‘Bad money management?’: Property investor roasted for tradie pay complaint

A property guru has been roasted online for complaining that a painter “immediately” wanted payment after finishing a job.

A property investor has been roasted online for complaining that a painter “immediately” wanted payment after finishing a job late on a Friday night, suggesting the tradie had “bad money management”.

Mike Higgins, founder of US property investment coaching firm 7 Figure Flipper, has been roundly attacked after sharing his ill-advised whinge on social media.

“Painter finishes job at 7.38pm on a Friday night,” he wrote in the post on X, which has been viewed more than eight million times as of Sunday.

Painter finishes job at 7:38pm on a Friday night.

Immediately wants payment (check)

What’s your move?

Seems like every single time, they need a check immediately after the job is done.

Is it bad money management? pic.twitter.com/bv7KEkjF8x

— Mike Higgins (@meetmikehiggins) August 10, 2024

“Immediately wants payment (check). What’s your move? Seems like every single time, they need a check immediately after the job is done. Is it bad money management?”

The post included photos of the freshly painted blue house and a screenshot of texts from the painter.

“We finish,” the contractor wrote. “Do you think I can have my checks today? Tomorrow I’m going to Chicago and I won’t be there until Monday.”

Mr Higgins was apparently not expecting the vitriolic response to his post, which sparked a flood of mockery and criticism all weekend, including from other contractors.

“Pay the f**king guy, Mike,” one user said. “WTF is wrong with you? Why are you even posting this? You hired him, you pay him when the job is completed.”

Hundreds of comments expressed similar sentiments.

Property investment coach Mike Higgins. Picture: Supplied

“So the guy stayed late to make sure the job got completed? Sounds like he should get a tip for overtime as thanks,” wrote former baseballer Seth McClung.

“Not waiting. This is ass-backwards way of thinking. A check? Come on, man, have cash ready for that guy. It seems more like you’re unprepared than he is unreasonable.”

One user noted Mr Higgins was “having them spend unbilled time to meet you one last time simply to collect payment and that’s the issue here”.

“Time has value, for both you and him,” he said.

“So while it’s not too big a deal for a job finished on a Friday night to wait till Monday, it’s a best practice to be there when the job is complete and pay promptly if you can.”

One user sarcastically wrote, “Cashier finishes ringing up groceries at 7.38pm on a Friday night. Immediately wants payment. What’s your move?”

A similar comment said, “Finished meal at 3.44pm on a Saturday afternoon. Waitress immediately wants payment (cash or card). What’s your move? Seems like every single time, they need a check immediately after the meal is finished. Is it bad money management?”

‘Is it bad money management?’ Picture: X

Podcast host Hannah Cox said, “I always pay people as soon as a job is complete or as soon as I’m paid out above them. This is poor money management on Mike’s part and also super classist. If they’re working for you on a Friday night, you can take one minute to cut them a check on a Friday night.”

Tracy ‘Beanz’ Diaz of UncoverDC said: “This did NOT go the way this dude expected.”

One contractor said he would allow a customer “a few days to pay if I know them and have done a lot of work for them.”

“But ‘bad money management’? What a dumb thing to say,” he wrote.

“We’re a small operation and that means we are doing bids and estimates, handling money in and out, buying materials, tools, managing vehicles and repairs, and doing most of the contracting work ourselves.”

Brian Beers from That 1 Painter wrote, “As someone who owns a painting company. We also want payment upon completion.”

Another said, “As a plumbing contractor the longer I wait for payment the harder it is to get it. I try to get paid as soon as job is completed. Investors are notoriously hard to get a hold of after job is completed.”

A few people chimed in to defend Mr Higgins.

“I have no idea why you’re getting so much flack, Mike,” wrote one mortgage broker. “Work gets done, inspection is needed to see if everything was done correctly. Then they get paid — easy as.”

In the wake of the outrage, Mr Higgins went on a posting spree defending himself.

The painter finished the job on Friday night and wanted payment. Picture: X

“Follow up! Before you blow a gasket, we are meeting up Monday morning,” he said.

“I have no intentions of NOT paying. Just always find it funny that I get a text ‘can I get a check’ literally out of no where. Had no clue the job would be done tonight and didn’t think it was unreasonable to wait till the morning or Monday.”

He insisted paying on Monday was “reasonable” as it was the next business day.

“If a job is finished at 8pm on a Friday … payment on Monday (the next business day) is very timely,” he said.

Mr Higgins then doubled down, insisting the painter hadn’t done him any particular favour. “When people are paid by the job, why should they get overtime?” he said.

“I did find it inconvenient.”

But he conceded he “probably could have written [it] better”.

“Everyone … took this out of context, and it went nuts,” he said.