reclaiming fees

[patevans]

how do I go about taking a parent up court to reclaim fees? Not using my insurance company!

[madasahatter]

Our preschool has recently successfully taken several non-payers to the small claims court. It cost £35 per submission and if they award in your favour the 'loser' (for want of a better word) has to pay that cost. So if you win it costs you nothing. As a result we have just had to draw up an arrears policy (we had never had anyone not pay before). Before going to the small claims court we wrote to the parents 3 times. 1st to remind them of the arrears, 2nd a stronger reminder with threat of small claims court and 3rd to tell them to expect a summons (all very politely worded!). I don't know what we had to supply as supporting evidence to our claim as it wasn't me that dealt with it but I'm sure your local court will be able to give you information.
Every one of our claims was found in our favour and they all paid up, except one who waited until the last day before we were going to appoint court bailiffs and that would have meant them having to pay an extra £55 (not to mention losing all their household goodies). The surprising thing was that this was a reasonably well to do family.

[ajs]

google small claims court and process through there if you need to

do you not think you're going to get it any other way

[squiggle]

i'm going through this at the moment. i made an appointment at the citizens advice and they said for me to use ncma first as i had paid for them to help with legal matters.

to be honest i have had a claim pack through from solicitors who will be dealing with it from ncma and it all seems very long winded and is going to take months.

your citizens advice will be able to give you leaflets and they said they can also help you will applying to the courts.

i have had to shown i have tried to contact the parent, phonecalls, text meaasges, letters etc.

if you need anything else, pm me and i will try to help but it is very long winded :(

Jen x

[Chatterbox Childcare]

If you are paying for insurance why not use it? MM pay you anything up to £300 owed and then they persue it with the parent

[patevans]

If you are paying for insurance why not use it? MM pay you anything up to £300 owed and then they persue it with the parent

They dont persue it with the parent i quiered (sp) it with them x

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have a childminder friend who got £160 from MM but that was last year so maybe it has changed

I would still use the insurance legal department if I had paid for the service

Good luck

[patevans]

I have a childminder friend who got £160 from MM but that was last year so maybe it has changed

I would still use the insurance legal department if I had paid for the service

Good luck

They will pay me the money but the parent gets away with it which I am not happy about as it makes me look stupid! I am told to send her a letter stating that the fees will be claimed via small claims court and then nothing happens! Dont see the point in having contracts if they get away with not paying :angry:

[Schnakes]

Im going to start this process to - same reason as Louise - I dont want this woman to think shes got away with it - especially as she has done it to another childminder since. :angry:

Sx