Going on Judge Judy?

[gaybucks_chip]

OK, here's an off-the-wall thing that just happened.

We're suing a (former) friend of AJ's who is a web designer and also an aspiring filmmaker. He just made an indy sci fi film (apparently about a $1 million budget), and 2 years ago when he was making it, he made a deal with us to do some site design work for us for about $2000... we stupidly paid up front to help fund his film, but then he was too busy doing the film to do any work for us.

So... we filed in small claims against him, specifically mentioning that we're an adult media company and he was supposed to be designing gay adult websites, knowing that he wouldn't want this sort of visibility and would probably just pay us rather than get a judgement against himself that would associate himself with gay porn.

Today, AJ got a voicemail message from the Judge Judy show wanting us to appear on the show to "try" the case there. They will fly us to LA, pay all expenses and some fee for our appearance (don't know how much yet), and I think if we win, they give us the $ the defendant would otherwise from them as a payment toward whatever we're awarded.

So... there are pros and cons to going on the show that we've been discussing. We both doubt that the defendant will agree to go on the show, but he's broke and can't sell his movie, so he might be desperate enough to get the publicity.

What do y'all think?

[IdolKnights]

Name wouldn't be Jeff, would it?

[gaybucks_chip]

Nope, the designer is not an adult industry designer. Prior to getting laid off, he was apparently a pretty high-end designer for an ad agency in LA.

[LiveTwinksCam]

Do you guys do this often? I am just curious because this story sounds familiar from what Ms. Kelly Taylor told me you all were doing to her also?

Are you suing him now because he has money??

I hope you decide to go on Judge Judy, it would be great to watch you all on tv.

[basschick]

ah, the drama.

kelly taylor disappeared for a rather lengthy period less than a month before his site was to open. no one would open a partnership single model site when it seemed the model was not going to be around to support the site with new content, blogs, etc. perhaps there was more going on, but the site and the disappearance seemed to be the hub of it - at least as far as kelly or chip related on this board..

i wouldn't go on judge judy. my gut feeling when i read it was "don't do it!!!". i expect they're hoping you being in adult will add extra spice, but adult is generally treated like an evil clown act by the media and often makes people think the worse of us. you won't be in a place where you can explain your ethics or the way you do business on a court tv show, either.

Do you guys do this often? I am just curious because this story sounds familiar from what Ms. Kelly Taylor told me you all were doing to her also?

Are you suing him now because he has money??

I hope you decide to go on Judge Judy, it would be great to watch you all on tv.

[LiveTwinksCam]

My apologies, I didn't mean to create drama, but after reading it I can see where it appears off color. I have just heard this exact same thing from KT that worked with Chip. But as I always say, there is 2 sides to every story.

[LiveTwinksCam]

As much as Mr. Chip makes, you would think 2k wouldn't be worth his time or hassle, mainly after some time later. Sometimes it's best to let things go and learn from your mistakes then to hold a grudge, it makes a person bitter. But then the side comes out that if he did steal from you, he should be nailed. Hard decision to make for sure.

If I were to go after the guy though, I would definitely go on Judge Judy, it is once in a life time opportunity. I would go for it or forget about it. Probably be hard to prove anyway??

[IdolKnights]

Nope, the designer is not an adult industry designer.

Yeah, nor is Jeff (the guy I asked about)

The "Made a sci fi for 1m" is why I asked

[gaybucks_chip]

My apologies, I didn't mean to create drama, but after reading it I can see where it appears off color. I have just heard this exact same thing from KT that worked with Chip. But as I always say, there is 2 sides to every story.

First, I don't at all appreciate your creating drama that has absolutely no basis in fact whatsoever.

Secondly, my post on this thread clearly says that it was a web designer who was making an indy film. Kelly is neither a web designer nor a filmmaker, and he's an exclusive model of ours. So I would have said "We're suing a former exclusive model of ours" rather than "we're suing a web designer."

Third, I don't know what you think you heard, or how recently you've talked to Kelly, but AJ and I have never had any major issues with Kelly, never considered suing him, we both still consider him a good friend, and I talk with him pretty frequently. Yes, we were planning a solo site with him that ended up not happening, but that issue was resolved amicably long ago, and there was never any threat of lawsuit over it.

MRC/Gaybucks is a business. We operate professionally and we expect those we work with to do the same. If someone directly steals from us, doesn't pay us, or otherwise seriously violates an agreement with us, yes, we will take all appropriate legal measures after first exhausting more reasonable means to collect what is fairly due to us. Any other well run business does the same. It doesn't happen often, but it's something we aren't afraid of doing.

I hope you will think a little bit before making unfounded accusations in the future.

[gaybucks_chip]

As much as Mr. Chip makes, you would think 2k wouldn't be worth his time or hassle, mainly after some time later. Sometimes it's best to let things go and learn from your mistakes then to hold a grudge, it makes a person bitter. But then the side comes out that if he did steal from you, he should be nailed. Hard decision to make for sure.

If I were to go after the guy though, I would definitely go on Judge Judy, it is once in a life time opportunity. I would go for it or forget about it. Probably be hard to prove anyway??

Jacob,

I was not asking for your advice as to how we should handle our collection/bad debt practices, or whether or not we should hold grudges (we don't.) I was asking for an opinion specifically about Judge Judy (which you finally offered.)

Business is business. Somebody steals $2000 from you and if you can resolve it in a couple hours time in a small claims court, it's not a bad return on your time. I certainly don't go to court if I don't have a case, and having two brothers and a number of friends who are attorneys, I have a pretty good idea of the legal system, standards of proof, and so forth.

[gaybucks_chip]

I hope you will think a little bit before making unfounded accusations in the future.

Umm, before anybody gets the wrong idea, that last line wasn't intended as a "stop or we'll sue" threat, just a way of saying "Perhaps repeating gossip isn't such a wise idea, because it can reflect badly on the repeater of the gossip" but I realize in rereading that making that last statement directly after a paragraph about suing people makes it sound like a veiled threat, which it is not.

[LiveTwinksCam]

First, I don't at all appreciate your creating drama that has absolutely no basis in fact whatsoever.

Secondly, my post on this thread clearly says that it was a web designer who was making an indy film. Kelly is neither a web designer nor a filmmaker, and he's an exclusive model of ours. So I would have said "We're suing a former exclusive model of ours" rather than "we're suing a web designer."

Third, I don't know what you think you heard, or how recently you've talked to Kelly, but AJ and I have never had any major issues with Kelly, never considered suing him, we both still consider him a good friend, and I talk with him pretty frequently. Yes, we were planning a solo site with him that ended up not happening, but that issue was resolved amicably long ago, and there was never any threat of lawsuit over it.

MRC/Gaybucks is a business. We operate professionally and we expect those we work with to do the same. If someone directly steals from us, doesn't pay us, or otherwise seriously violates an agreement with us, yes, we will take all appropriate legal measures after first exhausting more reasonable means to collect what is fairly due to us. Any other well run business does the same. It doesn't happen often, but it's something we aren't afraid of doing.

I hope you will think a little bit before making unfounded accusations in the future.

KT said you were threatening to sue him over the time and money you had put into building the solo site of him and he stated it was for around 2k, I believe. Which I felt bad for him since he was a young guy that really didn't have anything or any money.

So when you mention also suing this guy for 2k, which you had paid him and he didn't finish doing the webwork, I stated I had heard this story before, which I had. The other reason I replied is because you seem to be only doing it now after he has received a million dollar investment and is doing well for himself.

Some people abuse the legal system or use it as a way of control, which is a shame.

Professionalism?? That's a matter of opinion. Which you have no problem stating your opinions about things or people. I don't think it's professional to sue someone after the fact and doing it because they are doing well now. Then again that's my opinion.

Good luck with it and I will keep an eye out on Judge Judy in case you guys are on there. Thanks for sharing your story.

[gaybucks_chip]

KT said you were threatening to sue him over the time and money you had put into building the solo site of him and he stated it was for around 2k, I believe. Which I felt bad for him since he was a young guy that really didn't have anything or any money.

Totally false. Might be nice to verify your facts before you start posting them publicly and tarnishing the reputation of someone without knowing the facts.

So when you mention also suing this guy for 2k, which you had paid him and he didn't finish doing the webwork, I stated I had heard this story before, which I had. The other reason I replied is because you seem to be only doing it now after he has received a million dollar investment and is doing well for himself.

The person in question made a film that cost a million bucks to produce. The money mostly came from investors, plus the $2000 he ripped off from us. All the money went into the film. He hasn't been able to find anyone to distribute it, so he hasn't made dollar one one it. He's broke. And it's not that he "didn't finish" our sites. He didn't even start. We spent quite a lot of time trying to work with him and resolve things reasonably, but he blew us off entirely, and he's had a year and a half to make payment arrangements or otherwise make things right with us. We are doing this now because it was getting close to the statute of limitations, not because he suddenly came into money. Once again, you've made assumptions about how we are operating based on no information, or information you've misread.

Some people abuse the legal system or use it as a way of control, which is a shame.

Not sure what you are implying here. If you've read the philosophy that guides our business (www.boyfunk.com/philosophy.html), you would know that we don't do things that way.
[/QUOTE]

Professionalism?? That's a matter of opinion.

Um, I think you would be about the last person to be arguing with me about professionalism. Anyone that's been to a show with you would know what I'm talking about, as would KT, from the conversations he's told me about.

I don't think it's professional to sue someone after the fact and doing it because they are doing well now.

So you would advocate suing someone before you've done business with them, or before they've screwed you over? I don't see how you can sue someone other than "after the fact" otherwise.

But... once again... none of this has anything to do with what I originally asked for.

[Dzinerbear]

I wouldn't go near Judge Judy.

First of all, I have some personal experience with being on a talk show. I won't say which one, none of you would know it anyway, it was a Canadian affair. However, the reasons I wanted to do the show were noble and I hoped what I had to say would help educate people. This was back in the early 90s before talk shows went nuts, well actually it was as talk shows started getting nuts. Anyway, long story short, I was blind-sided in front of a whole studio audience. I host used things I had said and completely twisted them.

Judge Judy is really just a different kind of Jerry Springer.

Are you prepared to have this defendant (in a desperate attempt to get off or to divert attention from himself) blurt out in the court room about some off-colour content he claims you're shooting? All you need is for JJ to see a picture of a model she thinks isn't 18 and you've got another whole mess on your hands.

I just don't think the justice or the $2K is worth the potential harm and bad-exposure it could bring you. If I were you, I'd turn around and start running towards Timbuctou and get as far away from this one as you can.

Michael

[LiveTwinksCam]

I can't verify more then what he told me 6 months ago. I guess it comes down to hear say, his word against yours. Why would he make this up? Then I hear a similiar story here on the board tonight. No biggie, I don't really care that much, I have just heard this story before.

Me misreading or going off of information I don't have, I am not making assumptions, nor misreading and I am fully going off the information you posted and the information that was told to me.

I may have not been professional in your opinion at the Phoenix 05 Spring show because it was my first show, I had a few drinks, which I never drink and I was dancing/kissing with one of your models at after hours party there at the phoenix forum? wow! What a sin! This is called having fun and being "real". But I was professional because I didn't bang him, which we easily could have. I don't sleep with anyone in our industry or any of my staff.

So I guess almost everyone is unprofessional that attend these events because I saw a lot of things that made my chin drop, which was common behavior at these. But I guess you are better then everyone else because you didn't openly do these things?

Come on you aren't IBM, Microsoft or some fortune 100, 500, or 1000 company, you sell porn of twinks. But if you want to act better then everyone because you "act professional", go for it. I pride myself on honesty, ethics, morals and doing what's right for people, not really on the basis of pc or your opinion of what is professional.