IT guys get a reputation for being meek and nerdy, but not this one.

In this story, a small business owner gets back at a bad client by pulling the plug.

Let’s lien in…

Try to stiff me? Get a mechanics lien

The Job

I was starting my side business doing IT work for businesses, and had some some successful jobs for a few companies.

I found word of mouth was the best way to gain new clients because entrepreneurs tend to network with other business owners.

Tony was one such client who had heard I had done some work for another client and called to see if I could help.

His company’s needs were to stop using a semi-accounting service that they had been paying a percentage of their profit to process payments, purchase orders, and billings/receivables.

He brought in an accountant to work on a new product (pretty well-known).

They wanted a server to be accessible remotely, and had already paid their ISP for a static IP for the server but needed the actual server, redundancy UPS, and firewall device.

Sounds like a regular install, but is Tony full of bologna?

I explained that for the product they had we could probably set up a workstation and not a server and it would run approximately $3500 total.

I said it would be easy but no, the owner wanted a full-blown server system with all the bells and whistles.

He explained that he would likely be using the server for a CRM and a few other systems later on.

The setup

Overall the entire cost for the system would be $8000, not including a few other services that needed annual billing (VPN/Remote service).

Equipment cost was $7500, my labor charge was $500. UPS was $1500, Server was $3800, “refurbed” firewall (CISCO ASA) with programming by a 3rd party specialist was $1800, and a spare rack was $400.

I got my contract signed, put an order with my distributor (I have net 45 setup with them) and the firewall specialist and got to work 1.5 weeks later when the firewall came in last.

At least there’s a contract…

I finished the job on a single weekend, and got everything up and going after a call to the ISP whom did not like the firewall appliance I installed.

For some reason they had to tweak things on their end and finally allowed the traffic to go through once more.

I confirmed function with the owner who verbally approved and was happy.

The AH Move

I sent my invoice promptly on Monday.

Left it as in, they had 1 week to pay.

When I saw no reply, or payment after 4 days I messaged Tony and asked if they had received my invoice.

To my surprise, he replied the server was not working, and proceeded to call me and tell me that the whole thing was a total waste of money and I should have never done the job.

Did our IT guy do bad work?

I of course apologized and informed him I would be on the way to fix whatever the problem was.

When I got there, they refused to let me in to see the server claiming they had someone coming over to fix my mishaps.

At that point I informed them they still needed to pay for the equipment, and we could maybe discuss my labor after I figure out what’s going on.

Tony refused to let me in, and was pretty upset.

Or is Tony going back on his word?

The advice

At this time I was pretty upset too.

2.5 weeks had passed since I ordered my equipment and my distributor needed to get paid within 45 days.

I was getting very nervous and was thinking of taking it to small claims court until talking with a friend who informed me I could pull a mechanics lien.

I informed him this was for IT, and he stated that a mechanics lien where I live can actually be pulled on various industries and IT was one of them.

So I started the process to fill out and file a mechanics lien on Tony’s company.

Much to my surprise, there was no court date.

All I needed to do was provide considerable proof to clerks, and later to the constable.

Sounds like the mechanics of this mechanics lien are working in IT guy’s favor.

The Revenge

After filling out the mechanics lien and serving him notice, I once again gave him the opportunity to the pay the $8000 owed.

By this time I had spoken with my distributor and he switched my account from Net 45 to Net 90.

He refused via phone call, and got him on text.

I took the information I had and went to the local constables, who, after seeing the mechanics lien and proof, set up an appointment to meet me at the place of business to take back my server, UPS, and firewall.

I went in on Tuesday, which I had learned was the day the accountant came in to start the week.

Constable and I arrived at 7:30 am right on opening time.

At first they refused entry until Tony came by and was informed I was enforcing my mechanics lien and would be taking back my equipment.

He immediately got riled up and claimed I could not take the equipment because a new person had replaced it all.

The constable asked if I had serial numbers and models for the equipment which I did.

We go in and find my server, UPS, and firewall all in the exact same way I left it.

The server showed it had been online for the entire time, no real changes were noticed and as far as I could tell no one had worked on it.

The serial numbers matched, so maybe Tony was a serial liar.

Tony began to chuckle when I shut the server down, and says, “How are you going to take the system when it’s BOLTED TO THE GROUND?! Bet you didn’t think about that did you, you idiot!”

He did not realize that rack mounted equipment is not permanently attached to the mount.

I guess he thought he had me beat because it was all one system that you cannot take apart and not something that was put together.

His jaw dropped the moment I removed the server loaded it onto the cart after removing a couple of bolts.

He started panicking and started telling the constable that he would sue him if he didn’t stop me.

The constable simply stayed calm and ignored the owner.

I guess after a bit he informed Tony that he needed to get out of his face and step back, but when Tony refused to back down the constable undid his holster’s safety harness and put his hand on his firearm.

Uh-oh, things might get ugly. Like Tony’s face.

Tony’s face was exquisite.

Full of fear, and eventually a dawning sensation that this was going to happen one way or another.

At first I did not understand why he was so riled up and now had a panicked face like his world just collapsed.

I wrapped up my server/UPS/firewall and left the rack.

True to Tony’s word undoing the bolts proved difficult to impossible with the tools I had, so I told Tony he could keep IT for the new server he tries to set up.

It didn’t take more than 2 hours before I got a call from him stating that he had talked to his attorney and he would be suing me for damages and I would be going to jail for trespassing.

I informed him he did not pay for the equipment, his equipment was repoed, thus there was nothing to sue for.

As far as trespassing, I was serving a mechanics lien with a law enforcement officer, thus it is not trespassing.

He then starts hemming and hawing about how he needs to bill clients because he hasn’t had revenue in a week.

But his accountant can’t do anything because she has no access to the accounting software and they have no copies.

I informed him it was not my problem, I would NOT be giving access to the server nor data contained and he should have paid for the equipment instead of trying to screw me over for $8,000.

He then offered to pay me if I could install the server back the same day, but that ONLY if I did it that same day otherwise he’d find someone else.

I informed him that our original contract was null and void.

Take that, Tony.

I would be returning the equipment to my distributor but first I had to wipe the storage by DOD standards, which means 0% chance of recovering files unless he somehow had NSA level funds.

He starts freaking out, and resorts back to what he usually did: threatens to bring a lawsuit against me, make my life a living nightmare etc.

So I hang up and text him I am going to proceed to delete his data that evening and that I was NO longer interested in working with him.

Good-bye and good luck.

More advice and the real revenge

He called me at least 50 times.

I just silenced my phone and had a talk to my friend later that night, the friend whom had given me the advice.

He then tells me why I was returning the equipment, if I had the ONLY copy that has EVERYTHING from client names, contacts, phone numbers, billings, receivables etc.

He asked me, how much revenue did the company generate? I informed him I was taking a wild guess but it was somewhere in the ballpark of $58,678.21 for the last month.

He laughs and tells me, why don’t you charge them double the price to get his equipment back, and have him pay you cash before you start?

He was right, I was taking my petty revenge and walking out with $1800 in a firewall I had to pay in advance, and a $500 unpaid labor charge.

Why not take it a step further, get sweeter revenge, and get paid a fat stack of money.

A second chance at a bad first job.

The following day I messaged Tony.

I apologized for the way I behaved yesterday, it was not professional. Unfortunately your bad attitude and attempts to screw me over got the better of me.

I tell him the server has not be wiped yet.

I would like to reconsider a new arrangement so we can salvage this sour experience and turn it into sweet honey.

I ask, Are you interested in working with me to get your equipment back?

I must warn you it will be extra, since I would be doing double the work.

Let me know.

Tony immediately called me and immediately his combative ways came up.

Some people never change.

I knew you would change your mind and come crawling back, yes I want everything back but I am only paying $8050 and not a dime more.

The $50 is me being generous to give you a 2nd chance to do things right.

I immediately informed him that I still have all the equipment, and in fact it would only take maybe 20 minutes to complete the job.

However I had a different idea in terms of the price.

The new price was $15000 to be paid cash.

He immediately starts yelling and hollering.

I keep talking and inform him he has 2 weeks to decide if being able to get paid by his clients is worth it.

If not, the equipment was going back and that would be that. No hard feelings.

I hang up.

About 2 days later I get a call from Tony informing me he agreed to the new arrangement, to please set it up and install it ASAP.

I tell him I can go Friday but I would need to be paid $15,000 CASH before I even unload a single bolt from my vehicle.

He agreed.

I could hear a lady talking, telling him he needs to get this resolved because they had not had revenue in nearly 2 weeks.

This was on Wednesday.

On Thursday I get a call from his daughter, who is apparently the accountant and the lady who was telling him to resolve it!

Hopefully this apple falls pretty far from the Tony tree.

She is cutting a check and needs to know my name.

I inform her I would not be accepting checks, and I had told Tony specifically it would be in cash.

She says ok and asks me if the amount of $12,000 was correct.

I once again correct her, and inform her the correct amount is $15,000 cash.

She said in satire, “Of course it’s $15,000, I will go make the withdrawal and have the money ready tomorrow.”

Get that IT money!

Sure enough Friday morning, true to her word, she and Tony were there with $15,000 cash.

I counted it in front of her and Tony.

She makes a comment saying that I was a lifesaver because they could not go back to the service they used before to get paid, and they urgently needed to get some PO’s sent out.

I placed it in my vehicle, locked the glovebox, and unloaded the equipment.

True to my word, it took me 20 minutes to place the server, firewall, and UPS inside the rack mount.

Connect the cables.

Power on the server and asked them to test it out when they get a chance.

If anything was wrong, to not contact me and to have a good day.

See ya never!

(I actually had tested it out already before I left their “server” room, despite my pettiness at times I am still a professional).

Sounds like Tony definitely got the worst end of this bargain.

Serves him right.

Let’s see the comments.

One person says the poor daughter is the one who suffers.

Another says this serves as a cautionary tale.

This person says the revenge is TRULY professional.

And another user agrees…

And this person says, keep your friends close… especially when they give you good revenge ideas!

Mess with an IT guy and his servers, and you’ll get served!

Everyone should know that by now.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.