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earthyvirgo

Awkward situation with a gallery owner ...

Just wondering how strong a protest to make.

In Dec 2011 one of the galleries how show my work closed down; it's changing hands but there seems to be a bit of a delay in the new set-up happening.

I was on good terms with the owner and agreed that she could pay the outstanding sum owed to me, at the end of Jan. It's not a huge sum so it's the principle more than anything.

Nothing end of Jan - I chase up, it's promised again end of Feb.
etc, etc.
She now says she's try and pay end of April.

I'm now not a happy bunny. I'm a pretty disappointed bunny in fact.

I'm not going to fall out with her but I am feeling inclined to let her know that I'm not at all happy.

Is it worth the effort?
It won't result in payment, I'm pretty sure of that but I feel I shouldn't just lie down and take it without a murmur.

EV
Frazzled_Barbie

By letting her know in slightly stronger terms how you feel you stand a chance that whilst you won't fall out with her she will fall out with you.

As long as you are prepared for that.....its ok. Would she however hold back your money even longer?

I always try to get get my monies owed first then make a point of letting people know how dissapointed I am with their behaviour over it.
mochyn

I think you should make your feelings known. You work hard to produce excellent pictures: her not paying you says to me that she doesn't appreciate that.
wizz

Is it that she can't pay rather than won't pay and is in some sort of financial difficulty? Difficult to broach but perhaps suggest that you'd take payment in installments if that is the problem?
jema

Quite hard to day without knowing roughly the sums involved.
chez

Is it that she can't pay rather than won't pay and is in some sort of financial difficulty? Difficult to broach but perhaps suggest that you'd take payment in installments if that is the problem?


I think I would approach it like this. In my experience with creditors, when they start fobbing like this, it's time to ring the alarm bells and insist of some sort of payment ASAP. If I had done this, we wouldn't be bankrupts.
tahir

In my experience with creditors, when they start fobbing like this, it's time to ring the alarm bells and insist of some sort of payment ASAP.


Yup sean

In my experience with creditors, when they start fobbing like this, it's time to ring the alarm bells and insist of some sort of payment ASAP.

Yup

Double yup. cir3ngirl

Are you the only artist she owes money to Question dpack

stage payments might save things from being ugly earthyvirgo

Can't rather than won't.
I didn't mind waiting a little while but this is now unfair.
She sold the work, so should have paid me, not other bills with that money once she'd taken her cut ... but it doesn't work like that does it?

Rent comes before artists I guess.
She was always a little late but never this bad.

It really is a small sum (we're talking just under £100) but I might suggest half this month and half next to see if that results in anything.

EV dpack

umm try stages and keep things friendly .it is best to get any payment rather than nowt

cant is a fairly good excuse ,can manage a bit now and a bit latter is polite dpack

could she cover the debt with a nice bit of kit or a couple of days useful work for you ? john of wessex

It may be worth finding out whet the legal position is over the money.

Is there a 'trust' issue? If she hasnt handed you the money what about the title to your picture, has it passed to the new owner? earthyvirgo

It may be worth finding out whet the legal position is over the money.

Is there a 'trust' issue? If she hasnt handed you the money what about the title to your picture, has it passed to the new owner?

Copyright of the image remains with me until I'm 50 yrs dead and gone but when the work was sold, the gallery got paid and the actual piece of work rightfully becomes the property of the new owner.

Legally not worth chasing such a small sum ... it would cost more than the sum owed and I wouldn't really wish to go down that path as I was ... still am on good terms with her.

I'll drop her a line and suggest 2 payments.

EV Nick

I guess you also have to be prepared to lose the money, or lose the relationship AND the money, I'm afraid. dpack

keep the relationship is best way to get the money chez

I guess you also have to be prepared to lose the money, or lose the relationship AND the money, I'm afraid.

Yes, I think so.

She is imposing on your friendship, too. Mary-Jane

I guess you also have to be prepared to lose the money, or lose the relationship AND the money, I'm afraid.

Yes, I think so.

She is imposing on your friendship, too.

Yes, and yes. Nicky cigreen

I'm afraid she is not paying you because you are being nice about it - bet you she has found the money for the more narky.

I agree - she is imposing on your friendship - time to get a bit firm about it all. mochyn

And how much would you value a friendship with someone you can't trust and who treats you like this? Mary-Jane

And how much would you value a friendship with someone you can't trust and who treats you like this?

Indeed. A friend would come and see you and say "Look, I've got some financial problems at the moment, but I'm aware that I owe you this money. Would you prefer to wait for the whole amount all at once, in which case let's agree a pay by date, or shall I pay you £20 a month for the next 5 months?" mochyn

Exactly. chez

Yup. jema

It would be nice to think it works that way, but the reality is that perfectly decent people can bury their heads in the sand when it comes to money troubles.
It does not make them malicious, it may just mean they are not coping well. Nick

And how much would you value a friendship with someone you can't trust and who treats you like this?

Indeed. A friend would come and see you and say "Look, I've got some financial problems at the moment, but I'm aware that I owe you this money. Would you prefer to wait for the whole amount all at once, in which case let's agree a pay by date, or shall I pay you £20 a month for the next 5 months?"

How did you resolve your missing kango hammer situation in the end? earthyvirgo

I'm confident the money will be forthcoming when she has it.
Yes, I'm probably low down on her list because she knows I'm a 'nice' person but I think I'd rather be like that.

If it was an affluent gallery (the owner of one I deal with drives a new Porche), have no doubt, I'd be a lot more shouty!

EV Mary-Jane

How did you resolve your missing kango hammer situation in the end?

It's on-going... earthyvirgo

Very nice email from the gallery owner this morning, apologising profusely for late payment but notifying me that payment was made this morning, in full.

Problem resolved, friendship AND professionalism in tact.
Thanks for all the wise advice.

EV dpack

good Frazzled_Barbie

Thats a nice ending - kind of restores your faith etc in people being decent. mochyn

Everyone wins. Nicky cigreen

yay - glad that worked out Smile AnnaD

That's good to hear Smile chez

Jolly good news.

(Perhaps she lurks! Laughing ) dpack

Jolly good news.

(Perhaps she lurks! Laughing )

Laughing judith

good

What he said. Very Happy Midland Spinner

good

What he said. Very Happy
What they both said. john of wessex

Might it be worth geting some advice about your terms of business to try & protect yourself in future? Londonworms

Might it be worth geting some advice about your terms of business to try & protect yourself in future?

This is a good idea - if you haven't got terms and conditions in place, where they're upfront and clear from the off, it's a good idea to do so.

But you can still get into the same situation depending on the factors involved. I've got strictly 30 days from date of invoice for example, and they're emailed, but I still ended up chasing a medium sized organisation for £58 for the best part of 5 months Surprised Mad

Lost emails, Rolling Eyes sent to wrong dept Confused person who deals with it not in for two weeks Shocked can you resend Twisted Evil nope didn't receive it is there something wrong with your email Rolling Eyes try again Confused and on and on it went, until finally I got paid.

I didn't kick up a fuss because there was a lot more work they could put my way, and I wasn't going to screw that up for £58. I knew I'd get the money eventually and was fully confident about that. I did laugh at myself though every time I saw the ''Strictly 30 days'' on the invoice lol. Embarassed

It's a fine balancing act at times. Penny Outskirts

We do a lot of work for schools, often at the end of the summer term. That means we can do a job in June and not get paid until September and it can sometimes be several thousand.

It's squeaky bum time if it'll come in before the September rent is due. Sad earthyvirgo

We do a lot of work for schools, often at the end of the summer term. That means we can do a job in June and not get paid until September and it can sometimes be several thousand.

It's squeaky bum time if it'll come in before the September rent is due. Sad

This has happened recently to an artist friend of mine who did some children's art workshops in June. He's yet to see payment and is literally a poor starving artist.

I've suggested he asks for 50% up front in future.

EV
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