I am living in WA, ex client is in CA
I apologize if I'm not in the right section for this.
Here is a short backstory. ex client who I will call EC was a ex-coworker of mine. After moving away he hired me to do a website for him $3000 (I was a freelance programmer at the time), the first $1500 was to cover the graphics/design which I had outsourced to a friend of mine who was a graphics designer and the second $1500 was for the programming which I was to do. This was to be paid via PayPal. Once the design was completed and approved EC was to pay the second $1500 to begin programming. I delivered the design and he approved it. I then sent him all of the graphic and source design files since he paid for it. He then paid $300 to begin programming. After a week or so into the development I had family issues come up and was not able to complete the project. I refunded him his $300 for the programming part of it. He then started harassing me via email and phone calls to get a refund on the $1500 for the design work which he already accepted. He sent numerous emails with physical threats including death threats, even calling my landlord. I told him that his design work was delivered and accepted but the harassment continued. He eventually filed at PayPal saying that he wanted his $1500 back (with numerous lies about what happened) and he eventually won. PayPal then took out $1500 out of my account which at the time had just about $0 in it, effectively closing my account from negative funds. PayPal collections is now trying to contact me to pay the bill.
I do not believe I was in the wrong and because EC had lied about what happened he not only got his money back for the design work (which he accepted and approved of) but had also kept the designs.
So my questions are:
- What should I do to try to pursue this and get him to pay for the bill?
- Is it possible at all to take him to court without physically being present in CA?
- Is it possible (or recommended/needed) to hire an attorney?
- Is this case even something that I could win and have him pay for the collections?
Thank you for your
I apologize if I'm not in the right section for this.
Here is a short backstory. ex client who I will call EC was a ex-coworker of mine. After moving away he hired me to do a website for him $3000 (I was a freelance programmer at the time), the first $1500 was to cover the graphics/design which I had outsourced to a friend of mine who was a graphics designer and the second $1500 was for the programming which I was to do. This was to be paid via PayPal. Once the design was completed and approved EC was to pay the second $1500 to begin programming. I delivered the design and he approved it. I then sent him all of the graphic and source design files since he paid for it. He then paid $300 to begin programming. After a week or so into the development I had family issues come up and was not able to complete the project. I refunded him his $300 for the programming part of it. He then started harassing me via email and phone calls to get a refund on the $1500 for the design work which he already accepted. He sent numerous emails with physical threats including death threats, even calling my landlord. I told him that his design work was delivered and accepted but the harassment continued. He eventually filed at PayPal saying that he wanted his $1500 back (with numerous lies about what happened) and he eventually won. PayPal then took out $1500 out of my account which at the time had just about $0 in it, effectively closing my account from negative funds. PayPal collections is now trying to contact me to pay the bill.
I do not believe I was in the wrong and because EC had lied about what happened he not only got his money back for the design work (which he accepted and approved of) but had also kept the designs.
So my questions are:
- What should I do to try to pursue this and get him to pay for the bill?
- Is it possible at all to take him to court without physically being present in CA?
- Is it possible (or recommended/needed) to hire an attorney?
- Is this case even something that I could win and have him pay for the collections?
Thank you for your