Legal Question in Civil Litigation in District of Columbia

Contractor Payment

I am an Independent Contractor who provides bookkeeping services. I just completed a job which had a written contract. The services under the contract was that I would provide data input of banking data into quickbooks. I did just that. Now the client is questioning the invoice stating that the amount billed is too high. I charged the contract rate of $18 an hour. I provided a description of the work completed within the invoice. I am at a loss. Can the client question the amount if I have provided a description and hours worked? The contract DID NOT address how descriptive the invoice needed to be....only that the client would be invoiced weekly.

HELP...I think the client is trying to reduce the invoice or may be trying to not pay at all!!!!


Asked on 9/22/05, 3:33 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: Contractor Payment

Your first step(if not already taken)should be to send a letter demanding payment by a date certain for all amounts due and owing with notice that failure to remit by that date will leave you no alternative but to initiate court action.

Then, if the above fails to produce the desired result, file your case in small claims court if your damages are $2000 or less or in the general district court if they exceed that amount.

The above recommendation assumes that you do not wish to turn the matter over to a collection agency and that you prefer to handle it yourself.

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Answered on 9/22/05, 4:14 pm
Jonathon Moseley Jonathon A. Moseley

Re: Contractor Payment

Can they question your invoice? Outside of court,

of course, people can do all kinds of things,

even if they are wrong. So, unfortunately, the

only way to answer the question is in terms of

what would happen if you had to take them to

court. In my experience and under the law yuo

would have little trouble winning if you can

show that you did the work. Most judges in

Virginia will readily award a business or

contract the full price if they show they did

the work, regardless of whether the client

objects to how it was done, etc.

Furthermore, I know those kinds of people. My

advice is to find other clients, get as far away

from those people as you can, and then sue them

for the money. You are probably wasting your

time trying to reason with that kind of mentality.

I doubt it is enough money to justify a lawyer,

but I only charge $110 per hour if I can help you.

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Answered on 9/24/05, 11:05 am


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