Originally Posted By: wcampbell This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Not when there is no guarrantee that I will get paid.
If the property does not close then the title company is under no obligation to pay the bills. They do it as a courtisy.
If there is not enough money in escrow, then you may not get paid.
-- This Ole House-Home Inspections
William A. Campbell TREC # 6372
Serving the Texas Coastal Bend
(361) 727-0602 (home)
(361) 727-0055 (office)
(361) 229-4103 (cell)
Originally Posted By: wcampbell This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
That might work in other places but I don’t think that it would work here.
In Texas there is no law that says you have to pay bills. The only recourse is small claims court and the you get a "judgement" that says yes you are due the money. Texas is know as being a "debtors state".
-- This Ole House-Home Inspections
William A. Campbell TREC # 6372
Serving the Texas Coastal Bend
(361) 727-0602 (home)
(361) 727-0055 (office)
(361) 229-4103 (cell)
Originally Posted By: jpope This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
On the advice of my attorney, I placed a mechanics lien on a property after the check for my inspection bounced. Without getting into the legalities of a mechanics lien, let me just say that if this had gone as far as a court battle, the mechanics lien (in and of itself) would have been thrown out.
ALL escrow actions came to a screeching halt. I was paid two days after the escrow company was served with the papers. It cost me a total of $35 to collect almost 20 times that amount.
I didn't make any friends, but I got paid. If you want your money, there are ways to get it. I don't care what state you're in.
-- Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
"At JPI, we'll help you look better"
(661) 212-0738
Originally Posted By: jpope This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hey Gerry,
A mechanics lien is not the proper avenue for collecting in the case of a home inspection, but if you play dumb, there isn't anything anyone can do to release the lien for thirty to sixty days.
When the parties involved see their thousands of dollars "frozen," they tend to get a little bent 
Their quickest "out" is to pay off the "pain in the a$$" inspector (that would be me) .
Like I said, I didn't make any friends, but I got paid where I would have certainly been stiffed. I was later told by one of the agents involved that my "client" fell out of escrow and is currently going through a divorce.
Timing is everything.
-- Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
"At JPI, we'll help you look better"
(661) 212-0738