About HomeStarsContracts are good, no matter how small
I had a note from a friend of mine that reminded me how important paperwork can be, even for the smaller home maintenance projects.
Long story short, Susan hired the same snow removal service as her neighbours in mid December. Susan explicitly asked them to put a contract in the mailbox, which they never did. It snowed the next day and they didn’t come…. she cleared it herself, hired someone else, and the second firm beat them there the next time. Susan called the owner to cancel him and offer to pay for the two times that they came out. The company never actually cleared her driveway. The first snow fall she did it herself, and the second time the new company got their first.
The owner said to her offer “no, you owe us for a full month contract if you are canceling.”
Susan was mad and replied “that is ridiculous. I am being friendly here. Offering to pay for two clearings you never did.” He said “You will hear from a collection agency!”
I’m wondering how is the owner going to collect on this when he never gave her a written contract to begin with. The funny addition to this, is that he’ actually got a collection agency calling Susan for the money he thinks he’s owed, and he hasn’t even sent her an invoice let alone a contract! We are not talking about a lot of money so this is a strange tactic.
It’s also small reminder how important it is to have a written contract that clearly states the agreement and deliverables.
Yesterday Susan said her snow service beat him to her house again (he still does her neighbors). Another tip: make sure your snow removal service gives you a time guarantee!
