NYCPHP Meetup

[Tim Gales]

... client paid about 1/3 of the cost of the site up front and was
supposed to pay the balance on delivery.  I delivered the site months
ago and have not received further payment.  The site is still active
and it has been receiving alot of traffic.  They receive hundreds of
visits a day and many users submitting information.  Needless to say
they are doing business with the site and making a profit from it.

The owner of the site has not returned my many calls and emails over
the past two months.  I am trying to figure out how to get him to
acknowledge me and hopefully pay up!  I have a full time job as a
Java/PHP/.NET programmer so I don't do freelance often. This was the
only project I have done in years and it was as a favor to a friend.
Now I regret doing it at all and feel that I was taken advantage of.

Any advice?

Well no legal advice -- that's for sure.

A couple of thoughts which may be helpful:

You could check with your local Small Business Administration office --
they often can give you some good ideas on how to deal with problems 
like this which are commonly faced by small businesses.

Maybe sending them a certified letter with return receipt requested
would be a good idea. I think it should have a pleasant tone --
perhaps suggesting that the client has been too busy and overlooked
payment of the invoice.

But, at least, don't put anything in it which could be (mis)construed as
threatening or harassing. I would most definitely not put a threat to
sue them in writing. (Again, this is only what I would do -- not
legal advice).

-- 
T. Gales & Associates
'Helping People Connect with Technology'

http://www.tgaconnect.com