Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in California

I sent a bill to a business I have worked for several times but they changed and paid a different amount than what I billed. I had been working on previous jobs for them at one rate, but worked on one job at a substantially lower rate as a favor to get their new business running. I worked on 4 other jobs afterward, billing them at my normal rate, but they changed all 4 bills to reflect the substantially lower rate. I tried reasoning with them, but was told that I had to take the lower sum or they would hire someone else for future work. I already undercut others that do my work. Do I have any recourse? Complicating this issue is that there are several intertwined relationships which can be damaged which are not directly tied to this matter but are aware of it.


Asked on 10/14/09, 2:00 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Bryan Becker Becker Attorneys

Was any of this reduced to writing? Did you have a contract in place specifying which job would be paid what amount? I am guessing you did not. That being said, you may be able to force the issue and litigate the matter to receive the difference (depending upon the amount at issue, small claims court may be appropriate) but at what cost? If you you retain an attorney to recover the difference, I doubt they will work with you again, but would you want to anyway? By billing them at a lower rate for just one project, they now value your work only at that reduced rate. If you think your work is worth more, sue them for the difference and find new clients who will pay you what your worth.

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Answered on 10/14/09, 3:21 pm


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