What would YOU do

6 months ago, I did a job for a new client. They bought a second hand machine that they couldn't get going.
I worked on it for 4 days until it worked perfectly.

Despite several reminders, they never paid their bill.
Then I heard that they had been trading illegally and had done a moonlight flit (run off with everything) I also heard that thieves had been in until nothing was left of the interior of the factory.

I was passing close the other day so I dropped in to see if it was true.
It was more than true. There was nothing left inside. No cables, pipes or removable metalwork or anything of remote value. Everything was sawn or cut off where it entered or exited.
There was no doors on the place and a lot of roofing missing so it was flooded and wet everywhere too.

Then I saw it.
A control panel bolted to the wall.

It had a colour touch panel HMI on the front and when I opened it, a 128 I/O plc inside.

What would you do? Given my story.

I would go to the police and make a formal complaint. I would NEVER take that equipment because it would lower me to the level of those crooks. And that's something I would never want to happen. Be the better man!

Unfortunately, I would be torn (I'm not a better man) do you have evidence that they owe you money? It would be relavent if it were the machine you worked on.

Sadly, the police would not be interested in the fly-by-night company but happy to prosecute you!

If you knew the building owner you could get "Permission" to retrieve "Your" panel.

the panel would be coming home with me!

I wouldnt take the parts. Tempting, but I wouldnt do it.

About the lost payments, then we always demand an LC, or payment up front. Granted our customers are normally bigger firms.
You could ask what normal electrical firms, plumbers, etc. do. This must be a frequent problem for such smaller businesses with local customers.

Odds are the contents of that factory are part of a legal process. I'd guess that there are payroll claims and secured creditors in line ahead of you to divvy up any assests left behind. Before I touched anything in that place I'd find out the legal status. You can probably get the panel back for pennies on the dollar from the legal owner and perhaps cut your losses.

Morally, you have every right to the panel. Legally, probably not. Any dollar value the panel has would be quickly eaten up by the time and hassle if you just took it.

Could you get away with it - probably.

Is it worth it - probably not.

Here's mine... http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=60769 I did end up getting it about 8k USD but took over a year, I never gave up....

I would not take it... as MY luck, I would be the only one caught, the police would be across the street watching and the second I walked out the door I would be in cuffs

Not sure how it works on the other side of the pond... but can you write it off as a loss? I would also contact the local police and see what they say, I know where I live the Sheriff would help me un-bolt it, I live next to the Sheriff station

Best bet, just put it all behind you. Getting stiffed for four days is peanuts in the grand scheme of things. You probably already have more time invested in trying to get paid and worrying about it. As my father would always say, consider it a cheap lesson. I know many a contractor that have been stiffed for 4 weeks + of their time.

Take the time you would have otherwise spent sneaking back in, trying to get it down, pull it all apart, and ebay it/ let it collect dust on the floor and instead rent a boat, bring your lady and a cooler full of beers, and just relax on lake for a few hours.

Listen to Damian, he has good advice
Think of it as a lesson

I love the boat idea too

I've had plenty lessons. My yearly accounts usually have at least one defaulter. Besides the ones that go bankrupt there are some that just don't like to pay.
I have reasoned that in my (our) job, people don't really see anything for their money.
That is if you turn up with your laptop and tools and make the sick machine well again all they see is their former working machine working as normal.
I had my suspicions while working there. All the workforce was foreign and no one could speak English. They were all living rough on site in caravans and such.
The site is a derilict bombsite. The only reason this panel was not taken was 1, it was well bolted to the wall and 2, it was made from that tough glass fibre resin material.
All the cables were cut off but no one saw the value of the electrical parts.
I know the legal and moral implications and I am not a thief. In fact a boss once said to me years ago 'if ever you want something from a site, offer somebody in charge money for it. Then you have bought it in good faith, not stolen it'
I contemplated for a while and walked away, but I walked back and in a moment I had unscrewed the HMI and cut out the PLC.
You can judge me but you have not lost a weeks wages for being brilliant and efficient.
I can't afford to lose money in these times. I have seen my yearly income steadily decline through the dwindling economy and recession.

It's not an excuse for stealing and theft never enters my mind but in this case at least I have something that I can use or sell for recompense

Good for you!

I would take it with me.

What would you do? Given my story.

Click to expand...

Here in the US, I would file a Statement of Claim for Work Done against the property in Small-Claims court (no lawyer required, small court fee). This gives you some legal cover for taking the control panel as partial payment. It would have been better if you had filed the claim first, then removed the panel, with dated photos showing the panel in place, so that the value could be determined, if necessary.

My initial thoughts were that I would leave it in there. After all, I'm not a thief. However, upon more reflection I think that you have done the right thing.

Nobody is going to claim the screen and PLC and the chances are that it will end up being smashed and skipped by the new owners as they'll have no use for it.

You might as well get something for your time and trouble.

Hopefully though this won't be the start of a long and fruitful criminal career...!! ;-)

I think ultimately I would have left it there. I understand your thinking about being compensated, but this isn't how to go about it. With my luck, I would be arrested and charged with theft. Write it off as a business loss and put a claim in against the company. The only way to go. Not fair, but sometimes thats how it goes.