My Employer Refuses To Pay My Last Paycheck

Location: California

I’m a college student and this was my first job, so I’m not very familiar with California labor laws or what my rights are. I’m looking for advice about approximately $700 in unpaid wages. I worked at a small deli and the business was recently transferred from the previous owner to his friend. I continued working there after the ownership change because I was promised the same pay.

We used to have an app to clock in and out and there were clear time sheets documenting our hours. But right after the new owner took over, that system was no longer used. There wasn’t even a timecard and there were no cameras in the store. We were instead instructed to communicate directly with the owner through text regarding everything from inventory and problems at the store to our work hours.

During the ownership transition, my first paycheck was still paid by the previous owner. After that, the new owner paid me twice in cash. Then through the store business bank account one time, so I have a bank record showing a payment from that business.

On September 5, I received a text from the previous owner saying that the current owner could not afford to pay us anymore. He told me not to come in the following week and assured me that his friend would pay our last check. Yet I have not received anything.

My only coworker is also in the same situation and is also owed approximately the same amount. We have been messaging the current owner every week asking for our payment. He kept delaying it. Eventually, he said he had nothing left and told us that we could either eat there to deduct the money or take his life instead as he had nothing to give us. I’m not sure what my rights are or what evidence would be useful in this situation.