Replying to Kid won't pay up for webdesign work, options I have?

I know there are a few people in here who make their own money, and with that being said.

How do you deal with folks who don't pay? Or do pay, but bounce their check, and become incredibly hard to get ahold of?

This person is local, so at this point I am thinking of going to small claims court.


Here is a story
Guys pays me, then says he stops payment on the check because the bank tried to clear it for $2600, when it was only for $260. My bank said fuck that, non-sufficient funds on the check, here is a digital copy, and the original is on the way back. This is all happening Tuesday, and he says well i can go to the bank and get the cash like you request (at this point i said no checks, this is not an option) and you can stop by after class. Im like sweet, sounds good.

Half way through class I get a message from him, but it is his girlfriend claiming that his lung collapsed again (this appears to be some sort of re-occurring problem with him), and hes been taken to the E.R., and to not stop by tonight (why couldn't she just give me the cash?)

Wednesday comes and he says alright I will get to the bank yada yada, get the cash now that I am out of the hospital and I promise tomorrow i will have the cash and get to you.

He e-mails me this morning claiming that he can meet up with me after I had other things to tend to today, after 4pm that is. I've since went to his house (not there), called multiple times to his "office" which is just his basement. E-mailed and yes, even used facebook since he has made that an all to popular method of getting ahold of me.

He is usually on facebook all day, he hasn't been, but hes been sending me messages on there, making me thinks hes on, just leaving chat offline because we have literally wrote back and forwarth messaging nearly instantly, but why couldn't he just get on (or call me).

Everything points to him not being able to pay.