If you do work for someone who isn't local and they don't pay you, what can be done legally?

Question

I did some freelance work for a man in Connecticut and it doesn't look like he's going to pay me. It was $350 which isn't much to most people, but to a single mom who is scraping by, it's quite a bit. Is there anything I can do legally? I realize that legal fees would probably eat me alive, but is there a way to at least scare him into thinking I can squeeze my money out of him one way or another?

Oops, I forgot to say I'm in Oklahoma.

Answer 1

You'll need to sue him in Connecticut, I'm afraid.

Even if you could sue him in OK, which is unlikely, you'd need to domesticate the judgement into CT anyway.

The other alternative is to sell your invoice to a collector in CT. There are companies that make a living by buying accounts receivables like that - but I'm afraid they will not pay you any more than half the total at most.

Richard

Answer 2

You could start by contacting your local legal aid society and asking them to help you write a letter demanding payment. If you want to take him to small claims court, you'll need to do it in Connecticut, since he lives there and the contract and work were completed there. If, however, he sought you out in OK and hired you in OK, you could try suing him in small claims locally. It's worth a shot, and it usually doesn't cost very much. The problem is that if you win a default judgment in OK, you'll still need to bring it to a CT court to enforce it.