Tricky Clients

[RMorrison]

I would be very careful about reusing any of that "cannon" letter without legal advice. Depending on the state you are in, an attorney might just laugh, or even take action against you. There are civil causes of action that exist in some states (e.g. "theft by deception"), which don't exist in other states. Copyright infringement claims would have to be filed in federal court ($$$) and not something you probably can do yourself, unlike small claims court. In many, if not most, states, mechanic's liens are available only to licensed professionals. You should be careful of threatening someone with a criminal complaint. In most jurisdictions, threatening to report a crime (even if the crime is valid) in order to get a payment is extortion. In other words, this letter could get you in as much (or more) trouble as you are trying to avoid. Don't write a letter like this without legal counsel. Far better to have an attorney write it, if necessary.