starsevol
Cohabbing is cruelty...
This is probably going to be long, and for that I am sorry. But I really need to get this out....
...a little history....My husband and I have owned our business since 1987. It is a bike shop. It is just the 2 of us, as much as we would love to hire someone, the min wage and employer taxes make it impossible. We work hard, and don't make alot of money, especially for the time we put in. We don't take vacations (going to Daytona next year for 2 days is a HUGE deal, believe me!), and we rarely go out to eat, even on our anneversary.
About 18 years ago a guy started frequenting our store. He had suffered a brain injury, and had to use a bike for transportation. He bought most of his bikes at "mart stores" and toy stores, and they were not the highest quality and needed alot of repair. Over time he started buying his bikes from us. Whenever they needed something, he would bring his bike in, and leave it until he got his SSI check on the third of the month, and pick up his bike and pay his bill. It went on this way for a few years. Then he started coming in on the third of the month and only paying part of his bill, and paying off the rest the next month. It still worked out fine, he was paying regularly, and we knew how much he needed his bike, so we let him take it even before the bill was paid in full, he always paid. He didn't need repairs every month, but he took great pride in his bike and everything had to be "just so". Well, about 2 years ago, he wracked up a huge bill (I don't remember how much now), and he started skipping coming in on the 3rd to pay. I sent him a certified letter and he called up screaming and swearing, like a child throwing a tantrum. He said we were only in this for the money (like, yeah, that's why I come to work..hello....) Eventually, he paid us what he owed us but it took a long time.
Well, last September, he came in and had repairs and accessories added to his bike. I had reservations about letting him go with the bike without paying, but he HAD been good about it in the past, except for that last incident. Well, my husband let him go without paying. He took the bike owing us $240.70. I sent him a certified letter in January, after not hearing from him for 4 months. I knew he was around, he lives right down the street from the shop and I saw him ride by all the time. He called and asked what the letter was about. I told him he owed us money. He said he would pay.
In February, the day after the Superbowl, he called to tell us that he wouldnt be paying his bill because he was buying a new truck!! (I don't know if he is capable of even driving, he has not driven a vechicle since we have known him). Anyway, I sent him another certified letter and this time he ignored it, sent it back to the post office and never responded. So I went to the local courthouse to see if there is anything I can do to file a claim. I found out that even if we won the case, he would not be forced to pay us what he owed us and we would have to pay someone else to try to get the money out of him!
Now, he is on SSI, He has the intellect of a child, complete with temper tantrums, but is healthy otherwise and as strong as an ox. He works under the table doing landscaping. He lives with his sister and elderly mother. Once in May and once in July his mother sent us money orders, each in the amount of $5 to try to get the bill down. He ALWAYS has money for cigarettes, and he never makes his own coffee, he buys it. He eats in restuarants at least 3 times a week, and not chain restaurants or fast food either...I don't think he's ever ordered anything off the "dollar menu" in his life! He also goes to Florida at least twice a year. We know this because he comes in and tells us these things, amid promises to pay us on the third...somehow he never did get that truck, but 11 months later he has not paid us yet. Right now he still owes us $230.70.
Well, 2 weeks ago the shifter on his bike broke. He came in to leave it with us. He also wants new tires (he doesnt NEED them), a $65 bag he doesnt need, plus other things totalling over $250. He says he is going to pay us $300 on the third to pay off his old bill, and the rest will go TOWARDS the new bill. He actually expects that we will take his $300 and let him ride off into the sunset still owing us over $200......AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!
So, on the third, this is how it's going to go...he will come in. I will ring up the bill he has owed us for nearly a year now. He will have $300 on him. I will take his $230.70 and hand him back his change. Rick will only be doing $65 worth of work to his bike, NOT $250 like he wants. But he won't know that until AFTER he has paid us what he owes us. We will tell him that he no longer has an account with us (he is the only person who ever did, because we felt sorry for him), and that he can come back the following month to get the things he did not get this time. We will not let him take his bike until all bills are paid in full.
Oh, and since he dropped off his bike, he's calling every day asking how it looks, how it's doing. Giving more instructions on what he wants done. And he won't talk to me, he HAS to talk to my stressed out overworked husband. If Rick isn't available, the guy calls back. Some days he's called us 3-4 times! It's a nightmare.
I can see this is going to be a problem, and to tell the truth I am a little stressed about it. If he throws a fit, which is VERY likely, I will be calling the police and telling them this whole story. I have the certified letters unopened I sent him last winter and spring as proof. I want to tell him to never come back, but this is the only chance we have of getting paid.
There is a storm brewing, and it will hit on September 3, right after 10am. Please wish us luck!
...a little history....My husband and I have owned our business since 1987. It is a bike shop. It is just the 2 of us, as much as we would love to hire someone, the min wage and employer taxes make it impossible. We work hard, and don't make alot of money, especially for the time we put in. We don't take vacations (going to Daytona next year for 2 days is a HUGE deal, believe me!), and we rarely go out to eat, even on our anneversary.
About 18 years ago a guy started frequenting our store. He had suffered a brain injury, and had to use a bike for transportation. He bought most of his bikes at "mart stores" and toy stores, and they were not the highest quality and needed alot of repair. Over time he started buying his bikes from us. Whenever they needed something, he would bring his bike in, and leave it until he got his SSI check on the third of the month, and pick up his bike and pay his bill. It went on this way for a few years. Then he started coming in on the third of the month and only paying part of his bill, and paying off the rest the next month. It still worked out fine, he was paying regularly, and we knew how much he needed his bike, so we let him take it even before the bill was paid in full, he always paid. He didn't need repairs every month, but he took great pride in his bike and everything had to be "just so". Well, about 2 years ago, he wracked up a huge bill (I don't remember how much now), and he started skipping coming in on the 3rd to pay. I sent him a certified letter and he called up screaming and swearing, like a child throwing a tantrum. He said we were only in this for the money (like, yeah, that's why I come to work..hello....) Eventually, he paid us what he owed us but it took a long time.
Well, last September, he came in and had repairs and accessories added to his bike. I had reservations about letting him go with the bike without paying, but he HAD been good about it in the past, except for that last incident. Well, my husband let him go without paying. He took the bike owing us $240.70. I sent him a certified letter in January, after not hearing from him for 4 months. I knew he was around, he lives right down the street from the shop and I saw him ride by all the time. He called and asked what the letter was about. I told him he owed us money. He said he would pay.
In February, the day after the Superbowl, he called to tell us that he wouldnt be paying his bill because he was buying a new truck!! (I don't know if he is capable of even driving, he has not driven a vechicle since we have known him). Anyway, I sent him another certified letter and this time he ignored it, sent it back to the post office and never responded. So I went to the local courthouse to see if there is anything I can do to file a claim. I found out that even if we won the case, he would not be forced to pay us what he owed us and we would have to pay someone else to try to get the money out of him!
Now, he is on SSI, He has the intellect of a child, complete with temper tantrums, but is healthy otherwise and as strong as an ox. He works under the table doing landscaping. He lives with his sister and elderly mother. Once in May and once in July his mother sent us money orders, each in the amount of $5 to try to get the bill down. He ALWAYS has money for cigarettes, and he never makes his own coffee, he buys it. He eats in restuarants at least 3 times a week, and not chain restaurants or fast food either...I don't think he's ever ordered anything off the "dollar menu" in his life! He also goes to Florida at least twice a year. We know this because he comes in and tells us these things, amid promises to pay us on the third...somehow he never did get that truck, but 11 months later he has not paid us yet. Right now he still owes us $230.70.
Well, 2 weeks ago the shifter on his bike broke. He came in to leave it with us. He also wants new tires (he doesnt NEED them), a $65 bag he doesnt need, plus other things totalling over $250. He says he is going to pay us $300 on the third to pay off his old bill, and the rest will go TOWARDS the new bill. He actually expects that we will take his $300 and let him ride off into the sunset still owing us over $200......AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!
So, on the third, this is how it's going to go...he will come in. I will ring up the bill he has owed us for nearly a year now. He will have $300 on him. I will take his $230.70 and hand him back his change. Rick will only be doing $65 worth of work to his bike, NOT $250 like he wants. But he won't know that until AFTER he has paid us what he owes us. We will tell him that he no longer has an account with us (he is the only person who ever did, because we felt sorry for him), and that he can come back the following month to get the things he did not get this time. We will not let him take his bike until all bills are paid in full.
Oh, and since he dropped off his bike, he's calling every day asking how it looks, how it's doing. Giving more instructions on what he wants done. And he won't talk to me, he HAS to talk to my stressed out overworked husband. If Rick isn't available, the guy calls back. Some days he's called us 3-4 times! It's a nightmare.
I can see this is going to be a problem, and to tell the truth I am a little stressed about it. If he throws a fit, which is VERY likely, I will be calling the police and telling them this whole story. I have the certified letters unopened I sent him last winter and spring as proof. I want to tell him to never come back, but this is the only chance we have of getting paid.
There is a storm brewing, and it will hit on September 3, right after 10am. Please wish us luck!
