I'm an event planner and I was hired to plan this sweet sixteen party for this girl whose family is pretty well off. It is the biggest job I've ever had and I had to turn down some prospective business in order to do it but I thought it was worth it because I was promised a big check. Anyway, I planned most of the party and even chartered the plane to take the girl and her friends to the location of the party, but then I couldn't get the venue on the date they said since they already had another event there. And they refused to move the party to another date or get another location for it since it's what their daughter wanted, so they fired me and said I wouldn't get paid! I'm so angry since I was depending on that money and even turned down work just to work on this! I was wondering if I could sue them and get my money or at least most of it?
2007-11-05 04:59:11 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
A verbal contract is just as binding as a written one. They are liable to pay you for the time you did spend on the arrangements. Example, if you spent three days working on it, they owe you for three days. File a Civil claim. A fair judge will make them pay.
Most service businesses call this a "Service Charge." And if they end up not paying you, you can claim it at the end of the year on your taxes as a "non-retrievable debt". You'll get your money back one way or another.
2007-11-05 05:10:23 · answer #1 · answered by soul_plus_heart_equals_man 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Do you have a contract? What does the contract say?
Without knowing that, I would have to side with family. Isn't getting the venue THE most important matter with something this big? Why do all the other planning and charter a JET, when you don't have a place to HAVE the event?
If you had done this FIRST, you could have gone to them with the news that the venue wasn't available for the date they wanted. Maybe they still would have fired you, but then you wouldn't be out all of the extra time you wasted.
From where I sit, you have no case. Just an expensive lesson learned, I hope.
2007-11-05 05:07:44 · answer #2 · answered by curtisports2 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
maybe maybe not.
Maybe there is a verbal contract.
But then you couldn't deliver what you promised either.
Maybe you need to hire someone to handle the business side of things... like getting contracts in writing, same for payment terms and so forth.
Rest assured this well off family debated suing you for ruining the precious daughter's party, and decided against it because you don't have any assets to recover.
Expect that if you sue, they will counter sue, and you will end up with nothing but an agreement form everyone to walk away, and a pile of attorney bills.
Oh yeah and if you go that road, you will be sure to be known as litigious amongst the high-paying set and you will never have such a party again.
2007-11-05 05:17:17 · answer #3 · answered by Barry C 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If you have a case? Yes,definitely you got one. The family obviously hire you to get a sweet sixteen party to a venue and all that stuff, you didnot ask for any advancement for this like money perhaps to make this event happen. Certainly you did, or did they issued check for anything for some expenses?
So when they fired you as you wrote here, you were hired by this influential family. As an event organizer contract for this matter is irrelevant, so you could charge this people of none payment of dues.
2007-11-05 05:10:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Without a contract in writing, you probably don't have a case. How can you plan to have a party when you don't know in advance if the venue is available? This is the type of thing that needs to be in the contract since it is beyond your control.
2007-11-05 05:06:14 · answer #5 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you have a contract, you may be able to successfully sue.
Now... if you engaged transportation and catering services before securing the venue. then I'd suggest that you might want to find another line of business besides event planning, because you're making some pretty basic mistakes that even a rookie shouldn't make.
2007-11-05 05:09:10 · answer #6 · answered by Teekno 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Most definitely..you can sue them for the work you have done and may even be able to get some money for the jobs you turned down only bcz you were promised more money
2007-11-05 05:04:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
If you have a signed contract, then you may be able to take the client to court on a breach of contract case. Have a local litigation attorney file a breach of contract case in your county.
If you do not use written contract in your business, you are leaving yourself open to have clients stiff you. You need to hire a local attorney to create a standard contract for you. It must have provisions for payment of expenses and a percentage of the total when the client pulls out.
You always need to put the agreement in writing, especially when it is possible for you to incur expenses and have the client back out. Without anything in writing it becomes a he said/she said in court.
2007-11-05 05:07:21 · answer #8 · answered by CatLaw 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
while a verbal contract is as valid as one in writing, the level of proof required to establish that a verbal contract exists is far greater.
So, you need to answer whether or not you had a contract or if not, anything in writing to establish detrimental reliance on the facts presented.
2007-11-05 05:15:14 · answer #9 · answered by hexeliebe 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I dont think so because I think you should have had the venue booked first before you made any of the other arrangements
2007-11-05 05:04:03 · answer #10 · answered by ★★pixie★★ 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋