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Topic: Deadbeats in the industry (see page 7 for current info on Ron Purtee)
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 09-15-2009 12:38 PM
In case anyone cares (probably not), NIFF still owes me. I've had limited communication with the members of the board of directors and none with the executive director. Other staff members and vendors have also not been paid (though some have).
I was interviewed for an article in the local paper, which appeared on September 5. It was a well-written and fair article. I've also spoken to a reporter for the local "artsy" paper and there may be an article there as well.
I've also spoken with the state's film commission director (whom I know from other events). He wrote to the board members and suggested some possible funding sources, as well as requested that the staff be paid.
Unfortunately, all indications are that the festival is out of money and will not be able to continue without a large and immediate influx of cash. The festival phone line was disconnected a few weeks ago. If they can't pay the phone bill, they probably can't pay me, either.
I've filed a small-claims lawsuit, but it seems unlikely that I will be able to collect anything given their cash situation. The board members all seem to be fairly wealthy, but also seem to be generally unresponsive and unwilling to help.
Expensive lesson #1: When working for a nonprofit or other organization that is not a full-time business, GET CASH UP FRONT! An escrow account would also work. Just because the same organization has paid on time in the past does not mean that it will do so in the future.
Expensive lesson #2: Make sure that every invoice carries a note about late fees and interest charges.
Expensive lesson #3: If you must put up cash to pay someone else's expenses, get reimbursed immediately. Avoid buying stuff for other people if possible. Definitely do not buy stuff that is expendable or disposable or otherwise has no resale value.
Expensive lesson #4: If you run such an organization and cannot pay your employees promptly, call or write to them immediately to explain the situation and answer questions. Do not ignore letters and phone calls asking about the situation. This just makes creditors (like me) angry.
I've worked for dodgier festivals than this one and have never had payment issues. This one always seemed to be well funded and unlikely to screw people over. Lesson learned. At least I was not in a position of being dependent upon this income.
Argh.
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Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 09-16-2009 07:58 AM
By popular (?) request, here is the list of people associated with the 2009 Newport International Film Festival in Newport, RI. There are other staff members, but these are the individuals whom I believe are responsible for the festival's inability or unwillingness to pay its bills. I doubt that any of these people reads F-T, but maybe this will help others avoid them. I will edit this and previous posts if and when I am paid in full.
Executive Director: Jennifer Maizel
Board of Directors:
Annette Leidermann Raisky, Chairman
Mary Pat Ryan, Vice-Chairman
Mitchell V. Massey, Treasurer (he is the only person who has bothered to respond to multiple letters and email messages, but he provided few details; I do give him credit for at least responding)
Kathy Staab, Secretary (also owns the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, RI.)
Richard L. Bready
Bartlett S. Dunbar
Diana Gonzalez
Brendan P. Kelley, Chairman Emeritus
Stuart Lazar
Joan Martin
Also, Alan Weiss is listed as the Chairman in the 2009 program book, but has since resigned. (I believe that he also bears some responsbility for the current mess.)
Edit #1 (11/13/2009): I won the small-claims case by default (they did not answer or appeal). I have not yet collected on the judgment and do not expect to be able to do so. Argh.
Edit #2 (12/21/2009): No luck on collecting as of yet. I've engaged a collections attorney in hopes of getting something. Wish me luck.
[ 12-21-2009, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Scott Norwood ]
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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays
Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999
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posted 11-24-2009 08:38 AM
Okay. At the suggestion of several members of the forum I will list this one, to clear the air:
MARK GULBRANDSEN
Backstory - In two separate transactions, Justin West and I bought a Mitchell 35mm reflex conversion camera outfit, and a Moy geared head, from Mark many years ago (approaching ten years now). He misrepresented the condition of the camera saying it was excellent and ready to use, when the truth was it needed work. Among troubles with the motor, wiring, and one of the lenses, it had a cracked reflex pellicle that extended into the picture area. Mark's defense has been that, for the price he sold it ($5500), we had no room to complain. Actually, we did have room to complain; the price was no special bargain - it was exactly what other (complete) camera packages of that vintage were selling for on eBay - and the camera wasn't in the condition he said it was.
Recently in another thread, Mark has defended the cracked pellicle he didn't tell us about, saying it was a "slight" crack and "an inexpensive fix". Well, it was a complete crack, there was nothing slight about it, going right across the lower left-hand corner of the image; and if it was such a cheap fix, why didn't he fix it before sending it to us? I mean, he had PLENTY of time to do so... (read on) (Actually, it was NOT easily repairable, since the manufacturer of the reflex conversion was long out of business, and that part was no longer available from service centers.)
But even all of this I could forgive...
The Rub - Mark took nearly TWO YEARS to send us the parts from these two transactions - and we still didn't get everything! After constant hounding and many emails, he would finally send another component. His excuse was always that he had to go somewhere or do some work, and he'd make another unfulfilled promise of shipment. All the while making it very clear, in sarcastic tones, that our interests didn't matter; his work obligations trumped any duty he owed us. However, he was very dilligent in making sure we sent him the money right away at the start. He was asking about that every day, which we submitted promptly!
Contrary to what Mark has posted in another thread, I DID ask for our money back. And whenever I did, he'd promise to ship something right away ("I'll have to dig around to find it," he'd say.)
After several months, I considered it a loss and gave up. It took his being outed on another forum, however, by numerous other people he had treated the same way, for us to get the items we finally did, when we did.
Why he is a deadbeat - as if the foregoing weren't enough - We got nearly everything he owed us except a new Anvil case for the camera that he had promised from the start. He originally said he would ship the camera body in it, but instead he used the rotted and damaged original. When confronted with this, he promised to send the new case on a separate shipment, which of course he never did. There was something else outstanding, too (maybe batteries), but it's been so long I can't be certain, so I'll just leave it at the Anvil case. Incredibly, he emailed me about a year ago, asking if I wanted to buy another camera he had for sale!
Anyway, that's why Mark isn't a friend. And he's had the unmitigated gall to go around on this forum bashing and demeaning me!
It is he who has no room to speak.
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