My employer wont pay me. Now what can I do?

fsjman · #1 06-25-2010, 04:06 AM

Hey I have some HA friends in PG they would love to collect for you
go to the labour board If you do that he can get in to exterme trouble as he is doing this kinda stuff also report him to revenue Canada there is not really much a guy can do as it is a very small job but you can put a stop to his tactics Good Luck don't get your self in to to much trouble collecting if you know what i mean
+1 legal threats work wonders

zum14 · #2 06-25-2010, 04:46 AM

Wife is telling me to tell you to look into small claims. Google bc small claims and you get the government website with all the forms. Doesnt cost anything because you represent yourself. I guess that is pretty much "legal threats" but if you serve him he might pay instead of going to court.

The Grizz · #3 06-25-2010, 04:49 AM

As a business owner I can tell you that if there is nothing in writing like a subcontractors agreement there is nothing that you can do other then small claims court but then again it is your word against his. And to make matter's worse you have to be able to prove that he hired you to do the work verbal agreement's mean nothing in court and to any labor standards board.

lockrookie · #4 06-25-2010, 05:03 AM

wouldnt he be able to use the ppl at the place he did the work as witnesses that he worked there and in fact did the work?

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #5 06-25-2010, 06:03 AM

This seems to be a very common practice among landscapers. I was also stiffed by a landscaper when I was going to University. Only time I've ever been ripped off for work I've done.

Aquattro · #6 06-25-2010, 06:06 AM

You could go undo the work you did

but don't get caught.....

lastlight · #7 06-25-2010, 06:10 AM

Ohhh...

Yeah I knew of a guy who did just that once. And we were installing irrigation systems so the payback made a massive mess.

Of course...you tracked him down online. Nothing says he couldn't do the same and see this here.

Sebae again · #8 06-25-2010, 06:13 AM

Yeah some landscapers I met their landscape business was a front for another type of horticultural business so make sure you know who you are trying to collect from.

lockrookie · #9 06-25-2010, 06:57 AM

what i meant was why cant (whatcanyedo) use the ppl he did the work for as proof that he did the work that he isnt getting paid for doing. it will make the contractor look bad. someone had to see him doing the work.

Funky_Fish14 · #10 06-25-2010, 07:13 AM

Definitely true.

I would try the lien approach though... just google 'alberta lien's' for info on it. Just understand what it is and have an idea of how you can do it... so you know what to use to make the threat. Then you can avoid the court altogether.

The idea behind it is... there is a certain cost associated with owernership of the property... part of that ownership cost accounts for services used to build/maintain the property... if (in my case for example) part of the property's development required payment of people to landscape and plant/sod etc..., then that is part of the cost of the house. If that cost is unpaid by the contractor then it is not accounted for by the buyer... I dont know exactly how it works, but basically a lien is the money still owed by the buyer (in my base this was the company hawthorne homes who owned the properties the work was on). Its similar to cars with unpaid loans who have been sold through several buyers... the lien goes with the car and whoever is the owner at any time is technically responsible for payment of such lien.

Hope that helps,

Chris