cue the Pink Floyd cash register
Back in 2010, I was approached by a flower company to write their spring 2011 catalog. They asked for a quote and were delightfully surprised how affordable I was going to be. I, in turn, was eager to prove to this new client I would be worth the investment. Given a specific deadline, I turned the project in under budget, five days early. When no revisions hit my inbox, I billed and waited for my check.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
When it hit 90 days past due, I hit them with a past due penalty and attempted to phone my contact, who was happily boating in the Caribbean according to his facebook posts.
120 days.
150 days.
180 days.
This was getting ridiculous. Dave suggested talking to his lawyer friend, who drafted a letter on my behalf regarding the delinquent bill.
Then I get a phone call, from the president/owner of the company. He spun a homemade tale of financial woe in order to persuade me to drop my case. I swear I could hear his thumbs sliding up and down is suspenders. He said, "we declared bankruptcy before the season, so we didn't even use your copy." He cut-rated me to $500 to drop the case. Then he tried pulling the small town I'm-just-an-Andy-Griffith-type trying to feed my family, to which I replied "so am I sir, so am I." He then threatened that if I went through with litigation, the chances were high I wouldn't see a penny. Facing a dwindling payout of $1600 to $500 to $0, I was simply furious, and replied "you'll be hearing from my lawyer."
Talking to my lawyer, he said it was good I didn't accept the cut rate because then they could write me off as a entity they owed less than $1000 to.
Over the course of the next three years, I received a ream of paper from the attorney's office, a play-by-play of court proceedings as the company was dismantled. It was a legal soap opera of who was getting what, who was getting shut out. It was made very clear that my stake was minuscule compared to the lawyers, suppliers, IRS, and the family. I was last in line. By mid-2013, I was pretty sure I was getting nothing and most of the paperwork I received in 2014 did nothing to change my mind, with wording that equated to "if there was anything left, I would be getting 5 cents on the dollar the amount owed." A lousy nickel!
In September, around my birthday, I received a letter stating that as of October 14, the case would close permanently. As 10/14 came and went, I decided to accept it was over and while I won a case, I lost since I saw no money.
Then I got a letter in the mail today, along with a check for $48 or 3 cents on the dollar.
Getting such a paltry sum should seem like a loss, but for some reason, I'm treating it like a victory. I am proud of the job I did, knowing I gave them my best writing. I didn't back down, I stuck up for myself when the suit tried dismissing me. And once I received the check, I immediately alerted my lawyer, with the promise of paying him his 30% cut, or $15, because while others may do shady business, it's important that I conduct business with integrity.
What to do with $33? I want to do something with it to make the investment last well past expectations. Practicality won, and I took advantage of a year-end deal in order to get new glasses and oontacts. I got a very glamorous pair of new glasses for under $40. Since my last pair lasted 10 years, I would say that was a very wise investment in my payout.
No comments:
Post a Comment