Employer refuses to pay me

[Lily1334]

I was hired as a graphic design intern through Craigslist by someone who was just starting their business. I was hired as a paid intern, but she said the wages would be lower because of a "learning curve". There were no contracts signed but I gave her my social security number and license information because she said she needed it for tax/employment purposes. I have all the emails we exchanged as well.

She paid me for two websites I did and she put me on another project about a week later. It wasn't related to her business, but she asked me to take pictures of her son's drawings and edit them on Photoshop and put them on a poster that she'd sell on Etsy. I made the first poster and she never responded to my email after that. She told me she was busy so I continued editing pictures until about a month later, after I realized she never contacted me.

The pictures were available in Google Drive the whole time in case she needed them. I emailed her almost three months later checking in on her and she didn't respond. I sent her another email a week later asking for payment, and she refused, saying I blew her off and didn't respond to her emails. I forwarded her the email she never replied to as proof that I responded to every one of her emails and she never replied to mine.

I kept a log of how many hours I worked on just one project and it went way beyond 40 hours. I calculated how much I should be paid based off of what she paid me for the first project I did. The total for what she owed me came to $250, and this was for working on the poster project and another project she gave me at the same time as the poster project. I had a lot of unanswered questions and I couldn't make much progress without her answers, which she never gave.

I did get a lot of work done on the poster project and I sent her what she needed on the paper project, but she said she wouldn't pay me until I completed the projects. I obviously quit and I deserve to get paid for the work I did, but she said she wouldn't pay me. She never said she'd pay me when I got the projects done, she just said she'd pay me per project. I'm thinking of taking this to a small claims court, is this a wise thing to do and how expensive would it be?

 

[army judge]

You have probably been scammed.

Your identity may have been compromised, or even stolen.

You gave her the keys to your life, your drivers license and your social security card information.

I suggest you do a Google search of the person you say that hired you.

By the way, legitimate companies don't hire by simply exchanging emails and text messages.

They also don't hire you as an intern and offer nebulous piffle about your wages.

You might even check your credit report and see how many credit cards she's opened (or tried to open) and living high on the hog off of your hard work.

Stay away from Craigs List.

The whole damn thing is NOTHING but a scam.

If you want a job, find one at areal company, not some fake scam on the internet.

Oh, you could sue her in small claims, but as she's a fake, you won't find her, and if you did, she's broke, on meth, probably parole or probation for other crimes, and she can't or won't pay the judgment.

 

[Lily1334]

I have her business info and I know where she lives (I went to her house once to do some work), so I know where to find her and I know her name and phone number. It was stupid of me to give her my information like that, but if I take her to small claims court, I just want to make sure I would be getting paid for the time I put in working for her.

 

[cbg]

It can't hurt to run your information past an attorney and see what they recommend.

 

[army judge]

I have her business info and I know where she lives (I went to her house once to do some work), so I know where to find her and I know her name and phone number. It was stupid of me to give her my information like that, but if I take her to small claims court, I just want to make sure I would be getting paid for the time I put in working for her.

You can sue her or anyone you want.

You have to prove she owes you.

If you do, you get a judgment.

That judgment will then have to be perfected.

Don't think that because you saw where she claims to live, she'll pay the judgment, just because its issued.

Most small claims cases never get paid.

Google "small claims YOUR COUNTY STATE".

Most small claims courts will provide instructions on how to file.

As I said, I doubt that you'll ever se ea penny of what that creature allegedly owes you.

Better check your credit report.
If she didn't pay you, why did she require it?
Then, did she ever require you to complete an I9 form?
How about IRS forms (W2)?
If none of that was completed you weren't employed, even though you believe you were.

 

[Lily1334]

I did see that part about how small claims courts rarely pay out, so I don't know if it'd be worthwhile to open a case if I don't get paid. I'm not sure what to do beyond this point though, if I don't open a case in small claims.

I was only working with her for a month, and she asked for my info a few weeks before she stopped responding to me. I never filled out any forms but I thought that she was in the process of getting everything set up, guess not. She's responding to my messages now but she says that it's apparently harassment if I keep bugging her about it. I just want to get paid, but maybe I'll ruin her reputation anyways.

 

[army judge]

I did see that part about how small claims courts rarely pay out, so I don't know if it'd be worthwhile to open a case if I don't get paid. I'm not sure what to do beyond this point though, if I don't open a case in small claims.

I was only working with her for a month, and she asked for my info a few weeks before she stopped responding to me. I never filled out any forms but I thought that she was in the process of getting everything set up, guess not. She's responding to my messages now but she says that it's apparently harassment if I keep bugging her about it. I just want to get paid, but maybe I'll ruin her reputation anyways.

You need to let thsi go.
If you start trying to attempt to ruin a bad reputation, it only comes back on you.
Come on, its not like you didn't know that Craigs List is a scam.
Sheesh, don't waste your time on that site, people get KILLED doing things off of Craigs List.

Bottom line, you can try taking your case to the wage and hour baord.
But, you aren't really an employee.
She said you were an intern, no doubt a legal fiction, nonetheless, you knew you weren't an employee.
So, sue her, file a complaint with the labor board, or let it go.
At any rate, we're done here.
I'm closing this thread.

Thi isn't a court, and we need not argue your case here.

Its pointless to do so.