[PSUscaper]

Maybe a special 'lawyer contract' should be written up with a special pay-as-you-go arrangement. If the client is a lawyer, simply state that at the start of every day, a payment for x% of the project is do. For smaller jobs (1 or 2 days), tell them you only start with a 75% downpayment, and jack the price up so that 75% is the price you would charge others.

What a bunch of slime balls people in this world are.

One thing that I do, that no one ever even reads, and that, quite frankly I don't even know if it would hold up in court, is in the contract I have a line that states 'all job materials, meaning plants, bricks, lights, transformers, muclh, stone, trees, shrubs, flowers, and wall stone, installed by Pennscapes remain the property of Pennscapes until final payment is received. If final payment is not received, Pennscapes reserves the right to enter the property and remove all materials used. If final payment is received after the removal, all materials will be returned and installed at the same initial price as the previous contract'

Wordy, but I like it as it makes people think. So far, no one has not signed the contract.

[hickory lane]

My worst customer story was also a lawyer. His wife asked for many "add ons" which we completed. He came home and blew a fuse. Told us he wasn't paying for the changes and he was leaving on vacation the following day and if we wanted paid at all we'd have to come to his house that moment and get a check.
I went and got it.
This was a small town and he was the county prosecutor.

[4seasons]

ECLDesign has it worked out with the lawyers yet? One of my favorite customers is a lawyer and his wife. Both are in their late fifties early 60's. The wife usually works with us when were there. I dont mind though less time we have to spend there. So far I only had to bid once and that was 4 yrs ago. When I give them the bill they always throw in a nice tip!

[sleepy]

Here is a good ling about contracts. http://searchwarp.com/swa46101.htm

[hickory lane]

I've always understood that going back and taking your material off there property is trespassing. It's particularly tough when you complete a job, haven't gotten paid and they won't pay you because they aren't happy with something. Then after it goes on for awhile and they need a replacement plant they'll hold that over your head until you make the replacement.
I've found that the time at which a person is the most excited and willing to pay is when they want to schedule the job. I get half up front to cover materials. Sometimes 1/3 on a large job. The rest upon completion.
Someone wrote me a rubber check one time and after persueing (sp?) it all summer I finally went to the police and had them thrown in jail for passing a bad check!
But most of the time...........I'll swear, there are more laws to protect deadbeats than to collect a bad debt.