When an employer won't pay...

[Silkspinner]

So there's this guy nearby who runs a small business, a green house/nursery, who I was hired to help with a few local plant shows.

He doesn't pay... and he doesn't pay... and he doesn't pay. Finally I corner him and say I need my pay. He asks if a few hundred will tie me over, and grudgingly I accept.

That was six months ago. He won't even return phone calls any more and never seems to be at home when I go over.


So is there anyone I can contact, in the U.S., to report him to, or at least try to bully him into giving what is owed? And no, I don't mean a loanshark kinda deal, someone official.

Now, there is no paper trail, he'd just use me for a few days and then tell me he'd pay me soon. Signed no document.

[Traab]

Unfortunately, I think this comes under legal advice, so im not sure if we can tell you anything without getting into trouble. Know that you arent alone though. I have been stiffed by under the table bosses too. Being able to prove what he owes you is going to be freaking annoying.

[pendell]

So there's this guy nearby who runs a small business, a green house/nursery, who I was hired to help with a few local plant shows.

He doesn't pay... and he doesn't pay... and he doesn't pay. Finally I corner him and say I need my pay. He asks if a few hundred will tie me over, and grudgingly I accept.

That was six months ago. He won't even return phone calls any more and never seems to be at home when I go over.


So is there anyone I can contact, in the U.S., to report him to, or at least try to bully him into giving what is owed? And no, I don't mean a loanshark kinda deal, someone official.

Now, there is no paper trail, he'd just use me for a few days and then tell me he'd pay me soon. Signed no document.

There should be an authority in your state that oversees this. In California it is the labor board (http://www.labor.ca.gov/). I had an employer who refused to pay my wages. I took this to them and got a judgement to take what I owed from him plus interest. I would then have had to get the local sheriff to actually enforce this writ.

For further advice, I recommend checking out an attorney specializing in employment law (http://www.peterhartemploymentlaw.com/).


Respectfully,

Brian P.

EDIT: Brian P. says this is the correct information: department of industrial relations (http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/dlseWagesAndHours.html)

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: That's about all people can say here, I think. You want legal advice on how to collect a debt. People can't offer that here.