Basically customer stopped rendering payments for a service. They signed a contract outlining payments due as well as payment plan.
Communication has stopped on their end and I'm still owed a little under $1450

Legal options? A demand was sent last week.

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that's within the Small Claims court range, right? Don't need a lawyer for that. Have your ducks in a row and you should prevail

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This, if it's a meaningful amount of money to you. Otherwise write it off and move on.

TX AG 88 said:

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that's within the Small Claims court range, right? Don't need a lawyer for that. Have your ducks in a row and you should prevail.

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Even then, as I recall, there's no guarantee that you'll recover. You can easily get the judgement, but if they just don't pay the isn't much recourse. If they have a business you can have the sheriff go take the money from them or you can file a lien against their real property.

Small claims court.

Would you like to keep them paying for the service? Maybe offer if they pay x%, you'll be willing to reinstate in the future.

Of course, bridges may have been burnt at this point, but if inability to pay is the issue, that could change.

$1450?

Let them know they are in default of their agreement for not paying (in writing: text, email, and the letter you sent should cover that), so you have no choice but to cancel/stop service. If they want the service to continue, they need to pay the account in full immediately and setup on auto pay for future payments. Until then service will be put on HOLD. First time their auto pay method bounces back will result in complete termination of any service in the future.

Do some research on liens.

If you can shoehorn into a lien category use that as leverage to settle the claim.

Take what you can get and get on down the road.

another option - you could turn them into a collections agency and let them collect for you.

I've been thinking a good way to hose a deadbeat is to turn the ultimate collections agency on them: the irs. Is there an official way to forgive the amount owed then 1099 them on it?

Even if you could, the IRS isn't going give a crap about that.

Baseball bat. Knee.

I gave a contractor $2500 as a down payment for a lawn sprinkler system. Never saw the guy again. Filed a report with the PD, even talked to a detective. 2 years later the guy was arrested for something similar. It's been 9 years now, nothing.

They'll get their 25% though, won't they?

MS08 said:

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$1450?

Let them know they are in default of their agreement for not paying (in writing: text, email, and the letter you sent should cover that), so you have no choice but to cancel/stop service. If they want the service to continue, they need to pay the account in full immediately and setup on auto pay for future payments. Until then service will be put on HOLD. First time their auto pay method bounces back will result in complete termination of any service in the future.

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Unfortunately this is for services already rendered

Tear down your fence.

Bang their wife.