Collection & Debt

[Chandlerbk]

I hired a company to install electronics in my home during an extensive renovation. All work was performed in the state of Maryland by a Maryland contractor.

Work started late summer of 2014 and was completed September 2015 with all invoices paid in full.

I receive an email from said company on December 6 2016 (15 months after work complete) for more money with no explanation.

Then another 15 months after that (May 4, 2018) I received a notice from a bill collector, with no explanation for the additional monies due.

We are now talking 30 months after work was completed!!

In reviewing the "reconciled sales order" that accompanied the invoice, I noticed they are billing me for "additional labor" from Sept. 2015.

Do I have any rights here? Can a contractor send a bill 15 months after the work was complete? I have no recollection of "additional labor" being used on the last day of the work as they already had 10 hours of labor on their estimate and are now charging me another 8.25 hours labor in addition. The sales order does have a statement that states: "Labor is estimated. Actual labor will be invoiced upon completion". To me if this is valid (which I doubt) "upon completion" shouldn't mean 15 months later! Any advice?

 

[LdiJ]

I hired a company to install electronics in my home during an extensive renovation. All work was performed in the state of Maryland by a Maryland contractor.

Work started late summer of 2014 and was completed September 2015 with all invoices paid in full.

I receive an email from said company on December 6 2016 (15 months after work complete) for more money with no explanation.

Then another 15 months after that (May 4, 2018) I received a notice from a bill collector, with no explanation for the additional monies due.

We are now talking 30 months after work was completed!!

In reviewing the "reconciled sales order" that accompanied the invoice, I noticed they are billing me for "additional labor" from Sept. 2015.

Do I have any rights here? Can a contractor send a bill 15 months after the work was complete? I have no recollection of "additional labor" being used on the last day of the work as they already had 10 hours of labor on their estimate and are now charging me another 8.25 hours labor in addition. The sales order does have a statement that states: "Labor is estimated. Actual labor will be invoiced upon completion". To me if this is valid (which I doubt) "upon completion" shouldn't mean 15 months later! Any advice?

Unfortunately, they have used a tactic that I personally find disgusting but it is what it is. They have sent you to collection. They know that they had little to no chance of prevailing if they sued you, but by sending you to collection, they hope that you will pay it just to save your credit.

Your only viable options are either to pay them, or to take them to court for fraudulent billing and hope that you can convince a judge to force them to pull it back from collections.

In the meantime, you probably should require the debt collector to validate the debt.

 

[Chandlerbk]

Unfortunately, they have used a tactic that I personally find disgusting but it is what it is. They have sent you to collection. They know that they had little to no chance of prevailing if they sued you, but by sending you to collection, they hope that you will pay it just to save your credit.

Your only viable options are either to pay them, or to take them to court for fraudulent billing and hope that you can convince a judge to force them to pull it back from collections.

In the meantime, you probably should require the debt collector to validate the debt.

Thank you for the information,Chandlerbk

 

[adjusterjack]

Can a contractor send a bill 15 months after the work was complete?

Obviously he CAN do it because he DID do it.

What is it you aren't telling us?

Common sense dictates that a person receiving an additional bill 15 months after the work was done would CALL UP and ask "What's this all about"?

 

[Chandlerbk]

Obviously he CAN do it because he DID do it.

What is it you aren't telling us?

Common sense dictates that a person receiving an additional bill 15 months after the work was done would CALL UP and ask "What's this all about"?

My common sense did ask in writing both the contractor and the collection office to explain how they are billing $ 1700 in addition to the amount paid in full on the original sales order. I've yet to hear back from them.
However, in MY observation of analyzing the "reconciled sales order" dated 15 months past the date of service, I noticed that they are charging 10.5 hours as an "ADD".

I'm still waiting to hear back, but in the meantime my mind is trying to process just how tardy this whole thing has been. Furthermore, I don't recall the job taking 18.5 hours as I know for a fact it was only 1 person on the job and I don't recall him being here 2 days to perform such a simple task.
It makes me wonder if they have time coded against the wrong job.

adjusterjack, there is nothing I'm NOT telling anyone and just because he DID do it doesn't mean it's lawful! Maybe I needed to use different words.... Try to get YOUR head around a bill you receive 15 months AFTER a completed job for more money! Then the contractor doesn't answer your question then you hear from a collection agency 30 months AFTER the job is completed. To me it's BIZARRE!