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

whatcaneyedo · #1 06-25-2010, 03:50 AM

I did some work for a general contractor at the start of May. He said that he would pay me $15/hr and I worked for 27 hours. So he owes me $405 but has not paid me a cent. I call his home once a week to remind him and he rarely answers. So I leave messages but he has not returned one of my calls since May the 12th. Foolishly I don't have a written contract so its just my word against his. He claims to be too broke to pay but I don't believe him. I've offered to take money in installments and even less money than what he owes me. But still I have not received anything. I've been told that I could try BC Labour Relations to resolve this. Do I have any other options? I know which street he lives on but not which house...

He uses Craigslist and kigigi to find work and actually has an add posted right now http://princegeorge.en.craigslist.ca...743179068.html http://princegeorge.kijiji.ca/c-resu...AdIdZ205332468

Funky_Fish14 · #2 06-25-2010, 03:59 AM

You could threaten to put a Lien on whatever property you worked on for upaid workers. legal threats work wonders.

A very similar thing happened to me (I was owed for something like 28 hours at the same rate from a landscaping company)... nothing was written... but yeah my dad knew about this trick and called the owners (who hired me) and suggested they pay 'the honest kid' for my work or he would have a lien applied on the properties I had worked on. They got the money to me within a day after 4 weeks of ignoring me.

fsjman · #3 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 · #4 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 · #5 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 · #6 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 · #7 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 · #8 06-25-2010, 06:06 AM

You could go undo the work you did

but don't get caught.....

lastlight · #9 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 · #10 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.