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May 2005

Don't let worry over late receivables cost you another night's sleep!

SUMMARY: Being able to sleep is priceless, but you can't sleep when you're worrying about payment on a job.

We've been through it many times ourselves, payment is late, they aren't returning your calls, the job is finished, what can you do? Do you have lien rights, when do your lien rights expire, did you have to do a prelim, what if you didn't do the prelim, and so on and so on... Before you know it it's 4:00 am, still no sleep and still no answers.

Now what if we told you that you could get not just one good night's sleep but rather 365 good nights of sleep, for only $74.25? Hallelujah, where's my pillow!

We've located a nifty online answer to your lien law questions. Not only that but the information at your fingertips will so empower you with knowledge that you'll wonder how you ever slept without it.

Click the link below and sleep well...

http://www.thecontractorsgroup.com/aff/LienLawOnline.html
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Get Your Office Supplies Almost As Fast As An Instant Download

SUMMARY: Not only do they give you free shipping when your order totals $25 (most office supply stores make you spend at least $50 to get free shipping) but, in many cities, they can deliver the very same day you order!

Check out some of their current specials:

  • $15 off orders over $150. Expires 5/31.
  • Free Desk Clock with a $25 Purchase. Expires 5/31.
  • Memorex ThumbDrives only $29.98!
  • Free DVD Player with Select Machines!

http://www.thecontractorsgroup.com/aff/viking-office-products.html
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Collect Your Money With A Click Of Your Mouse!

SUMMARY: Can you relate to the delays caused by 1) unapproved invoices resulting from discrepancies, 2) the wrong type of lien release, 3) incorrect lien release amounts, 4) lien release dates that are not satisfactory to the owner or 5) circumstances that you were completely unaware of and not even given a chance to fix? Want to collect your receivables before they're due? Then Druml Group's E-Collection Service may be just the thing.

Click the link below and GET PAID FASTER!

http://www.thecontractorsgroup.com/aff/druml-group.html
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Helpful Suggestions From Our Readers...

#1 - Add your cell phone numbers to the national DO NOT CALL list

Rumor has it that cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies which means soon you may start to receive sales calls on your cell phone. Your service provider may or may not (but probably will) charge you for these calls.

Call this number 888-382-1222 or visit this website http://www.donotcall.gov to register your phone number(s) with the national DO NOT CALL list.

(Note from Diane: You can register all of your phone numbers including your cell phones and fax machines. After you've registered your number(s) with the DO NOT CALL registry, if you receive sales calls on any of those registered numbers you can file a complaint at the same website http://www.donotcall.gov.

It is surprisingly quick and easy to place a complaint at the DO NOT CALL website. Now, instead of calling the number at the bottom of the fax to get my number removed from their database, I file a complaint at the DO NOT CALL website.

They shouldn't be faxing or calling me because I'm on the Do Not Call list so maybe by filing complaints at the Do Not Call website it'll slow these guys down and get them to quit calling/faxing those of us who don't wish to be bothered. Hope Springs Eternal. :)

#2 - An organization in the UK, similar to the U.S. NAWIC

Thank you to Gary France of The Planning Engineers Organisation in London (can you believe it, London! ;) for telling us about an organization in the UK that is similar to the NAWIC here in the U.S.:

http://www.wipnet.org/

#3 - A terrific suggestion from a reader about verifying the validity of an email before forwarding it

We received a great tip from a reader about forwarding those emails many of us get that warn about particular hoaxes or ask for postcards for a cancer patient or tell you that you'll receive X amount of dollars from Microsoft for forwarding the email, etc.

All too often these emails are hoaxes themselves. They're designed to tug at your heartstrings or flare your emotions and get you to react by forwarding the email to as many folks as possible.

One of our readers, no doubt one who has been on the receiving end of these emails more often than she wishes, wrote in suggesting that folks do a little bit of quick research before hitting the forward button.

Jump online to your favorite search engine and search for the text, or a portion of it, that's in the Subject line of the email, or a portion of the text from the body of the email, or even the name of the "victim" that the email is written about, if there is a name.

Almost every time we've done this we have found that the email was actually a hoax. It's sad that there are people out there that do this sort of thing but they do. Again, oftentimes the main purpose is to tie up the Internet by getting folks to forward, forward, forward the email.

Taking just a few minutes to research the email you've received can stop a bogus email in its tracks, which will help to cut down on wasted time and waster Internet traffic, for you, your friends and family, and other Internet users.

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Ask Dave

We have a new addition to our group! David Barnier is a terrific attorney with the Barker Law Group in San Diego (he's our attorney :) and he's answering your questions here in our newsletter! He's also offered to give you, our readers, a free 20-minute telephone consultation to help you with your issues!

To reach David:

David J. Barnier, Esq.
BARKER LAW GROUP
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 682-4842

Be sure to mention TheContractorsGroup when you talk to David, to get your free consultation!

And now for our first "Ask Dave" question:

Q: A tenant of a property ordered some landscape improvements to this property. After they did not pay and I tried for several months to collect I went to the owner who lives in the Bay area for payment. Can I use the regular mechanics lien form for this property or do I need one for an owner who rents his property?

A: I believe that you would use the same mechanic’s lien form but the question that comes to my mind is did you do a preliminary notice when you started the work? Since you were contracted with the tenant, if you didn’t do the preliminary notice then the Owner didn’t have a chance to know that you were present doing work and therefore you may not have lien rights... :( I'm going to send your question to David and I'll publish his response in next month's issue of this newsletter. :)

Send your
question(s) to
"Ask Dave"

TheContractorsGroup.com was created to help construction contractors and other business owners with their day-to-day and on-going administrative needs. Have a great day! :)

Diane Dennis
TheContractorsGroup.com
[why no phone]
866-480-7105 fax
diane@thecontractorsgroup.com


Copyright 2005 ® Diane Dennis Enterprises / www.TheContractorsGroup.com