HELP!! NON PAYING PARENT

[cloud9]

FIRSTLY LET ME APOLOGISE FOR THIS LONG HOPEFULLY NOT CONFUSING POST!
I just wondered really if anyone had had to take legal action against a parent?
I don't take a deposit of the notice period in advance as i feel this can be quite a lot of money upfront. However i do take payment monthly in advance. However my parents pay on the 1st of the month and i was given notice at the end of the month (meaning there fees were due again). Basically the parent defaulted on the notice period.
I came to an arrangement with the parent basically to reduce the bill by half and i gave the parent an extra month to pay. However no payment received!
The parent is also ignoring my calls
The NCMA Solicitors are sending me the claim paperwork but it just seems like such a long hard drawn out process and what with running the business and raising my own children it seems really daunting!

Has anyone been through this and if so what happened??? any advice would be great!

[sarah707]

Poor you!

The only route you have now is via NCMA and yes, it's a long, drawn out process, but hopefully they will get you your money. Sadly there are no guarantees. If he cannot afford to pay it, no amount of solicitors letters will get it from him.

Fingers crossed for you!

[crazybones]

Sorry no advice for you. Just wanted to say best of luck.

[Blaze]

I've Pm'd you!
Blaze

[Pipsqueak]

Wanted to say - stand firm, chin up and good luck.

You are running a business and by the sounds of it you have done all you can to help the parent out.

[cloud9]

I've Pm'd you!
Blaze

cheers for that i'm flat out at the mo (you know how h. terms are!) but i really would like to chat so i will call one evening this week or weekend.!!

Also guys i only just come across this site earlier today and am amazed for your responses already! i can see its going to be a really supportive way to contact other childminders that understand the stresses of the job as well as the joys to it!

[Blaze]

No problem!
It's a lovely forum, really friendly & helpful...but please be careful..your only a basic member at the moment & you've posted quite a lot of personal info on an open forum where anyone in the general public can view it.
Blaze

[littletreasures]

Hope you get your money

littletreasures

[cloud9]

cheers blaze is there different memberships somewhere then??

[cloud9]

No problem!
It's a lovely forum, really friendly & helpful...but please be careful..your only a basic member at the moment & you've posted quite a lot of personal info on an open forum where anyone in the general public can view it.
Blaze

Cheers for the warning i've just edited it all!

[Pipsqueak]

cheers blaze is there different memberships somewhere then??

I would highly recommend looking at the boxs at the top of the page (forum rules, about the forum etc)

[Pipsqueak]

cheers blaze is there different memberships somewhere then??

I would highly recommend looking at the boxs at the top of the page (forum rules, about the forum etc) and in Member Information!


Have a really good browse around as many of the forum questions can be answered.

for the rest of it - gripes, advice, support fun and laughter just go to the relevant sections

[Michelle M]

I have sent you a pm

[angeldelight]

Hope you sort it out

Angel xx

[bubbly]

I really hope you get your money. You're not running a charity and the parents should jolly well pay you what they owe. All the best and let us know what happens.

The parents of the 2 kids I mind (same mum, different dads) regularly default by a few days. It may not seem much to them but it's a big deal to me. I've had to print off a 2nd set of invoices today as they ignored the first and payment is now 3 days late. This time I highlighted a few sections . If I don't receive payment by next Tues (when the NEXT payment is due) I'm gonna dump a late charge on top. I get sooooo angry when I'm expected to look after their kids for free and they waltz into my house with no thought for paying what they owe or my feelings

Ok, rant over LOL

[cloud9]

no i know what you mean bubbly! i know people struggle (as they tell me) with their own outgoings and things but they seem to forget us childminders have bills to! good luck with yours to

[Pipsqueak]

no i know what you mean bubbly! i know people struggle (as they tell me) with their own outgoings and things but they seem to forget us childminders have bills to! good luck with yours to

I know its been said before but so many people think we don't requirement payment - they think because its children we do it for the love of it - bless.

As for you bills - love will pay them!

[ajs]

good luck with this

i did take one family to small claims
well filled in all of the paperwork on line and sent the mum the link she paid up immediately so i can recommend that as a method of getting what's owed.

look up small claims court on tinternet and see what it comes up with
although if you have the ncma involved it's probably better to continue down that route

[Ally]

I know the feeling well - I had a situation just last month. In the end after doing all the running about I did get some money but not all I was owed.
The situation was that the parent gave me notice in the middle of the month during what she considered holiday ( short notice does not qualify she was told and she can't give notice during holiday period) So rather than just paying up for the 2 weeks I offered her to pay she held out on me. I found out from a mutual friend that she was going to go to Ofsted for something which hadn't happened. I insisted on the half payment and got a visit yesterday! Aren't I the lucky one. I had also threatened her with legal action through the NCMA. I know exactly where you are coming from with the drawn out process and running a business and home but stick at it we are all behind you.

Good luck and chin up

Ally

[casey's mum]

Seems like lots of good advice....good luck, hope it works out and you get your money!!

Angela xx