How businesses can recover past-due debts

March 11, 2014 (Press-News.org) How businesses can recover past-due debts

Article provided by Manfred Sternberg & Associates, PC
Visit us at http://www.msternberg.com

Many businesses sell their goods and services on credit to their customers. Some may have had long-term relationships that are built on decades of prior transactions, and there is complete confidence that each side will deliver on its obligations. Other businesses may be looking to expand their customer base, and take a chance on new buyers in the hopes of developing a more lasting arrangement.

While many of these deals will be completed without incident, there may be situations where debts are going unpaid for a specific period of time. Most businesses simply will not have the time to collect these unpaid debts, and will need to work with someone who will be able to perform these tasks on their behalf.

Businesses need to be very careful about who they hire to pursue their debtors. The companies will have to follow specific procedures, or the debt could continue to remain unpaid. These requirements will begin way back when the original transaction is completed. For example, the parties will have to have a contract that carefully spells out what each side will provide. If this does not exist, it might be impossible to collect the past-due debts.

Once it has been established that the parties did have a contract, it will be necessary to determine the debtor's ability to pay. The parties may discuss a payment plan which can make repayment easier for a debtor that may be experiencing a temporary setback. The parties may also wish to negotiate a smaller one-time payment with the debtor, but the business owners should carefully analyze their ability to recover the entire debt before making this type of agreement.

The business relationship will also come into play when working with the debtors. Some of these companies will want to continue their relationships, and this will require a sensitive and creative approach to the situation. If the creditors simply file a lawsuit, this could potentially lead to serious problems and drive a wedge between the companies, however, this is sometimes necessary in order to collect on past-due bills.

If you have questions about collecting a debt that is owed to you, you should contact an experienced business law attorney in your area. An attorney will be able to analyze the situation and determine if you will be able to recover the money from your debtors. This will allow you to consider all of the potential options that may be available, so that you will be able to focus on other more important issues.

No business owner wants to have to spend time and money chasing down debtors. Your attorney can work with you to create a plan that could potentially minimize your future risks, and which could be extremely beneficial to your bottom line.