Friday, January 18, 2008
If A Door Closes, A Window May Be Opening
A quick update about my job: I'm on a temporary (?) hiatus until the guy I've been working for can pay me what he owes me. I asked him to pay me before Christmas, and he was able to get me a check for my October (that's right, OCTOBER) wages right before the holiday. I called the bank to verify funds (he bounced a couple of checks to the web designers, if you recall, and I thought it might be prudent to verify the check would clear) and the bank told me the weren't sufficient funds. Great. So I called my client to tell him and he assured me that he had just made an ATM deposit that likely wasn't being reflected by the bank yet and that my check was good. So I deposited it based on his assurances. It took about a week, but then it came: the notice from my bank that the check bounced and I was assessed a $15 fee. As a result, a big check I had written to my credit card wasn't fully covered and my credit line was tapped (I pay off my credit card in full each month and I don't carry a balance on my credit line - it's just there to protect against just this sort of situation). Of course I called my client again to inform him. He told me he was meeting with his bank to clear things up. Whatever. After the meeting a few days later he told me he would be able to send me a check for a little less than the full amount for October, and the following week another check of the same amount would be sent, which would then cover October and some of November. I got the first check and again called to verify funds and yep, you guessed it, the bank said the check wouldn't clear. At this point I've about had it. I called my client to share this bit of information and he was quite snippy when he said that the check would be covered by his credit line and to go ahead and deposit it - it's good. Not trusting him, I drove all the way to his bank - quite a distance, actually - so I could cash the damn thing. I got to the bank and presented the check for cashing and YET AGAIN they tell me there are insufficient funds and they can't cash the check for me. Not even from his credit line. Now I'm pissed. I call my client from the bank and he acts pissed and asks to speak to the manager. They talk and she agrees to cash the check for me. The teller and the manager are all giving me signals that this is typical for this account. I'm encouraged to require cashiers checks for my payments from him. By this point I'd already sent him an email informing him that I would prefer cashiers checks at this point and that I would no longer accrue hours on his behalf until I could be brought current. He owes me just over $2k. After I was able to cash the first check that total is now down to just over $1500. Remember he said I'd get two checks, one right away and the other the following week? Well, the "following week" was this week - it's Friday and I have no check. It's total bullshit. Mr. Chick, my in-house attorney, is ready to file suit suing him for the money he owes me. I'm not quite ready for that step yet, but I'm certainly no longer working for him until I'm paid in full.
In the meantime, the web designers I worked with and who hired me for a small freelance writing job have invited me for a lunch meeting so we can "chat" today. They're so cool they've even specifically told me I could bring Lauren along. I'm very curious about what they want to chat about. I'm hoping it's more part-time freelancing type projects. After we made the lunch date they called me to invite me to another event - they're finalists as Business Of The Year and the award presentation is happening next week at a luncheon in downtown Portland. Bill Rancic - the first Apprentice from Trump's show - is the keynote speaker. I was invited to join the web designers at their table at this event. I feel very flattered to be invited and have already made arrangements for childcare so I can attend. What an opportunity to network! So, today at lunch should be very revealing, I hope, as to what all this wining & dining is about. At least, I feel like I'm being wined and dined. Hopefully this turns into a great opportunity for me.
Where one door closes (see first paragraph), a window usually opens (see last paragraph). Good things may be brewing. We'll see. In the meantime, wish me luck in collecting on my outstanding wages.
In the meantime, the web designers I worked with and who hired me for a small freelance writing job have invited me for a lunch meeting so we can "chat" today. They're so cool they've even specifically told me I could bring Lauren along. I'm very curious about what they want to chat about. I'm hoping it's more part-time freelancing type projects. After we made the lunch date they called me to invite me to another event - they're finalists as Business Of The Year and the award presentation is happening next week at a luncheon in downtown Portland. Bill Rancic - the first Apprentice from Trump's show - is the keynote speaker. I was invited to join the web designers at their table at this event. I feel very flattered to be invited and have already made arrangements for childcare so I can attend. What an opportunity to network! So, today at lunch should be very revealing, I hope, as to what all this wining & dining is about. At least, I feel like I'm being wined and dined. Hopefully this turns into a great opportunity for me.
Where one door closes (see first paragraph), a window usually opens (see last paragraph). Good things may be brewing. We'll see. In the meantime, wish me luck in collecting on my outstanding wages.
// posted by MP @ 8:47 AM 
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That sounds great! Sounds like they might want you to join their team. Good luck, I hope something works out.
And I would have your hubby draft some kind of nasty legal letter to your boss to get all your money asap. And I would never work for him again.
Allie
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And I would have your hubby draft some kind of nasty legal letter to your boss to get all your money asap. And I would never work for him again.
Allie
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: 9:55 AM
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