Company bounced check - Advice?

D

dus10

Well-known member
So I shot for someone 2 weeks ago, all week. Had them sign a contract the day before shooting saying no footage will be turned over until full payment is received blah blah blah.

I still have not received payment, but am now getting calls from one of the rental houses that the check this person wrote to rent the P2 cards bounced and they want new payment. How should I handle that situation, and any advice on the money that I am owed for shooting? I was hired by this person to shoot, and only set up the rental, it is all in the other persons name, insurance, and check was all his.

thanks! this is a nightmare.
 
Do you have the footage? What exactly do you have in writing? If the check was Joe Blow's for renting stuff, that really isn't your issue other than it making you look like a jerk for bringing it. Your issue is to get your money. Email the guy, explaining the situation (Even though he likely knows, but doesn't care) . If he doesn't do anything, put the footage away for 90 days. After that, claim it as your own, and cut it into whatever you can as stock footage.

Or Yo, call Vinnie ;)

Or contact an Attorney, and find out exactly what your options are. Chances are, it was a small job, no huge budget? One job I lost out on $40 for tapes , a 3 hour drive both ways, and at least 5 hours on location with somebody who didn't know what they were doing, and not at all prepared. It has been years, and I still haven't seen the "check that is in the mail". Then to top it all off, found I had called him a no paying dipstick online, and threatened to call a Lawyer on me.
 
I have the footage, in writing I have that
"I _______________________________________________ agree to the above Bid for production, and understand that media captured during production will not be delivered nor will editing of media be initiated in post-production until the Final Invoice for production is payed. Final Invoice will be delivered within 48 hours of final wrap of production. "

It wasn't well thought out, I just wanted to make sure I was covered after the fact when I would tell him he gets nothing if we don't get paid. The footage is live events at a college university during their spring fling... and this client is not part of the university. The university personally hated him, but loved us. I have a few hundred out of pocket spent on tapes and hard drives as backup, but the bill is for $6,000. a few hundred are to people that helped out and can live without the money as it was basically favors, but 4500-5000 is for myself, my gear and my partners time in all of this.
 
Pay your rental(s). Now. Your being stiffed is no invitation to do the same. This in no way is their problem, it is yours.
Go collect your money in person.
 
grinner said:
Pay your rental(s). Now. Your being stiffed is no invitation to do the same. This in no way is their problem, it is yours.
Go collect your money in person.
Click to expand...

The rental is our responsibility? The rental was placed by this person, in their name, with their insurance on file and paid for by their business check. They are the production company that asked me to do the shooting.

The rental house has already been contacted and given all information we have on the guy who wrote the bad check and we are working with them to resolve it, but they are no longer holding us responsible. Has it been the opposite for you in the past?
 
dus10 said:
The rental is our responsibility? The rental was placed by this person, in their name, with their insurance on file and paid for by their business check. They are the production company that asked me to do the shooting.

The rental house has already been contacted and given all information we have on the guy who wrote the bad check and we are working with them to resolve it, but they are no longer holding us responsible. Has it been the opposite for you in the past?
Click to expand...

You're in the right, if they paid the rentals and everything is in their name, then it's their responsibility, whether or not you used the equipment. Though if you still have the equipment, you should return it immediately.
 
Make sure any form of payment you get from them before releasing any material is any one of the following:

1. Cash
2. Bank Draft
3. Certified Cheque.
 
The cards have been returned on the day arranged. The rental company has cleared everything up with us, and we have given them any and all information we have on the bad check writer.
 
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