks for the advise.
The job (when paying) is a very good earner, very little in the way of overheads. The previous company were 2 months behind and the new company are now 2 months behind totalling 4 outstanding payments.
Before the problems they were very good at paying. Invoiced on the first of each month with 30 days but most of the time payment was recieved within 2 weeks.
I have been keeping regular contact with the new owners and they keep promising the funds but in these times i am becoming even more wary.
I will be making contact again today so will keep you updated.
Certainly made me more aware of making sure contracts cover every eventuality!
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