The only way an independent contract can get money owed him or her is by suing: to win, you'd have to prove that there was an agreement to pay you a certain amount and that you fulfilled your obligations (i.e. did the work). This would be a breach of contract suit, even if the contract was just the oral agreement that you'd do certain work for certain pay. If the company had been an LLC or corporation, you would sue the company, regardless of who the owner currently is (i.e. old owner or new), because the obligation to pay you was with the LLC or corporation. If the company you'd worked for had been a non-LLC partnership or a sole proprietorship, you'd sue the owner(s) you'd worked for, since in that type of organization, they are responsible for the debts.