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A payment request is a tool of so-called soft collection and a way to settle the matter with the debtor amicably. It is a requirement to take legal action. Sometimes we have to deal with an unreliable contractor and we need to recover our debt. Such a request should fulfill several functions. First of all, the existing obligation and its amount should be stated. A deadline for payment should also be set, as well as information about the consequences of missing the deadline. The issued payment request should clearly state that the indicated consequences are credible and will occur if no settlement is reached to end the dispute.
What must a payment request include?
1. Details of the letter's creation and location
2. Creditor details - including company name and address
3. Debtor details – company address or name and surname, address
4. Indication of the basis for the payment obligation (contract, invoice, etc.)
5. Amount of the liability and final payment deadline
6. Bank account number for payment
7. Creditor's signature
8. Additional important information, e.g. actions that will be taken in the event of non-payment within the set deadline
The deadline for repayment of the debt is set by the creditor and may be of a specific length. It is important to take into account the time needed for the transfer or, for example, public holidays. The most common deadline is 7 or 14 days from the date of delivery of the request for payment to the debtor. In turn, Article 455 of the Civil Code states that if the deadline for performance is not specified, nor does it result from the nature of the obligation, the performance should be fulfilled immediately after the debtor is requested to perform it. Article 476 states that the debtor is in default if they fail to fulfill their obligation on time, and if no deadline has been set, if they fail to fulfill their obligation immediately after receiving a request from the creditor. However, this does not apply if the delay in fulfilling the obligation is the result of circumstances for which the debtor is not responsible. In the case of an open-ended claim, default interest may be charged. However, it will only be charged after the deadline stated in the payment request has expired.
A typical payment request may look like this:
PAYMENT REQUEST
I hereby request you to pay the amount of ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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In the event of non-payment, the case will be referred to court proceedings, which will expose you to additional costs of statutory interest and litigation costs.
The regulations do not limit the number of pre-judicial requests for payment that can be sent to the debtor. The method of sending them has not been regulated either. However, it is advisable that the letters be sent to the debtor by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt. The first benefit is the seriousness of the letter. The second is evidentiary value for the court.
It is important to remember that the debtor does not acknowledge the debt by simply receiving the payment request. This is important because if the claim is time-barred and the case goes to court, the debtor can raise the statute of limitations as an objection and the money will not be recovered.
For many entrepreneurs, sending a pre-court summons to a contractor can be an uncomfortable situation. Often, it is really difficult to write such a letter because there are no generally available rigid templates for such a letter. However, it is worth taking the time to draw up such a document, as it is often a good way to urge the debtor to pay and is more effective than electronic methods such as e-mail. This way, you can get your money back, and a well-written reminder is the key to success. It's not really that complicated, but it's important that the letter is carefully written and contains the most important information, such as the amount to be paid, the deadline and the method of payment.
It is important to remember that if someone owes us money, before we take them to court for payment (even if the payment deadline indicated on the invoice has passed), we should first send a payment reminder, as we need to give the debtor a last chance to avoid going to court.
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