Stop Financing Your Customers’ Backyards. It’s Time to Mow Down Your Bad Debt.
The “Sweat Equity” Trap.
You are in a labor-intensive industry. You pay for fuel, equipment, mulch, and payroll upfront. When a customer doesn’t pay, you haven’t just lost profit—you have physically paid for the privilege of working on their property.
In the Green Industry, there is a massive divide between “Mow & Blow” maintenance and “Hardscape Design/Build.” Each requires a different recovery strategy.
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Residential clients often treat the final invoices of the season (October/November) as “optional,” ghosting you until Spring.
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Commercial clients (HOAs and Property Managers) use you as a bank, stretching Net-30 terms into Net-90.
You need a collection partner who understands that a lien works for a $20,000 patio, but a polite nudge works better for a $50 lawn cut.
The 3 “Weeds” Choking Your Cash Flow (And How to Pull Them)
1. The “End-of-Season” Ghost
This is the most common metric killer in lawn care. Customers pay diligently from April to August. Then, as the grass goes dormant, so does their communication. They skip the final two invoices and the leaf cleanup bill.
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The Nexa Fix: We use a Step 1 (Fixed-Fee) campaign timed for the “Winter Gap.” We send diplomatic reminders in your name during the off-season. It signals that you are professional and paying attention, ensuring they clear the balance before they dare call you for Spring cleanup.
2. The HOA & Property Management “Shuffle”
Commercial contracts are lucrative but dangerous. Property Managers change, boards vote on budgets, and your invoice gets lost in the shuffle.
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The Nexa Fix: We bypass the “help desk.” Our B2B commercial collectors know how to navigate the corporate hierarchy of management companies to find the person who actually cuts the check (the Treasurer or Controller).
3. The Hardscape “Workmanship” Dispute
You built a $15,000 paver patio. The client pays the deposit, but refuses the final $5,000 draw because “one stone looks slightly different.”
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The Nexa Fix: This isn’t just debt; it’s a contract dispute. We document the signed completion certificate and photos of the finished work. We effectively strip away their excuse, forcing them to pay or face a hit to their credit that could jeopardize their home equity.
Serving Lawn Care Companies Nationwide: Contact us
Q&A: Protecting Your Turf
Q: Will sending a residential client to collections ruin my reputation in the neighborhood?
A: Not if you use the “Soft Touch” method. Neighborhood word-of-mouth is your lifeblood. That is why we recommend Step 1 (Fixed Fee) for residential accounts under $500. It utilizes polite letters and emails that look like a billing office escalation, not a scary debt collector. You recover the funds without becoming the villain on the neighborhood Nextdoor page.
Q: Can’t I just file a Mechanic’s Lien?
A: For hardscaping (construction), yes—but deadlines are tight (often 60-90 days from last work). For maintenance (mowing), most states do not allow liens. If you miss the lien window, or if the debt is for maintenance, you need a collection agency to enforce the contract personally against the homeowner.
Q: How do we stop “Route Density” loss?
A: When you fire a non-paying customer, you lose route density. By recovering the funds diplomatically using a third party, you often save the customer. They pay the debt to save face, and you can keep them on the route (on a pre-pay basis only).
Pricing & Services: The “Seasonal” Waterfall
We structure our fees so you don’t lose your margin on small residential accounts.
Step 1: The “Off-Season” Nudge (Fixed Fee)
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Cost: ~$15 per account.
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Best For: Residential balances $50–$400; End-of-season ghosts.
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Strategy: Five contacts (Email/Mail/SMS) sent in your name. It looks like your office manager is just being thorough.
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Benefit: You keep 100% of the recovery. Perfect for cleaning up the ledger in January.
Step 2: The “Service Suspension” Demand (Fixed Fee)
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Cost: ~$15 per account.
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Best For: Clients 90+ days past due who are ignoring calls.
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Strategy: Formal demand sent in the Agency Name.
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Benefit: Signals that their credit score is now at risk.
Step 3: Contingency Collections (Commercial & Construction)
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Cost: ~33% – 40% (No Recovery = No Fee).
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Best For: HOA defaults, Commercial Property Managers, High-dollar Hardscape disputes.
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Strategy: Skip-tracing owners, locating assets, and intensive negotiation.
Step 4: Legal Action
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Cost: ~40% – 50% Contingency.
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Best For: Large commercial contracts or hardscape projects >$2,500 where a lien failed or wasn’t filed.
Recent Results: Green Industry Recovery
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Landscape Design Firm (Colorado) – The “Change Order” War
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The Scenario: A homeowner approved $12,000 in “verbal” change orders on a retaining wall project, then refused to pay the final bill, citing “budget overruns.”
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The Solution: We placed the account in Step 3. Our team collected the text message history and site logs proving the homeowner authorized the changes.
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The Result: Faced with the documented proof and imminent credit reporting, the homeowner settled for $10,500 (87% of the claim) within 20 days.
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Lawn Maintenance Franchise (Florida) – The HOA Lag
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The Scenario: A Property Management company fell 120 days behind on 15 different HOA accounts, totaling $38,000 in unpaid maintenance fees.
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The Solution: We bypassed the property manager and sent formal demands to the Board of Directors of each HOA via Step 2 (Agency Demand).
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The Result: The HOA Boards, unaware bills weren’t being paid, pressured the management company. Full payment of $38,000 was released within 2 weeks.
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Independent Mower (Ohio) – Winter Cleanup
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The Scenario: 45 residential customers owed small balances ($40–$150) from the end of the season. The total was only $4,500, but it was pure profit.
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The Solution: A bulk Step 1 campaign in February.
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The Result: Recovered $3,100 directly to the owner. The cost was roughly $675 in flat fees. He recovered his winter cash flow without making a single phone call.
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Ready to Prune Your Ledger?
Stop letting unpaid invoices eat your profits. Whether it’s a $50 mow or a $50,000 commercial contract, NexaCollect helps you get paid for the work you’ve already done.
Need a Collection Agency? Contact us
Let your office manager focus on routing and scheduling, not chasing checks.