Monday Morning Memo: The 5 Best Worst Excuses That Debtor Have Used On Why They Did Not Pay Our Clients

We often talk about overly serious topics when it comes to our legal podcasts, so today we wanted to take a break and look at some of the best excuses that debtors have used on why they did not pay our clients. There is a certain procedure of events that must happen before we get involved. Before the claim becomes a legal issue it runs through collections and before collections it goes through the clients’ BS meter. Now that you know the steps, let’s look at the top five excuses!

5. “We are not paying because it was turned over to collections.” We found this one particularly funny because the debtor was not paying before the client turned over the account. Maybe, they could see the future and knew they would be sent to collections?

4. “I’m not paying because you client will not meet with us so we can give him his check.” You may be doing a double take but let us explain. The debtor wanted to meet the client at an obscure time of day in a strange location. As a rule of thumb: if you are asked to meet at 11 pm off a turn pike to get your money, they will not be giving you a check. We love our clients and will fight for them to the best of our ability, but we are not going to stand in a dark alley to collect from your debtor. Sorry!

3. “We will not pay because it is technically not the same person because they passed a certification exam between the presentation and hiring.” This case came to us through Backdoor Hires and we find it funny because any time an attorney says, “technically,” it is legal-ese for BS. The debtor’s argument was that the candidate had passed a certification for the trade, but since they did not have that certification at the presentation it was a different person in the eyes of the contract. We have got to say; it is too bad the candidate did not get a nose job too because then they might have a had a real argument!

2. “We do not have to pay because they were not retained by us and they only worked for us for 3 months.” Unfortunately for this debtor, the contract did not define what retain meant. It also said that if they engaged the candidate in any capacity, regardless of job title or arrangement, they had to pay. Even the lead fire juggler is worth some value.

1. “The client was retained to hire candidates and they only sent over two candidates. One was hired, but only because of time constraints that prevented them from seeing more qualified candidates.” If an attorney wants to argue with a non-attorney, hang up the phone. Half the time they do this because of some legal gotcha they have up their sleeve, and the rest of the time they are saying absolute trash and hoping their law degree will make them sound credible. You would be amazed if you knew how often lawyers lie and hope no one will know enough to call BS. For those of you under time constraints, we recommend speed dating as the most efficient way to meet more than two candidates.

We hope you got just as much enjoyment out of this list as we did. In all seriousness, if a debtor says they will not pay then hang up and call us. Clearly, we have heard it all and we are here to help you with all of your collection’s needs. Reach out to Samantha Cole at [email protected] to get started.

Quote 1: As a rule of thumb: if you are asked to meet at 11 pm off a turn pike to get your money, they will not be giving you a check.

Quote 2: If an attorney wants to argue with a non-attorney, hang up the phone.