What's he trying to pull?
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| Tue, 02-07-2006 - 10:14pm |
STBX called today to say that he's "hiring" someone to do the invoicing for our self-storage business. I have been doing the billing since January 2003. He indicated that he wanted this done today, and that the hiree would call me about the software, etc.
He wants to hire our accountant's daughter to do the invoicing. When he called me, I asked him who it was that he intended to hire. He got on the other phone (when I was still on with him-- I could hear the conversation), and spoke with the "hiree". He said that she would call me within 15 minutes. She never called.
He hasn't been giving me adequate grocery money, yet he can afford to pay someone to do my job that I don't get paid for?
He can't or wont reimburse me for the business expenses (he refused to give me any money for stamps, envelopes, paper, etc.), yet he can hire someone to do my job?
He hasn't been paying certain bills, and is behind on others-- how can he afford to hire someone to do our invoicing?
I called my lawyer, and she was furious. She said that STBX can't just up and hire someone. She said that she thinks he's doing this so that it will look like I am not contributing to the household. She was going to call his lawyer to object to this latest stunt. She said that things have to stay pretty much how they are now until the divorce settlement.
What is he trying to pull?
A friend of mine said that it's inappropriate for the accountant's daughter to be doing our invoicing, especially since the accountant has not been forthcoming with financial issues, and has been evasive when I've asked questions of her.

Aside from the fact that he just zapped your job right out from under you (whether or not you were technically getting paid, or not), this could prove to be interesting..... how many hours this gal has to put in, if the job gets done properly, and what he pays her.
Karen ~ wildlucky4me ~
I received an email from the ACCOUNTANT, NOT the daughter of the accountant, saying that she needed to have the software for the storage invoicing. I emailed her just now, telling her what my attorney said, and any questions about that were to be addressed to her. The accountant is SWAMPED with her own job, her daughter is SWAMPED and has the same health issues that I do-- like she'll even has the time to do the job. Also, their office looks like a BOMB went off in it-- papers everywhere, books stacked up... and it's TAX TIME right now! HOW can she learn a new software program, do the tax accounting AND send the new invoices out?? Invoices are generated the middle of the month, which is fast approaching.
I've posted my job desription here before, and it's not just sending out a bill once a month:
JOB DESCRIPTION:
• Accompanied STBX to lawyer appointments in the fall of 2002; hearings in the fall of 2002 in preparation to opening the storage facility.
• Researched storage software and laws, and encouraged Bob to allow us to join MASSA, the Massachusetts Self-Storage Association.
• Since January 2003, monthly invoice preparation, including signing and folding the invoices, adding the pre-printed reply envelope, and the previous month’s receipts. Approximately 20 – 30 invoices per month; 240 – 660 invoices per year. Also adjusting some invoices, which can be tedious, and need to be printed a second time. Usually 1 or 2 each month. Also making a list of the invoices and expected income from them, and giving the list to STBX, so he knows who is supposed to be sending their payment.
• DAILY maintenance of storage software, including adjustments/payments, generating letters to customers.
• Entering customer data into storage program: new customers, current customer updates. I usually have to do some “finessing” to reconcile STBX's calculations with the software’s calculations.
• Adding payments into storage program, including adjustments, discounts and rate changes.
• Various letters to customers, including late notices, lien, notice of rate changes, policy changes. The frequency of this depends on how many customers are late on their accounts. Generally 5-10 late notices per month, which are in triplicate, and keeping track of what goes out when, and who has been mailed to, etc.
• HANDWRITTEN Christmas cards to customers, including current and past customers during the year; approximately 35-45 per year.
• Buying/ordering various business supplies, including paper, ink, pens envelopes, stamps, filing systems, storage, etc. The storage program uses approximately 4-5 reams of paper per year, and approximately 4-5 cartridges of ink per year. I purchase paper and ink as needed. We use approximately 360 - 375 stamps per year for the storage business.
• In 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 I designed ads for various publications, including the Local Paper, League of Women Voters Tri-town Blue Book, Local Country Fair; brochures, flyers, website and email. I also dropped off the ads at the Local Paper.
• Maintenance of desktop and laptop computers, including yearly and periodic virus and firewall updates; virus scans; periodic defragging. The desktop computer is at home, and is used for the storage business. The laptop is at the shop, and is used for the U-Haul business.
• Periodic banking to deposit rental income, approximately twice a week for 2002-2005; accompanied STBX to set up the U-Haul account, and put my name on the account for that; and to put my name on the storage account.
• Mail: Dropping off mail, picking up mail, sending certified letters, sending return receipt letters.
• Document preparation for STBX when he had to go to court for a customer who defaulted: I printed out the customer’s transaction history from the point of move-in until the court date. I did this 2 or 3 times.
When a customer was threatening to sue us, claiming that her belongings were water damaged, I researched the weather for the date when she moved her things into her storage unit. As it turned out, she had moved in during a severe December storm, and her belongings were wet when she moved them in. ALSO, trying to get STBX to call the late renters, try to get him to hire an auctioneer, or at least APPLY for an auctioneer's license at the Town Hall so we could try to recoup some of our losses. I estimate we've lost between $5,000. - $7,000. in potential income and accounts in arrears because STBX refused to go to auction, or pursue deabeats.
• Frequently assisted STBX when he got flustered using his laptop computer for the U-Haul business: he called me at home when he was with a U-Haul customer, and the laptop wouldn’t print out a receipt for the customer. Another time, he had lost the Internet connection to the U-Haul server, and called me to fix it for him.
• Gave STBX computer lessons so that he could have some basic computing skills.
• Designed and ordered the desktop system at home for the business in November 2002.
• Accompanied STBX to BestBuy to pick out the laptop for the U-Haul in 2003 or 2004.
• Purchased the printer for the notebook at the shop in 2003 or 2004.
It shouls be intersting to see the reaction from the accountant and her daughter in regards to them not doing the invoicing at this point. I've spoken with my dad about this; he and his brother used to own a business and the same accountant worked for them. My dad said that the accountant was very evasive about providing him with info about how the monies were distributed for their business. I've always felt that she was being evasive with me as well.
I'll keep you posted.
Wow!... The CPA that I use, primarily just for my tax returns... I handle the day-to-day invoicing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, purchase orders, quotes, etc. myself.... is very organized and professional.
Karen ~ wildlucky4me ~
Oh, and he said that he was going to pay the accountant $75. per month to do the billing, and it will cost him much less than it does now with me doing the billing (it will cost him MUCH more than that, with postage, paper, ink, envelopes...).
So I called my lawyer-- I was pretty upset, and now I'm worried that he'll come in the house and try to take the software/computer... I asked my lawyer if I could change the locks, (but older DS would give his father a key, I'm sure), but she said that he has a right to come in the house still, as he owns 1/2 of it. She said maybe a 209A or a no-trespass order...
Man, I'm just so fed up with all this crap. I'm at the point of calling my dad to come up and stay with me, because I'm worried that STBX will get a mad on and come over.
On a happier note, I met a guy... he's 10 years younger than me, but he SO opposite of STBX, and he's so easy to talk to. I talked to him for like 5 hours on the phone last night. We have so much in common-- taste in music, temperament... nothing serious, don't know that I'm ready for that, but it's nice to talk to a guy who isn't an alcoholic toxic jerk.