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Vent: client ghosted me after I sent the invoice, then fired me by text
Had a small landscaping contract in Fresno, about $4,200 for a retaining wall I finished two weeks ago. Sent the final invoice, no response for a week, then got a text saying they found someone cheaper and to stop all work. I already bought the materials and paid my two guys, so I'm out roughly $1,300. I know small claims court is an option but I've never done it for a contract this small. Has anyone actually filed over something like this, or do you just eat it and move on?
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harperp241mo ago
“I already bought the materials and paid my two guys” is the part that gets me. You spent maybe $1,300 out of pocket, but the real problem is that this will cost you more time and energy if you chase it. Filing in small claims for that amount means taking a day off work, driving to the courthouse, filling out forms, and hoping the guy even shows up. Even if you win, collecting the money is a whole other headache that people don't warn you about. I’d eat the loss, write it off as a lesson learned, and be glad you didn’t sink more into that project. Add a contract with a deposit next time, that’s what actually protects you.
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