Rea Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 (edited) How sucessful have any of you been at getting unpaid fee's paid? Last year a family left us owing £217, I wrote but received nothing. They'd moved out of the area and while the move was taking place kept saying 'I'll bring a cheque in next week'. We now have another family who kept saying the same thing before Christmas and now havent been back, they owe £119 from last term and to date £59.50 from this term. i'M MUCH MORE ON THE BALL NOW, WITH A LETTER PREPARED FOR ALL FAMILES REMINDING THEM THAT AFTER 2 WEEKS WITH NO PAYMENT i WILL GIVE THEIR CHILDS PLACE TO ANOTHER (Its in our policy). Is it worthwhile going through the small claims court or would I be wasting my very limited time? Is it something I just need to learn from and put it down to experience? Edited January 27, 2011 by Rea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I think it is worth going through the small claims court - you are rightly owed that money, and as word gets out that you are serious about reclaiming unpaid fees it should deter future non-payers. Have you tried working though different more manageable payment systems such as giving parents more choice to pay smaller amounts more frequently rather than in one lump sum? Just a thought? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 We've just started asking for payments at 2 week intervals, its all written out on the invoices when the payment dates are and how much. Half termly invoicing was bought in by a chair a few years ago and it always worked but now I can see that it was open to too much abuse, although luckily only these 2 families took that route. I've looked at the forms for small claims but it is potentialy costly to us, with recommendations that we take legal advice and get a solicitor as well as time consuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SazzJ Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 This was discussed in a training course I was in and the managers there said they put count court judgements on the families. Goodluck there are always some who'll be late in paying etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 We state that fees need to be paid at the end of EACH week or in advance. Have only had one family who have pushed this to the max and this last week was the second time they have tried to take a liberty about it and even brought me a cheque made out to the wrong people! I just told them either they changed it there and then or they fetched their child after their 3 hour paid for sesssion. Cheque altered immediately. I don't want part of my job to be about chasing parents for money. I think you should try and get the money back!! Good luck x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 we have managed to get all owed monies in by the end of the term...by threatening a solicitors letter! we also add a payment on for administration if payment idsnot forthcoming within a set time period (£20) but this usually does the trick. I have spoken to a debt collecting friend of mine and she pays£5/£10 pounds for a solicitors letter which we would have sent out but the threat of it was enough....go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATurner Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 We are having the same problems and after trying to help these people ie weekly or session payment they are still abusing us. Someone even asked if they could pay in September last week!!!! We threaten with court and normally they appear with some of the money. We would take to a small claims court as these parent know how to use the system and also have like minded friends you need to let them know you are serious about reclaiming your money. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwise38 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 We too are having more and more problems with this. Funnily enough, I have just sent out a letter to all parents today, letting them know that we are having problems with persistent late or non payers and that other parents are picking up this cost. I am hoping they may start talking about it in the queue outside and shame a few people. However, I think some of these people are beyond shame. One parent built up a huge debt last year and eventually only paid it when threatened with reduced hours. SHe is once again building up a debt, yet her children have all the best clothes and expensive birthday parties! Payment plans don't seem to work either, it seems you give an inch, they take a mile. Our parents on plans seem to end up paying nothing. We are just considering ways to get really tough because it just doesn't seem fair on the majority of parents who do struggle to pay on time, even though some of them are worse off. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 maybe a threat of small claims court could be enough.. but if you do go that way i believe it does affect their credit rating and shows up on any credit checks - maybe warn them that this would happen may also have some leverage. Must admit having once been caught out I never was again.. In our case they had a treasurer in place who ever paid any fees for her child even though she should have been paying about £30.00 a week... over a term this of course added up but no one seemed to be checking her .. we only found out when the child had left.. from then I always asked for fees to be checked by someone to ensure al were paying. and I also had the 2 week rule in place and stuck to it rigidly... no payment for 2 weeks we did not take the child until they paid... no payment and we filled the place... we really were finding that it was the parents who could afford the fees were the worst.. those who struggled always paid on time or set up a payment plan with us... it was so irritating. parents soon got the message and we had no defaulters.. we asked for them to come to us if they had issues and we did help those who really needed it... I have taken children with no payment when they are in real need... or reduced nominal fees which they preferred as they were paying something. good luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 When do people issue their fee slips? We are a playgroup and ours are issued at the beginning of each 1/2 term, however we are still chasing some parents 4/5 weeks into the term. We don't have a late payment system, although I feel we should have one - the problem is everyone gets their fee slips on different days as they don't all attend each day - should this be a problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 we did ours like you at beginning of each half term.. but if no money was paid by end of first week we sent a reminder saying than if they did not pay we would not accept their child the following week... was in our policies... usually worked! no payment and I warned them at end of the second week we would not take the child with no payment I was a scary person to not pay fees to! and other staff became very strict to.. we could not afford to have a child stay and not have the fees... a reminder that the staff could not get paid if they didn't pay sometimes worked too.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 We take payment for the month by direct debit on the 1st of each month. Parents are notified by email as to what will be taken. This is the only form of payment we receive. (We are private) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 When do people issue their fee slips?We are a playgroup and ours are issued at the beginning of each 1/2 term, however we are still chasing some parents 4/5 weeks into the term. We don't have a late payment system, although I feel we should have one - the problem is everyone gets their fee slips on different days as they don't all attend each day - should this be a problem? Our system has varied depending on who was treasurer to be honest. I've seen loads of ways over the years. the last treasurer passed almost nothing to me so how much was owing from previous years is anyones guess. At the moment I write the invoices and give them out at the start of each half term, but like you I find some parents arent getting theirs until the end of the first week. Towards the end of this half term I am going to give out the fee's for next half term, that way they've got an extra week. What should I look for in a solicitor so I could at least get a letter sent to the family who owe money? I googled my area and there are loads! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynned55 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 We issue fees at the start of each term. I give out invoices on first day stating that half the amount is due now with the balance due first day back after the half term (dated) majority pay the whole lot in one go with the odd one or two on payment plans. However we only have 4 parents paying this term as the rest are funded and will have none next term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Spooky! We are in exactly the same position as Lynned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I get SO cross when I read about parents abusing the system by not paying their fees I know there are cases of genuine hardship that we all attempt to help with but as times are hard and finances get tighter for us all this is just not fair! When attending a theme park or concert wrist bands are fitted when you hand over your ticket. Perhaps a similar system could work - give the family a pass or wrist band on receipt of funds which they have to bring to each session... NO PASS, NO ENTRY!! Surely even the most shameless of non-payers would balk at being refused entry in front of all the other parents!? If I have late payers I remind them that not paying their fees (in advance as per the terms of our contract) renders the contract invalid, therefore their child is not covered by my insurance in the event of an accident so I can't/won't provide care for them... Works wonders! Good Luck, hope you get your late/non-payers sorted soon! Nona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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