Donate to Lou's Urgent Rent and Car Fund

Hi, I'm Lou Piccinetti, a professional musician living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My situation has prompted me to do this. I don't feel comfortable, but nevertheless, I have exhausted all of my options. My car, a 2015 Kia Soul which I have nicknamed "The Money Pit," is at the core of my problem.

First, a brief history. Up until January of this year, I have been a Music Teacher and Professional Musician. The pandemic killed my business. I have never recovered from that event. In 2019, my income from Markee Music in Deerfield Beach, Florida, for music lessons was $20,000. I also had a performance class every Sunday which generated between $16,000-$18,000 per year. This does not include any shows or private lessons. I was doing very well. My performance class ended on March 15th, 2020. My birthday, actually. Last year, 2024, I made $7,500 at Markee Music. I stopped teaching music in January 2025 as it was no longer financially viable. My full-time job is now an Uber driver as it fits with my performance schedule.

I live with my girlfriend of 6 years, and we share expenses. Her business, Home Cleaning, is down 45% right now. I have been paying the bulk of our bills.

Now to the problem... My Car

We have been making our expenses, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we are behind. Every month I spend $1,200 on car expenses. I am paying for repairs I have done since 2023. Those are some of the documents I have posted.

Car Payment: $234

Car insurance for both cars (I pay all of it): $500 per month

$310 per month for financed repairs from 2023 at 134% interest

$352 per month for financed repairs done this month at 89% interest

Last month alone in out-of-pocket repairs and towing: $1,200. Yes, I have AAA but used all of my service, so it was $150 to tow my car 12 miles. On top of all of that, the car was out of service. Can't work and drive for Uber, so I made considerably less money the last two months. This month alone, the car was laid up for 10 days.

To keep my car on the road, I have repaired and replaced countless items only to be told just 2 weeks ago that I should not pursue any new repairs and replace the vehicle. The car was now exhibiting intermittent power loss due to faulty catalytic converters and the car having 170,000 miles. The repairs would be thousands of dollars.

So all that money down the drain. It is summertime, and my usual schedule of 6-10 Tribute Band shows per month is down to 1 this month.

After all of that, I need a car. So I got one through a friend who works at a dealership.

That cost money on top of all the other money. I do have a reliable vehicle now.

The Problem! All of this has put me so far behind that I will not have my rent money.

I also have a mountain of other bills, medical and equipment purchases from last year. $10,000 in total. However, I just need to pay my rent. I drive Uber about 10 hours every day that I'm on the road trying to make up the difference. This month I will fall short due to not having a vehicle for a third of the month and my playing schedule at 1 show.

I know this seems trivial compared to many of the other GoFundMe campaigns. Thank you in advance for your consideration. If required, I have much more documentation to verify my situation. I posted all that they will let me.

Thank you,

Lou