Off topic: delayed invoice
Thread poster: Bram Poldervaart
Bram Poldervaart
Bram Poldervaart  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:31
Member (2002)
English to Dutch
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Aug 29, 2017

I forgot to send my invoices to an agency in Germany. They tell me now that they cannot pay for jobs done before August 2015. Is that correct?
thanks Bram


 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:31
Danish to English
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The general statute of limitation is 3 years in Germany Aug 29, 2017

See https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verjährung_(Deutschland) .

The general statute of limitation is 3 years, and the clock only starts ticking at the end of the year in which the claim arose:

"Die regelmäßige Verjährungsfrist beginnt, soweit nicht ein anderer Verjährungsbeginn bestimmt ist, mit dem Schluss des Jahres, in dem der Anspruch entstanden ist
... See more
See https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verjährung_(Deutschland) .

The general statute of limitation is 3 years, and the clock only starts ticking at the end of the year in which the claim arose:

"Die regelmäßige Verjährungsfrist beginnt, soweit nicht ein anderer Verjährungsbeginn bestimmt ist, mit dem Schluss des Jahres, in dem der Anspruch entstanden ist (§ 199 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 BGB) und der Gläubiger von den den Anspruch begründenden Umständen und der Person des Schuldners Kenntnis erlangt oder ohne grobe Fahrlässigkeit erlangen müsste (§ 199 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 BGB)."

As far as I can see, the law only takes effect if something else is not agreed, so you'd need to check if anything has been agreed with that outsourcer.

That still doesn't prevent them from paying you, even when the limit is reached, at which point you can no longer oblige them to do so. If they refuse to pay, it's because they don't want to, not because they can't.
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Paulinho Fonseca
Paulinho Fonseca  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 10:31
Member (2011)
English to Portuguese
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Of course this is not right and fair play Aug 29, 2017

Bram Poldervaart wrote:

I forgot to send my invoices to an agency in Germany. They tell me now that they cannot pay for jobs done before August 2015. Is that correct?
thanks Bram


This is basically their best/worst way to declare dishonesty.
Shame!!!


 
Angela Malik
Angela Malik  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:31
German to English
+ ...
How did that happen?! Aug 29, 2017

I find it astonishing that you managed to forget this until now...

 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:31
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Is it worth so much? Aug 29, 2017

Angela Rimmer wrote:
I find it astonishing that you managed to forget this until now...

I'm also struggling to understand how something can have been left for so long yet is now sufficiently important to chase.

You're dealing with a business, one that closes its accounts each year. I imagine they assumed you had already closed your book on this affair. Legally, it seems they have no option but to accept the invoice, but I wouldn't expect them to be anything other than very disappointed to have all the extra admin.


 
Andriy Yasharov
Andriy Yasharov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 15:31
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
My case Sep 14, 2017

In 2013 I did several translation jobs for a Warsaw-based agency. I didn't send them an invoice because they had a rule stating that I had to reach a certain amount before the agency could pay me. So, for some reason, and because I didn't reach that amount I stopped working for them and it was only in 2017 that I was looking through my old records and decided to send the invoice for the jobs performed in 2013 tо clear my conscience. I didn't think I would be paid, but to my surprise, I got paid... See more
In 2013 I did several translation jobs for a Warsaw-based agency. I didn't send them an invoice because they had a rule stating that I had to reach a certain amount before the agency could pay me. So, for some reason, and because I didn't reach that amount I stopped working for them and it was only in 2017 that I was looking through my old records and decided to send the invoice for the jobs performed in 2013 tо clear my conscience. I didn't think I would be paid, but to my surprise, I got paid within a week or so.

[Edited at 2017-09-14 11:44 GMT]
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