Legal Question in Business Law in Florida

Re: Bad debts

An EXCEEDINGLY BAD idea. If you were follow through with this very bad idea, expect to be sued, and expect to lose.

Re: Bad debts

(This is not legal advice)

I would strongly advise against placing an advertisement or notice in a local newspaper identifying debotrs to your business as you certainly do not want to expose yourself to liability for defamation.

That being said, if you are in a business which statutorily allows for such action (i.e., owner of self-storage facility, etc.) then you may proceed. However, I would certainly proceed with caution unless you are certain that you are in a business where such actions are protected by statute.

Re: Bad debts

Do you really want to show your other customers that you would do this, even if it were legal. Take legal action if you have to, and have give fair warning to the customers. That is how business is done.

Re: Bad debts

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No, not without serious risk of being sued. There is a case in which a business owner posted the picture of someone who had created a problem at their place of business (similar to a wanted poster) and got sued. The business owner lost and had to pay substantial monies to the other party.

Your best bet is to simply send a notice to the party and then file suit in a court of law. If the judgment is subsequently reported by the local newspaper, then the debtors will have to deal with it.

Scott R. Jay, Esq.