Civil Matters:
· Whether it’s buying a car, a computer, or whatever out of the paper, be confident in who you are doing business with. Nothing says you have to buy right then and there. Take a day to confirm what someone tells you. This guy said he worked for a large computer company. I should have checked.
· I should have put a hold on my check when I started having problems and was getting the run-a-round. I waited and he cashed it before I could put a stop payment on it.
· If it gets to the point where it turns out that someone is "Intentionally" voiding a business transaction you have made, document it in a police report. You don’t have to have the cop come out and take the report. You can do it over the phone. But document the incident even if you decide not to go to court. The moron will be listed as a "suspect" or a "responsible" in a civil matter, and if he or she burns someone else down the road, a pattern will have been established and this person will soon be out of business for good!
· If you pay cash, there’s no guarantee you’ll ever see that money again. At least with a check you have some leeway time in stopping payment. As well as permanent records of the transaction. Money orders or cashier checks are also a better idea over cash.
· Get a receipt or a bill of sale. I had a receipt guaranteeing the computer for 30 days. I asked for my money back and I got screwed. But if I ever ended up on the Judge Judy show with good old Allan, he’d be out of luck.
· Landlords, if you rent property or apartments or homes out without doing a CREDIT CHECK, you are asking for the biggest headache in your life! I rented my house out to 3 single young adults that nobody else wanted to take a chance on. One guy had great credit, One was average, and the other guy’s sucked. I made an agreement with the one guy that he would be the primary on the lease and responsible for the rent. It’s been 2 years and not one problem. No late rent. They appreciated the chance I gave them and in return they have been the best tenants that anyone could ask for! (Believe me, I’ve been to hundred’s of civil disputes at work that didn’t have the same happy ending!) Do a credit check! (Would you want Allan to move into your house?) By the way, the eviction process takes forever and it’s a worse experience than being audited by the IRS!
· If you have a civil problem over a purchase, keep a log of phone calls, dates, times, trip’s made, promises that weren’t kept. When it comes down seeking an attorney or taking court action on your own; you’ll definitely have the cards in your favor!
