Residential client dies owing me $350

[timeshifter]

A long time client of mine died suddenly yesterday. Not totally unexpected. He was mostly bedridden or house bound and had caregivers every day. Was like this for years. I emailed him a bill once a month at a time. Sometimes I'd not send a bill for a month or so. He didn't ever pay when I sent the bill. He'd pay when I was there. It was never really an issue, it was just different with him. Because of his challenges and situation I was OK with that. I also knew that this might happen and I'd be out some money. But, he's been a client for many years and has paid me lots of money, so if I leave $350 on the table it's not a big deal.

BUT, it is $350.

He was divorced with two children. Hasn't spoken to his son in 12 years. His daughter hadn't spoken to him in 4 years. He was 71. Daughter is maybe 40.

His long time caregivers were really his family. But they're out of the picture now legally. And the daughter has been really nasty to them. The whole situation is really sad.

There was no will. Not sure if there was life insurance. When his home is sold there might be a little bit of money left over, maybe $10,000, don't know, just guessing.

I don't know the daughter or the son at all. My understanding is that his assets go to them. She called the bank this morning and closed his account(s). Caregiver had cashed her check just in time.

I'm thinking I need to snail mail a copy of my most recent bills to his home address. Not sure what else to do yet. Looking for advice.

 

[thecomputerguy]

A long time client of mine died suddenly yesterday. Not totally unexpected. He was mostly bedridden or house bound and had caregivers every day. Was like this for years. I emailed him a bill once a month at a time. Sometimes I'd not send a bill for a month or so. He didn't ever pay when I sent the bill. He'd pay when I was there. It was never really an issue, it was just different with him. Because of his challenges and situation I was OK with that. I also knew that this might happen and I'd be out some money. But, he's been a client for many years and has paid me lots of money, so if I leave $350 on the table it's not a big deal.

BUT, it is $350.

He was divorced with two children. Hasn't spoken to his son in 12 years. His daughter hadn't spoken to him in 4 years. He was 71. Daughter is maybe 40.

His long time caregivers were really his family. But they're out of the picture now legally. And the daughter has been really nasty to them. The whole situation is really sad.

There was no will. Not sure if there was life insurance. When his home is sold there might be a little bit of money left over, maybe $10,000, don't know, just guessing.

I don't know the daughter or the son at all. My understanding is that his assets go to them. She called the bank this morning and closed his account(s). Caregiver had cashed her check just in time.

I'm thinking I need to snail mail a copy of my most recent bills to his home address. Not sure what else to do yet. Looking for advice.

Maybe try and contact them very very briefly and if you get no answer or it goes downhill just cut your losses and move on. I'd more be leaning towards dropping it and moving on. Part of the issue here is how you collected from him.

 

[mraikes]

Yeah, you could mail a bill. Legally the estate is still responsible for debts owed. It probably won't be paid but only costs a stamp.

It's almost certainly not worth the headache to chase further than that.

 

[Porthos]

Let it go. Use it a learning lesson. Don't leave clients owing money. People can pass on anytime sick or not.

 

[urcomputech]

I think the guy's got enough problems to deal with ... I'd write it off! As you said, he gave you plenty of business. Be grateful for that and show him and his family some respect by sending your condolences instead of a bill.

 

[marley1]

Really? Dude died, it's $350.

Next time try to get the aging before the client dies

 

[timeshifter]

I hear what some of you are saying, but this is not your normal dead client situation.

First, this guy lived on a fixed disability income, home-bound for more than the 10 years I knew him. I know he struggled a little financially. He's the only client that still was billed at my old rate. He's the only client who I ever really offered any discount to.

He would usually offer to pay any bills I had when it was around the first of the month. He'd usually offer. Sometime's I'd ask. Last time he paid was a struggle. I knew that this could happen at any time given his health. I balanced that with not being too much of a hard-ass and hounding him to pay. He always paid. Except he can't now.

He told his caregivers repeatedly that he didn't want daughter to get anything when he passed. She had cleaned him out four years ago. Somehow managed to put his prized car in her name (no he couldn't drive, but he loved his car, even though it sat in his garage forever, all his passwords were based on his car). She took a bunch of stuff out of his garage: tools, lawn equipment, etc. When he found out he really lost his mind. He demanded she bring stuff back but it was pretty ugly.

She wanted him to go to a nursing home. He wanted to live his days out at his home. She told the caregiver to not see him for three or four days so he'd go to a nursing home! (Of course the caregiver told her where she could put that suggestion)

Yesterday while he was still on a ventilator the doctors said they could wait until the family arrived. The son said to go ahead and unplug it. The daughter couldn't be bothered either, she was only about an hour away.

When the caregiver went by his house last night to pick up a few of her things the grandson called the cops on her. In front of the police the kid commented that "my grandfather was an asshole". After the caregiver finally left after the whole ordeal she had to come back for a moment as she forgot an important paper. Daughter rips it out her hand looks at it, then shoves into the caregiver's chest telling her to get the eff-u-c-kay out of her face.

Caregiver told me she had asked him in the past what to do with his remains. He wanted to be cremated and have the daughter spread the ashes in her garden. She said he still loved his daughter. (I know that doesn't jibe with the other statements, but like I said it's not your normal dead client situation)

Anyway, his heirs are having absolutely no kind of service for him. Daughter not even accepting the ashes. They just want to get him burnt and get his money and get out of town again.

So I guess I really have a difficult time showing any compassion for people who demonstrate that they have no soul.

Sorry for the long rant. I think my capacity for grief is maxed out right now. Last week I attended two funerals: one for a friend and one for a cousin. Now this.

 

[sapphirescales]

I don't ever allow clients to owe me money. They pay at time of service. Doctors do the same thing. Even if all you have is a $3 deductible, they collect that when the service is rendered.

Feel free to send another bill, but I wouldn't expect it to be paid. I certainly wouldn't contact these narcissistic a$$holes as all they care about is extracting whatever they can from the estate. Their narcissism is bad enough, but acting in this manner is dishonorable. It dishonors the person that died, and it dishonors themselves and those around them still living. Unfortunately, the very concept of honor is dying with your former client's generation. Younger generations don't even understand the concept, let alone try to live with honor. All they care about is themselves.

 

[Markverhyden]

For you to be able to write it off as a bad debt you will have to be able to prove you tried to collect. So sending out the bills and documenting that will be necessary. Personally I'd do my best but not make a capital case of it.

 

[nlinecomputers]

For you to do anything would require you to put a lien on the estate and force probate. That will cost you more than the money owed. You can send them the bill on the hopes they might try and pay it but I wouldn't expect a dime. Write it off and move on.

 

[Larry Sabo]

So I guess I really have a difficult time showing any compassion for people who demonstrate that they have no soul.

And you think they are going to pay your invoice? I would let it go, out of respect for the old man. Karma will take care of the rest.

 

[Your PCMD]

Write it off. $350 isn't all that much. That's like a diagnostic check from @sapphirescales. Seriously though, it's such a small amount to lose any sleep over and besides, take my motto: It's only money, I'll make more. Also, take @Larry Sabo point above.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Honestly, I'd just walk away too. Burying customers that are over the line and obviously into the friend-zone is hard enough. I've done it twice now personally, and while I didn't lose any money over it the additional involvement trying to get that cash would have probably killed me.

 

[fencepost]

If it sounded like the family was grieving at all I'd be more in the "just let it be, godspeed <client>," but from the sounds of it I'd at least send a final invoice to be paid from the estate (or more likely ignored and written off).

 

[Archon Prime]

just crash the funeral and get some free grub. It will even out.

 

[Your PCMD]

just crash the funeral and get some free grub. It will even out.

You are a bad bad man..... I like it.

 

[nerd2u]

Mail a copy and give it a few weeks there is a good chance they will find it and deal with it while dealing with all other affairs.

Don't work on the assumption they won't want to pay what is owed to you, give them some time and hopefully they will get to your bill and issue payment.

Hell I have living clients who sometimes miss an invoice.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[PC Doctor]

Or out of respect for your client and their treatment of him, go after them hard for the money and teach them a fecking lesson then use it to create some kind of memorial. Just a different view.

 

[seedubya]

So I guess I really have a difficult time showing any compassion for people who demonstrate that they have no soul.

Never judge people you don't know. You have no idea of the history there. Families don't get like that for no reason. I was at a funeral recently for a lovely old man that lived close by and who I knew well. None of his 7 kids turned up, not one. I was so angry that they'd treat an old, feeble man this way. What I didn't know was that he physically and emotionally tortured every single one of them and his deceased wife and that, despite repeated pleas from his children, he completely refused to own up to the wrongs he did them, he refused point blank to acknowledge that he had done anything wrong or that any of the issues affecting his children could be traced back to his behaviour.

 

[JOsborne]

Timeshifter, I don't know where you're from, but in Kentucky, if someone dies without a will, it goes to the courts. Everything is frozen while bills come in, and someone is appointed to handle things. Any income (insurance policies, interest, etc) goes into an account that can't be touched till everything is resolved. Assets are dissolved (cars, houses, 401K/IRA, etc). All the bills are paid, and then the court divies up what's left...the court determines who gets what. This can take six months to a year.

Without trying to collect the debt, you can't claim it as a loss....you can't just 'write it off'...though you CAN forget about it.

I'm sorry for your loss...while not exactly a friend of yours, it sounds like you were closer to this fellow than some of us are to our clients.

If nothing else, this should be a lesson to us all to have a will. It's not that expensive and this way you can determine what happens to your stuff instead of letting a judge decide.