Cleaning for Realtors

Lance I am having the same problem right now with 2 jobs. One a $475 job have mailed bill emailed bill twice guy didn't open it realtor is a good refferral source he has done everything he can to help me get paid this is in a $700,00 home real nice in my area. The other one realtor and home owner are ignoring all contact $175 job.
Bobby

If its for sale file a lein on it they will have to pay you before they can close. I had to do that about 3 months ago it cost me $10.00. Two days later I got a phone call from the lady wanting to know she had to do for me to remove the lein? I got paid the next day in cash and removed the lein the same day

In order to file a lien doesn't one need to have a written and/or signed work order?

After getting burnt with this scam a few times before, when working on realtor refered jobs. The Homeowner is told we need a check before the job starts.

This is one ofthe times we don't mind pre-measuring the job so they have a firm price which includes repairs, special types of stain removal, and odor control. Most realtors and homeowners I have worked with in the past have not balked at the $35 fee for this service which if we do the job it is deducted from the invoice. It gives them a better picture of the condition of their carpets and weather it is less costly just to negotiate for replacement or just remove and give allowance for new of buyers color and style choice.

No I didn't have an invoice I just Filed a Lien They will pay you if the house is for sale I have the paper work but I.m in Florida so I'm not sure if it would be the same

If it is and end of lease move out and is arranged by customer, i contact the agent and ensure there is money that can be held from bond if they fail to pay. I arrange that prior to starting.
If it is a sale and they are moving on, I attend the premises prior to them leaving and either collect the money then or have someone meet me at the premises prior to starting the job.
The bottom line is, we work too darn hard to let them walk away without payment. I explain to the customer that i have been caught too many times by ppl moving and not paying. That is why i now take this course of action. I havn't lost a job yet doing it this way

Mick :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

We have a job that is over $4,000 for net 90, they are trying to avoid all debts,we are suing them and have a lein against their property!! This is a PITA!!

yep lein is the best way to handle that, unfortunate that it has to go to such lengths, takes time out of evryones day. and a PITA for sure/

Interesting stuff! Thanks for tips about leins, although I have never had to do this, the day may yet come. We all too often get complacent in our invoicing and it can be difficult to obtain a signed invoice when the customer isnt around.

I have an issue with blaming the realtor if there is a problem getting paid for cleaning. The realtor is a referal, that's it, he did not "hire" you, there is no contract with him. He referred you to a customer and the payment issue really is between you and the customer. It is up to you to make payment arrangements with the homeowner and has nothing to do with the realtor. Besides which, you want that realtor to keep referring you, because their referals are the best carpet cleaning jobs you can get. Nice big empty houses! Going after the realtor for payment is a good way to lose referrals from said realtor forever. Most realtors will not refer carpet cleaning companies for this very reason, they dont want to get stuck in the middle, or blamed if the service wasnt satisfactory, so if you get one that actually sends homebuyers/sellers your way, then Be nice to the realtor! We put up posters in all the local realty offices offering a free deluxe vehicle detailing for every five referals. All offices gladly accepted the poster and put it up in the realtors lunch area on the bulletin board.

We have found that continual regular calls eventually get our payment and rarely has anyone gone over 90 days in over five years. Our terms for residential customers are 7 days if they want it on account. 30 days for businesses. This way, you can start calling for your money after only 1 week. Plenty of time for them to find their chequebook which conveniently wasnt around when it came time to pay at the end of the job.

I don't know about other areas but here in Texas a homeowner can "bond around" a contractor's lien. I believe all they have to do is give the title company an amount double the disputed amount then the sale of the house can proceed. It is then the responsibility of the contractor/cleaner to pursue the case in court. If the case is not resolved in 2 years the title company will return all of the money to the homeowner.

What a rip.

Also, we require payment up front on empty properties if no one is going to be there.

You had to dig pretty deep for this one,sheessh

This is great information to have on hand! Just curious, how do you file a lien. Do you have to hire an attorney or can you go through the real-estate agent?

It varies by jurisdiction. Usually there is no need to hire an attorney. It is filed in the office of county court clerk or similar office.

There needs to be a clear understanding of the difference between a referral and who you're being hired by.

If a realtor calls me and suggests I call "Mrs. Jones" who needs some work done or if a customer calls me and says that my number was given to them by "Joe Blow Realty" then I'm being hired by a residential individual. The question "who do I bill?" should be asked. If the answer is anything other than the realty company then all the same residential rules should apply. For us that is payment upon completion of the job. Period and without question. The very same way we all go about collecting when we book and complete other residential jobs. A middle man should never exist in a situation like this. Really a middle man should never exist on any type of billing. I know I don't do work for a sub of a sub and expect payment when it trickles its way down the tree of subcontractors. If you hire me you pay me and you're the one responsible. Not some un-agreed upon third party.

Now if the realty company calls me and hires me to do the job then they can get all the benefits that come along with being a commercial client of mine. IE 30 days billing cycle or whatever other arrangement I've previously agreed upon with this commercial account. Then if I don't receive payment they are the ones responsible.

So did the realty company call and ask you do a job for "them" or call and refer you to a residential client?

I think the problem here is that the OP took a residential job and treated as if he was hired by the realtor.

If the realty company plans to take proceeds from the homeowner/renter as compensation that is their problem not yours. You don't or shouldn't bill a company based on uncontrollable circumstances beyond the realty company.

We do a lot of empties for realty companies and I've never had one stipulate my payment on proceeds from the client. There needs to be a clear decisive understanding of payment.

I live in florida and had a 18000 dollar lien on a property owned by the legendary slum lord Steve Green, he got the lien removed sold the property and i never got a dime. You can file a lien on any property but most wont stand up in court for our kind of work

WHen all else fails do what I do.
I say universe I charge so-and-so x amount of dollars with court fees
and then I wait for the money.

One time a 99 rooter company would not pay, I met owner and relized he was a looser and I knew
I would never see the money. I also knew he was going to loose money so I charged him 25,000
No I did not get it, but 2,500 did fall into my lap. I have done this 3x's and got my money.

This is just a game I play in my mind so as not to get upset and negative and it is working for.
That being said sometimes you do need to take steps to get your money