Legal Fees
Donation protected
For those of you who do not know me, I have been a sculptor for most of my life. I have spent most of my time working for other shops and studios, only recently taking the daring plunge and opening up my very own shop.
I knew that my first year in business would not show any profit. I was prepared to invest the long, tireless hours and I was fully prepared to eat ramen every night if that was what it took to build a successful shop.
What I was NOT prepared for was the devastating results of trusting the wrong person.
In spite of my better judgment, I took on a project for a neighbor in need that absorbed over a months worth of shop time and cost me a sizeable amount for materials that I paid for with my own money.
While I was promised payment right away, I never received a penny. It wasn’t until two months, and several reminder letters later that I was informed that the client had no intention of paying me for materials I paid for up front or the hundreds of sleepless labor hours.
I did my best to settle this as gentlemen, but now it’s time to involve the courts.
The financial hole that this job represents threatens to close my shop doors for good and that is something I cannot tolerate. However, affording legal representation and feeding the legal system that supports any kind of justice I need in this case also represents a huge financial hole.
This is where I need your help.
Winning the case and getting a judgment against this person is actually the easy part. I documented the project well enough to clearly show my client’s responsibilities. The main problem comes in collecting the actual money that I have already earned.
My lawyer is cutting me deals everywhere he can but he still needs to be paid, along with the private investigators who find all the hidden assets, the court reporter who takes the deposition, and so on.
Ironically, if I had been paid for the job, I could afford all these legal fees.
It is rare that I ask for help with anything (a major failing on my part), but I see the potential of this shop and the idea of it closing down before it’s even had a chance to grow into what I believe it can be breaks my heart. So, I’m overcoming my apprehension and I’m asking for help now.
Please consider donating to this cause and help me to not only keep my shop open but also help to put a stop to a man who feels entitled to take advantage of the talents and generosity of others. I am not the first person this man has taken advantage of but I’m hoping to make him think twice before he tries this again with someone else.
Thank you
I knew that my first year in business would not show any profit. I was prepared to invest the long, tireless hours and I was fully prepared to eat ramen every night if that was what it took to build a successful shop.
What I was NOT prepared for was the devastating results of trusting the wrong person.
In spite of my better judgment, I took on a project for a neighbor in need that absorbed over a months worth of shop time and cost me a sizeable amount for materials that I paid for with my own money.
While I was promised payment right away, I never received a penny. It wasn’t until two months, and several reminder letters later that I was informed that the client had no intention of paying me for materials I paid for up front or the hundreds of sleepless labor hours.
I did my best to settle this as gentlemen, but now it’s time to involve the courts.
The financial hole that this job represents threatens to close my shop doors for good and that is something I cannot tolerate. However, affording legal representation and feeding the legal system that supports any kind of justice I need in this case also represents a huge financial hole.
This is where I need your help.
Winning the case and getting a judgment against this person is actually the easy part. I documented the project well enough to clearly show my client’s responsibilities. The main problem comes in collecting the actual money that I have already earned.
My lawyer is cutting me deals everywhere he can but he still needs to be paid, along with the private investigators who find all the hidden assets, the court reporter who takes the deposition, and so on.
Ironically, if I had been paid for the job, I could afford all these legal fees.
It is rare that I ask for help with anything (a major failing on my part), but I see the potential of this shop and the idea of it closing down before it’s even had a chance to grow into what I believe it can be breaks my heart. So, I’m overcoming my apprehension and I’m asking for help now.
Please consider donating to this cause and help me to not only keep my shop open but also help to put a stop to a man who feels entitled to take advantage of the talents and generosity of others. I am not the first person this man has taken advantage of but I’m hoping to make him think twice before he tries this again with someone else.
Thank you
Organizer
Greg Wosnak
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
