SOUTH KEYS AREA, OTTAWA, ON
Some thoughts /advice needed/ or maybe you have similar experience...

I have a client, whom i serve for 1 and 1/2 weeks, never paid me anything for the service. what to do?

How come?

I am private business daycare. my friend, her neighbor said she is looking for daycare for her 9 month son.

At first, I thought, hmmmm---- i gave away my high chair and baby gates since i got all toddlers now. But well, neighbor is good. And i did not ask for deposit.

She came in my house on Nov. 9th, friday - saying she needed confirmation of enrollment to her case worker, because she is full-time university student. She signed a contract right there and then for childcare from November 9th 2012 to jUNE 30, 2013. She ask for confirmation of enrollment which i issued to her right away.

She called me the next day saying she will start his son officially on Nov. 19, 2012. I said that is fine.

Nov 17, I have my ELECT training with CCPRN and then after the training, I bought free standing baby gate $119 at toys r us and new high chair.

Sunday, Nov. 18, she came in with husband to bring playpen and food/diaper.
She also requested to change the contract date to Nov. 19 until December 14, 2012 since she is done school by the dec. 14th, 2012 and she need only MON-THU as she is off FRIDAY. I said that is fine by me.
No deposit required, just pay me every two weeks.

Nov. 19, 2012 mom drop off baby -monday officicially started. good day
nov. 20, 2012 mom drop off baby - tuesday good day, went to playgroup with baby.
nov. 21, 2012 wed. - husband drop off baby. at 11 am as i was walking home from park, mom called if i got the baby. yes, I do.

she said she is at police station filing a report, her hubby beat her up. don't give baby to dad.

i said i have no right to keep baby from dad. since she is at police station, i said come over as fast as you can, give me copy of police report, or at least some legal documents saying dad cannot get baby.

She did not show up, so the dad came back at 2:30pm. he said he got off work early, so i let him come in to dress his own son, as i was slicing fruits for afternoon snacks. He was fine, we chat about the weather and he left after 10 minutes. I then texted the mom, that her son is pick up by her husband.

and she showed up my door, yelling that i should not have given her son to dad. I said where is police report? I cannot really hold a baby against the dad. the contract was signed as mr and mrs. and no custody dispute.

i told her i have no legal right to hold her baby against the father, unless their is restraining order or court mandate.

by thursday, the baby was absent in my care. she demanded i change our contract to cancel father. but i cannot just change a contract like that. and i give her 3 options:
1. keep contract as it is until they(husband/wife) have agreement
2. change contract by court documents (RO or same document)
3. keep your son with you until you resolve your conflictt with husband.

are their any options i can offer???

by monday nov. 26th, baby is back in my care.
by tuesday, nov. 27th, she drop off the baby and said she will interview a caregiver within the area. she said, at least the new caregiver, her husband do not know the address.

wed. nov 28th, 2012 she text me at 6:45 am asking me to prepare his baby stuff, as she will switch caregiver and need them.

I ask for payment.

She said she had no money, no check, and want all her stuff. she said ask for payment from husband.
She showed up at my door, yelling. I said i need payment, and she said she will call police.

I called the police when she said that, and requested for help, I need help getting rid of a yelling woman in my house. I explained to police that she does not pay me and she has to go out and wait for her stuff outside. The police said, just tell her to go out, and it is like a civil dispute and it is not police matter. [I keep myself compose, and i thought to myself " it will be soon if i lose my patience and drag her out of my house"].

She called police, and she get same answer. She has to get out of my house, and wait there. I got no choice but gave her all her stuff.

And i spend almost $200 for a brand new free standing gate and high chair /{okay thats part of business}/

So i called the husband after she left and told him that his son is no longer in my care. He told me the wife was jailed overnight on wednesday, nov 21, 2012 for assaulting him. [ i said to myself, "no wonder she cannot produce a copy of the police report, if she was really beaten up"]. so they are fighting, don't know who is telling the truth.

Blah, but i just need to get paid for a service rendered.

I hope the next caregiver ask for a deposit, anyone private in south keys area, please do ask for deposit for your protection. I did not ask deposit since she is neighbor [ okay - bad idea]

what else can i do?

report her as non paying client to where?


report her to police as a woman who yelled at me for no reason and i felt intimidated by her demands?

do i report her to CAS as a woman who ask for Confirmation of Enrollment for Nov. 9, 2012 - June 30, 2013 and withdraw his son within 8 days?
[from the husband, he said the CAS was called on the wife because of the assault case against him and her step son]

or totally forget about her?

Do i have a duty to inform caregivers in the area of this non-paying client?

thanks.
angie