This is a basic demand letter situation. Write a letter outlining your agreement, stating that you were paid only half up front and promised the other half upon their return. Politely state that they have been home over a week and you would like to resolve this as soon as possible. Give them all your contact information, and politely tell them that should you not hear from them to discuss payment in two weeks, you'll have to take further action against them. Send the letter by certified mail with return receipt. Keep a copy of the letter, the certified receipt and the return receipt for your records. If you don't hear from them by your deadline, send a second certified letter giving them another deadline of two weeks and state that if you fail to hear from them, you will proceed to take the collections to small claims court. Again, save a copy of the letter, certified receipt and return receipt for your records. Also make sure that you keep the text message. If they still don't respond, and you've waited 30 days (most states require at least 30 days to lapse before filing a collections suit. You might want to check your state requirements), go file a small claims suit. It usually costs $100.

Small claims like this usually don't go that far. I would hope that as soon as you send that first demand letter, they will sense you are not an idiot and eventually pay you. I see this happen EVERY day.

I don't suppose you have anything in writing that the agreement was for $500 - not even a note on the check they gave you that this was 50% payment for the house sitting? You might end up stuck for the rest unless they pay you willingly.

Keep calling and texting them about it.

Good luck.

Do you have proof of the agreed-upon price? You could sue them in small claims court if you do. Anyway, I would let your friend know that they have not paid you yet and ask him/her to ask them about it on your behalf. Perhaps that will put pressure on them to pay you already.

I've only been paid a partial payment upfront because the man I was sitting for also left me responsible for his apartment building and he left me with emergency funds. I never leave my client's house without full payment. Depending upon where you live, filing a claim in small claims court may not be worth it because it may cost more than what is owed to file and serve the lawsuit.