Met History wrote:

> A few months ago I asked for a referral on a collection agency.
> Nobody on the list had any suggestions, probably because you just send
> out your big brothers with a baseball bats.
>
> Having only two big sisters, I have used the firm below, and they have
> been completely professional, and quite helpful:
>
> Mark Zanders
> Performance Source II, Ltd.
> 5233 N Elston Ave, Suite 201
> Chicago, IL  60630-1642
>  773 / 205-8000   ext.202
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> They take a third.  In my case, it was money well spent.  My sisters
> play tennis.
>
> Christopher

Chris,

Any collection that gets results is worth knowing about and I will put
Mr. Zanders on file. In construction the vig is usually 10%, but you get
what you pay for and any of the collection agencies that I have ever
looked at I have felt not very comfortable with and therefore have never
used them. It is a touchy subject and a potential tarnish on one' s
reputation if the collection agency selected turns out to be a couple of
goombas working out of a dinner in Queens. Seventy percent is certainly
better than zero. Contractors also have other routes, such as mechanic's
liens. It also depends on if you are trying to collect $2,000 or
$200,000. On the higher amounts it is usually a very good and expensive
lawyer that is needed. I know a very good and expensive construction law
lawyer if anyone needs one. The biggest pain-in-the-ass for collections
that I know of is being a subcontractor trying to get money out of a GC
doing public work for NYC. It is not always the GC's fault... most often
it is the city bunging up the paperwork. It rarely helps in these cases
to send out the big brothers with baseball bats as the GC's more than
likely have a few busloads of big brothers and the city system, like
germs adapting to antibiotics, adjusts to thwart the bad guys but rarely
if ever to assist the good ones.

Thanks,
][<en

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