How can I collect $ owed to me by a non-profit?

[sarahmarie]

My child was a part of a team at a non-profit sports club. As members, we were required to prepay for all of our meet fees. The club ended up having to discontinue their competitive team and cancel all meets after I'd already paid the $650 for meets fees. This happened in November of 2008. They told me I'd be paid back for the fees by April of 2009, then by the fall of 2009, and so on. I haven't seen any payment from them at all. Now they won't respond to any of my attempts to contact them regarding the money. How can I get them to pay back the money they owe me? (I have many emails between us in which they acknowledge the debt).

 

[fredrikklaw]

Suing non-profits is no different than suing an individual or a for-profit company and they don't enjoy any special legal protection, so you can basically go ahead and sue them in a small claims action, but be very careful when it comes to service of process.

Non-profits are registered with the state government and formed as 501 (c) (3) corporations and have (in majority of cases) pre-allocated Registered Agents for service of process. So just find out who the sports club's registered agent for service of process is, and then serve him or her. If there is no agent appointed for this corp or you cannot find the registered agent, you may serve the secretary of state as agent for that corporation.

Good Luck!

fredrikklaw