Plant hire debt: get the machine back first

Start with the asset

When a machine is still sitting on a client’s site and the hire invoices are unpaid, cash can feel urgent but the asset is just as important. Every extra day of use can add wear, damage risk and arguments about who had control. For a plant hire business, the quickest protection is to secure the equipment first and then pursue the debt.

A written contract should tell you who can access the site, how disputes are raised and what notice is needed before the other side can claim a problem. Business.gov.au recommends keeping written contracts and putting changes and dispute steps in writing. If those terms are in your hire file, they become your map for the next move. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-a-contract?utm_source=openai))

Move now, not later

Stop further hire immediately and arrange collection now. Tell the hirer in writing that further use is not authorised, set a time for access and ask for a named contact on site. If the equipment is valuable or mobile, include serial numbers and photos so the handover is clean. Keep the message short and dated.

Before anyone turns up, check the agreement for recovery rights, site access terms and any notice to remedy clause. Business.gov.au says contracts should set out what each party does, how disputes are handled and how a hirer notifies work that needs fixing. If the other side later complains, your own paperwork matters. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-a-contract?utm_source=openai))

Source: Official guidance

Check the PPSR position

Then check whether the hire should have been registered on the PPSR. AFSA says the PPSR is the official government register of security interests in personal property, and it can help a supplier get invoices paid or goods back if a customer does not pay or goes out of business. ([afsa.gov.au](https://www.afsa.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do?utm_source=openai))

That matters most on longer or finance-like hires where the agreement may create a security interest. The Personal Property Securities Act sets rules for financing statements and registration timeframes, and the legislation also deals with goods that must be described by serial number in some registrations. If your arrangement falls within those rules, a missing or late registration can weaken your position and should be checked promptly. ([legislation.gov.au](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2009A00130/2024-10-14/2024-10-14/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html?utm_source=openai))

Put the money claim in writing

Once the asset is under control, send a written demand for the money. Business.gov.au says a letter of demand can warn that legal action may follow, and it can be the right next step when reminders have failed. Keep the tone firm and plain. Do not mix several disputes into one vague lump sum if you can separate them. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/finance/financial-trouble/what-to-do-when-you-havent-been-paid?utm_source=openai))

Cover the hire charges, any damage you can prove, and the cost of collecting the equipment if your contract and records support those amounts. Attach the hire agreement, photos, invoices and the last dated communication. If the hirer still says nothing, the record matters more than another phone call. The goal is a demand that can stand on its own. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-a-contract?utm_source=openai))

Close the loop today

Today’s practical sequence is simple: pause further hire, collect the machine, check the contract, review the PPSR position and issue the demand. That order protects the asset before the debtor can make the story messy. If you are missing documents or the site contact is stalling, do not improvise by phone. Write it down and keep the file tidy.

If the file is already tangled, CRP can help you work through the recovery steps and line up the right independent professional support. Call CRP today about debt recovery, bring the hire agreement, serial numbers, photos and unpaid invoices, and use this general information only as a starting point. This is general information only.