# Trying to reduce Invoice



## brm1109 (Sep 17, 2012)

So I had put in a bid to remove 15 yards of branches and broken limbs from a property and the bid was approved.
Went and did it and took a photo of the truck (20 yard) 3/4 full.
Now I received an email stating that I need to submit more photos because the photos don't justify 20 yards or reduce my invoice to 10 yards. This was my response, see what happens.

" The photos show that the truck is 3/4 full, a 20 yd truck 3/4 equals 15 yards. Also this bid was submitted and approved for the given amount. Sorry but we DO NOT reduce invoices after the job is complete".


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## thanohano44 (Aug 5, 2012)

brm1109 said:


> So I had put in a bid to remove 15 yards of branches and broken limbs from a property and the bid was approved.
> Went and did it and took a photo of the truck (20 yard) 3/4 full.
> Now I received an email stating that I need to submit more photos because the photos don't justify 20 yards or reduce my invoice to 10 yards. This was my response, see what happens.
> 
> " The photos show that the truck is 3/4 full, a 20 yd truck 3/4 equals 15 yards. Also this bid was submitted and approved for the given amount. Sorry but we DO NOT reduce invoices after the job is complete".


You my friend are a gentleman and a scholar.


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## TNTSERVICES (Apr 12, 2012)

Depends on what your bid stated. If you bid hauling away 20 yards and you only hauled 15, you should adjust accordingly. If it was a flat rate to clean up the yard, then screw'em.


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## brm1109 (Sep 17, 2012)

The original bid stated 15 yards as did the approval. This is why I am mostly out of this crap.


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## SwiftRes (Apr 12, 2012)

I think what TNT is saying is that even if the bid is approved for say 20 CYD, and only 15 CYD is removed because it was over estimated, then technically they would have grounds to reduce the original bid.

If I call "1800GOTJUNK" to my house and their estimate says it's going to be 2 loads hauled, and they end up fitting it all in one load, would you pay for 2 loads since it said it on the bid?

In your case, sounds like this isn't the case, though, you really did remove 15.


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2012)

Does the photo you submitted make it unequivocally clear that the truck was 3/4 full? If there's any room for doubt, I could see them wanting a couple more.


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

Most tell me they count debris at property ,not whats on the trailer


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

SwiftRes said:


> If I call "1800GOTJUNK" to my house and their estimate says it's going to be 2 loads hauled, and they end up fitting it all in one load, would you pay for 2 loads since it said it on the bid?


Maybe.....

Depends on what the contract says.

Does it say, up to 2 loads?, or I agree to pay for "actual" loads hauled?, or is it a flat contract amount for$***x and up to 2 loads?


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Take the debris back to the property, dump it back where it was before and let the ball bounce back to them. They decided to decline what they approved, so can you.


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## Tom Stuble (Sep 17, 2012)

:thumbsup:


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## RichR (Sep 22, 2012)

GTX63 said:


> Take the debris back to the property, dump it back where it was before and let the ball bounce back to them. They decided to decline what they approved, so can you.



I believe this is illegal to do in most states


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

RichR said:


> I believe this is illegal to do in most states


Not sure how.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

That would be an interesting case.

"Your honor, I decided I didn't want to pay this contractor for removing my debris pile, so he brought it back and left it."


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

*Just wait til you get to the other end*

Wanna see that 10 yards turn into 25 yards? Take it to the local transfer station.


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

They want more photos? Send them a photo of the approval, and a photo of the lien.

Good Luck
Dave


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

DavidC said:


> They want more photos? Send them a photo of the approval, and a photo of the lien.
> 
> Good Luck
> Dave


VERY well said Dave....


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## TNTSERVICES (Apr 12, 2012)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> Not sure how.


Illegal dumping.


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## RichR (Sep 22, 2012)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Illegal dumping.


Correct. Once you load it in your equipment it's considered yours. Dumping it out then becomes illegal dumping. My cousin owns a dumpster company and he had a homeowner that refused to pay. He dumped the 30 yards of household debris out. on their driveway. Unfortunately it backfired on him and he had to clean it up.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Letting common sense fall out of the window, because it doesn't apply when dealing with FAS, the issue here is with a Regional trying to stick it to the contractor, not a homeowner. I have no problem sending a crew back to return items to the property when a client operates in bad faith.


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2012)

SwiftRes said:


> I think what TNT is saying is that even if the bid is approved for say 20 CYD, and only 15 CYD is removed because it was over estimated, then technically they would have grounds to reduce the original bid.
> 
> If I call "1800GOTJUNK" to my house and their estimate says it's going to be 2 loads hauled, and they end up fitting it all in one load, would you pay for 2 loads since it said it on the bid?
> 
> In your case, sounds like this isn't the case, though, you really did remove 15.


If he bid for two and it took three would he get to bill you extra? The sword has to cut both ways.


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## SwiftRes (Apr 12, 2012)

Yes, it would probably work out that way. As others have said, it does depend on how it was written, but most likely a place like that wouldn't have a "not to exceed" written into it. Now I've been a project manager on some projects where we hire someone for $50,000 to come out and do a list of deliverables, and it's written as a "not to exceed", but still could be less than that if it doesn't take as long as anticipated. But on something like debris removal, that's probably pretty rare.



Metro M & L said:


> If he bid for two and it took three would he get to bill you extra? The sword has to cut both ways.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

No when dealing with Regionals like this the sword does not cut both ways. He must honor the bid he submitted. No matter if his sub is a doofus and undercounted or didn't see it all.


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## BamaPPC (May 7, 2012)

GTX63 said:


> No when dealing with Regionals like this the sword does not cut both ways. He must honor the bid he submitted. No matter if his sub is a doofus and undercounted or didn't see it all.


That's kinda what I was going to say about the sword cutting both ways. It doesn't cut both ways with the regionals. If you bid 20, and remove 15, they want to cut the invoice to the removed amount. If you bid 20, and then find its actually 25, tough cookies. You are still required to remove all debris for the bid amount.

Now, I actually had this happen, I bid 72 cyds of debris at a property. They waited about 6 months to get around to approving the bid. In the mean-time, scavengers have been all over this place removing anything metal, or of any value at all. When I show up to perform the trash out, there's approx 25 cyds left. Being the good soldier I am I adjusted my invoice appropriately. But, the processor at the regional sends me a note saying that there doesn't appear to 72 cyds at this property, it only looks like 34 cyds to her, send her more pictures to prove its 72. :blink: WELL!, As politely as I could, I said; "If that's all you think is there, then I'll agree to the 34 cyds, I don't have any additional pictures. Please process the invoice."

I was paid for 34 cyds. Go figure. :thumbup:


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## Guest (Apr 30, 2012)

All depends on bid verbiage. 

Bid is to remove 20 yards of debris from exterior yard at x amount per cubic yard

VS

This bid is a flat fee bid to remove 20 yards of debris from the exterior at x amount


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## Guest (Apr 30, 2012)

I think the point the company is making has to do with picture of debris on truck showing it 3/4 full. Who is to say or certify it was empty before it arrived at that address?. Not saying it was not..just saying from my experience with my dump truck I sometimes show up to cart some junk off with some stuff from the last job I did in the bed..Like I will tomorrow..couple of old kitchen cabinets in there and I am going to knock down a concrete wall.


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## Guest (May 8, 2012)

I run across this in some cases.

What happens in my case is, we have an eviction and put out 30 yards.

Looters take 5 yards and the next set of before photos show 5 yards less than what we originally bid.

If the photos show the same amount of stuff, well, that's dirty pool and I wouldnt take it.


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## Guest (May 11, 2012)

We had this happen a few weeks ago on a BATF. I absolutely HATE BATF but there was a violation at the property and we really had no choice (we did try to bid but it was "denied"). Of course there were hazards sitting outside. We uploaded both the dump receipts for the debris as well as the hazard dump receipt. Our trailer holds 15 cu yds. It was 3/4 full. We invoiced for 12 cu yds as well as for the hazards that we were charged individually for. Client came back with "adjust your invoice to 10 cu yds and remove the hazard disposal line item). After much hemhawing around, I finally had to adjust the invoice to 10 cu yds and did remove the hazard disposal fee (or risk 0 bill) and I also put a note on the invoice that we would no longer do BATF, that we would require approval before any work would be done going forward. I knew it would happen and they certainly didn't disappoint me. 

GRRRRRR


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

No good deed ever goes unpunished.


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