Can You Sue a Company for Not Giving Your Money Back

Usually, it`s a good idea to create a contract for borrowed money, money owed, or personal belongings you lend. Other ways to show evidence can be emails, texts, money transfer receipts, transfer history, etc. The fees you paid may go to a court official who „serves“ the case. This means that they find the person who owes money (the „defendant“) and formally inform them that they are being sued by you (the „party to the proceedings“). You may also be able to deliver the defendant yourself by registered mail. Note: If the money owed is due due due to rent, housing, or imminent eviction, you should be aware of these laws in your state. Debts related to real estate, eviction, personal injury, surety bonds, unperformed contracts, and other small claims may have specific rules in state courts. There are two courts where you want to bring your infringement action – the Court and the District Court. The Court of Justice, also known as small claims court, exists for the purpose of quickly and economically resolving simple disputes and is considered a court of limited jurisdiction that allows claims for dollar amounts under $10,000. You work hard to get your boss to make money, and you shouldn`t have to look for the money you`ve earned.

In America, most workers rely on the biweekly paycheck to pay rent and take care of their families. Live from paycheck to paycheck and work as hard as possible. It is unacceptable for an employer not to pay its employee. It is illegal for an employer to withhold the income of its employees. It is a theft of wages under federal and state labor laws. YES, you can sue a business for not paying yourself. In fact, many employees contact me and learn that they are also owed money for missed breaks and lunch breaks. Please call me; I have your back. The process of filing your lawsuit varies depending on the court system.

However, in many cases, you will need to go to the courthouse and file your complaint in person. Once you`re there, you can expect: After filing your complaint with the judicial or district court, there are ways to remedy the situation early in the process. For example, you can request a notice of seizure or possession to place a lien on or take possession of a portion of the defendant`s assets (if they were collateral in the underlying agreement). This can protect your ability to overturn a verdict while pressuring the defendant to settle the case. When an employee sues the employer for improper payment, the justice system grants employees/plaintiffs the right to claim financial damages, which may include interest payments, arrears, penalties, and damages. At this point, your legal opinion for non-payment of the invoice should set a strict deadline for full payment. You must inform the customer that if the payment is not included in your claim by that date, a collection agent will contact them and legal action will be taken. A small claims judge may also be able to order the restitution of property. For example, if an employee resigns or is fired and refuses to return their company-issued laptop, a small claims judge may order them to return the computer to your business.

To turn your dispute over an unpaid invoice into a lawsuit, you must prepare your evidence – including the original invoice, proof that the services were provided, and records of any attempt to recover the payment due – and set out your claim in a document called a complaint, which is filed with the District Court, in which your client lives or does business. Note: If the person you want to sue has declared bankruptcy, their bankruptcy will prevail over your case. The „automatic suspension“ of bankruptcy prevents anyone from collecting debts, even debts from prosecution. You may have the opportunity to collect the money when your case is decided. The bankruptcy judge may also decide that he or she must reimburse you. Very often we get the question, well, can I sue them in small claims? Here are some examples of small claims lawsuits against someone who owes you money: To show your case in the best possible light, it`s a good idea to try other methods of debt collection first. Be sure to ask for the money – preferably in writing – so that there is a record of your attempts. This is called a „letter of formal notice“. If your claim against a company is above the limits your state has set for Small Claims Court, you may want to consider suing them in ordinary civil court, but for that, you should definitely consult a lawyer first. Civil court proceedings can be long, lengthy, costly and complicated. You may end up making more money, but it will take you a lot more time and effort to do so.

Once you`ve filed your small claims lawsuit in California, the next step is to inform the person you sued that they were sued. This is called the „Process Service“ (also known as the „Service“). You must serve the debtor at least 15 to 20 days before the Small Claims Court hearing (sometimes you must serve at least 30 days before the hearing). There are several ways to serve the debtor, such as having a friend serve, hiring a process server, hiring the sheriff, or through the court clerk. We can help you with the small claims service. Each small claims court in California has a different filing procedure. You should check with your local Small Claims Court to see if the filing is eligible in person, by mail, online or by fax. Or we can submit your case for you! It can be difficult to prove your case if you`ve spoken orally about a loan, given them money, and have no record of repaying the money.

Otherwise, your lawyer will help you argue for justice before the judge or jury by showing things like the existence of a contract between you and your client, your legal provision of services, and the client`s inability or refusal to pay you what they owe you. If the judge or jury renders a judgment in your favor, this in turn leads to a document with full legal force against the defendant. Prosecuting a customer for non-payment is serious business. This could damage the reputation of the company you are in dispute with, as well as the reputation of your own company. It will also take valuable time that you could work to generate new income instead of chasing after old debts. For this reason, it`s important to talk to a debt collection lawyer before entering a lawsuit. Not sure what to include in your letter of formal notice? Here are some suggestions: If the answer to all these questions is yes and you haven`t been paid, the next step is to think about your relationship with the customer and what kind of „soft reminders“ you can send to the customer to encourage payment. A chargeback is a serious process, and you should only ask for one if you have a legitimate dispute with a company and the company refuses to help you resolve it. The good news is that most stores want to make their customers happy – this is how they get repeat deals and maintain a good reputation that gains new customers. If you contact the seller and explain why you think you should get a refund, they could very well act in good faith and return your money to you. It may be necessary to escalate the complaint a bit – if a customer service representative can`t help you, ask to speak to a store manager, supervisor, or owner. If payment is still not made after the reminders, perform a simple cost-benefit analysis where you determine whether the cost of the lawsuit is higher or lower than the amount of money you are asking your customer.

First, check the thresholds for the amount of money you are asking for and the right court you want to file with. If the amount is too small or too large, you will not be able to file in Small Claims Court. If you have an unpaid bill from a client, you want an attorney experienced in collecting money due on unpaid bills in Texas. Alternatively, if a judgment has been rendered against you in connection with an unpaid invoice, we can help you negotiate your amount after the verdict to make more manageable payments. Sometimes, (and sometimes you have a customer counting on it), it`s a cheaper option to just take the loss.