480sound Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Last September I was hired by a LA company; Beverly Boy Productions to work on an Industrial film for Roku. Roku had rented out an entire high end resort in Santa Fe NM where I live. Beverly Boy hired the crew and made the deals via their producer. Since I didn’t work much last year I was glad to have the job. I should have been more careful when the producer said if it was OK that Beverly Boy paid in 30 days. They didn’t pay. I did not have or did I ask for a deal memo. Beverly Boy has a good rep and has done many productions. I did have emails, text messages and a call sheet with my name on it and the producers contact numbers. I waited for a month after the 30 days to start contacting Beverly Boy for payment and was told at least three times that I would be paid before the Holidays. That came and went then it was next and next week again. They not only didn’t pay me but the entire local crew got stiffed. One crew member has filed in small claims court in NM and has since discovered that Beverly Boy has not paid many crews on other productions and a Lawyer has been hired to file a Class Action Lawsuit against them. I’m not a lawyer but this is fraud. Not only that they crossed state lines to commit this fraud but to my understanding that makes it racketeering. To my stupefaction they sent me a 1099 for the payment I did not receive. It would seem that they want to claim my none payment on their taxes possibly as a business deduction. It seems obvious now that the owner of the company Kael Beverly had no intention of paying the crew for the job. I don’t know if his producers got paid. You can look him and his company up online. I’ve been doing this a long time and this is the first time I have been ripped off so blatantly. This is a high profile company working for a huge company, this had to be planned by a real swindler. Hope it doesn’t happen to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMC Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 I feel your pain, 480sound. Since October of 2023 I am owed over $4,000 from Abbson of 1325 Avenue of the America's, Floor 27 New York, NY. I have a deal memo for net 30 days. I have call sheets. I have phone numbers and e-mails. The producer I worked with said he was let go shortly after our October gig. He says most everyone else at the company has been let go too and they have outstanding production debt of many thousands of dollars. I sent them a certified "demand letter." No response. My next move is sue. Unfortunately, this was a non-union job so I am on my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Documentary Sound Guy Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 If they sent you a tax form for a payment you never received, that seems like it might be tax fraud, no? Perhaps the IRS would be interested to know about that (I assume you'll have to tell them anyway when you do your taxes...)? More to the point can you use that as leverage? They may be able to brush you off, but brushing off the IRS when they are angry seems like something they'd probably want to avoid. Then again, they sent the form, so maybe they already know how they intend to cross that bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Craca Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 First of all, contact your state Department of Labor and file a claim. Secondly, and they'll hate this, is fill out an IRS Form SS-8 (link attached). Email this to every beverlyboy email address you have and cc everyone on the call sheets you had, especially producer/director. They WILL NOT want the IRS now making worker determinations as the penalties from Dept. of Labor are huge for non-payment. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-ss-8 File that form with the IRS. And subsequently file a dispute regarding the 1099 and let bev boy know that too. Be a complete pain in their ass and encourage all the other crew to do the same. Good Luck. You should also send copies of your unpaid invoice and demand to Roku's legal department claiming copyright for unpaid product and state the you explicity do NOT release any rights to the use of your recordings as no work for hire has been effected due to non payment. Give them everybody's contact info at bev boy. That'll be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonG Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Beverly Boy is notorious for being a less than reputable company. I recommend avoiding them at all costs. Google them and you’ll discover some of their other blunders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 3 hours ago, Tom Craca said: First of all, contact your state Department of Labor and file a claim. Secondly, and they'll hate this, is fill out an IRS Form SS-8 (link attached). Email this to every beverlyboy email address you have and cc everyone on the call sheets you had, especially producer/director. They WILL NOT want the IRS now making worker determinations as the penalties from Dept. of Labor are huge for non-payment. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-ss-8 File that form with the IRS. And subsequently file a dispute regarding the 1099 and let bev boy know that too. Be a complete pain in their ass and encourage all the other crew to do the same. Good Luck. You should also send copies of your unpaid invoice and demand to Roku's legal department claiming copyright for unpaid product and state the you explicity do NOT release any rights to the use of your recordings as no work for hire has been effected due to non payment. Give them everybody's contact info at bev boy. That'll be fun. I love this! So hardcore. Thanks for posting and the warning. They should go to jail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward chick Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 Tom.. Rock on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codyman Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 I like the "tell the IRS" approach. The IRS doesn't like to be messed with, that's for sure. I'd also file in small claims etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlw Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 Looks like they have been acting in bad faith for quite a while... here's a Ripoff Report from 2016. Most interesting is their heavy handed response in the rebuttals. One they signed, the other one they probably wrote but didn't sign. https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/beverly-boy-productions/nationwide/beverly-boy-productions-they-claim-to-have-local-staff-crew-they-dont-and-they-lie-nat-1318024 The state attorney general's office in both of the states - yours and wherever they are from (California, I think) - would be interested to know the details of this situation. The CA attorney general's office specifically, since it is their state. Those guys don't mess around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivanovich Posted February 15 Report Share Posted February 15 On 2/13/2024 at 4:31 PM, Tom Craca said: First of all, contact your state Department of Labor and file a claim. Secondly, and they'll hate this, is fill out an IRS Form SS-8 (link attached). Email this to every beverlyboy email address you have and cc everyone on the call sheets you had, especially producer/director. They WILL NOT want the IRS now making worker determinations as the penalties from Dept. of Labor are huge for non-payment. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-ss-8 File that form with the IRS. And subsequently file a dispute regarding the 1099 and let bev boy know that too. Be a complete pain in their ass and encourage all the other crew to do the same. Good Luck. You should also send copies of your unpaid invoice and demand to Roku's legal department claiming copyright for unpaid product and state the you explicity do NOT release any rights to the use of your recordings as no work for hire has been effected due to non payment. Give them everybody's contact info at bev boy. That'll be fun. Like always, spot on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam White Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 I did some work here in Toronto in August 2023 with a crew for "Beverly Boy", and none of us have been paid as of Feb 2024. It was an industrial video for a medical lens company and we filmed all around a hospital with real doctors and client on site. A few weeks ago I received $100 as a "good faith payment" but I'm not hopeful about the rest. Beware... AW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prompterM Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 Hi all, I'm a prompter op and I did some work for Beverly Boy (booked out of the FL office) in December. I wasn't paid and they had gone silent on me. Last week I was doing some research online about them and came across this discussion along with some others that were similar. I had been on the fence about whether or not it was too soon to file a claim in small claims court. Seeing all these posts I figured I should make the claim. On Friday afternoon I began the process, efiling with Boston Municipal Court as that's where the work had taken place. Once my claim was submitted (online claims have to be looked at then accepted or rejected) I notified Beverly Boy that I had begun the process and that I had notified the end client that I had not paid. On Tuesday morning there was a direct deposit for the full amount owed pending in my account. I then contacted the court and was able to stop my claim before I was charged the $125 fee. So if they owe you money, go ahead and file a claim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deatarus Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 Thanks everyone for posting your experiences. I have a call tomorrow with them to lock in a shoot next week. Now I know I won't be sending footage unless I have payment, and that'll be on my contract. I hope you guys get paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mychelle V Posted June 24 Report Share Posted June 24 We should start a list of all companies that do this. Add Dave Rosen and/or Absolute Live Productions to the list. He owes my hubby and me 36k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaqSamuraiFlicks Posted June 24 Report Share Posted June 24 I've been working with Beverly Boy Productions since 2009, They've put me on amazing projects over the years and I've been able to build my resume, experience, and network with top notch crews. Payment wasn't a problem until a few months ago. They owe me for a couple of projects, but honestly I'm not gonna badger them, they've been way more positive than negative for my career. I've gotten so many jobs through them, as well as been hired from other crews I've met on their sets. It's bigger than just money. At the end of the day they are making payments to me to get caught up. but overall my experience and others that i know that have benefited from Beverly Boy have been positive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlw Posted June 24 Report Share Posted June 24 7 hours ago, BlaqSamuraiFlicks said: I've been working with Beverly Boy Productions since 2009, They've put me on amazing projects over the years and I've been able to build my resume, experience, and network with top notch crews. Payment wasn't a problem until a few months ago. They owe me for a couple of projects, but honestly I'm not gonna badger them, they've been way more positive than negative for my career. I've gotten so many jobs through them, as well as been hired from other crews I've met on their sets. It's bigger than just money. At the end of the day they are making payments to me to get caught up. but overall my experience and others that i know that have benefited from Beverly Boy have been positive. I think for the majority of people here, and particularly those who have posted their very poor and ethically questionable experiences with Beverly Boy here and elsewhere online, the main point isn't about "building a resume" or "networking with top-notch crews". These are professionals who were contracted to do a certain job for a certain amount of money, and they weren't paid. This is breach of contract, pure and simple. Did Beverly Boy tell them upfront that they might not get paid? That this was all about "networking" or "building a resume"? I don't think so. The post from PrompterM above shows just how they work: when faced with legal action, they pay. Working professionals need to know what kind of operators Beverly Boy Productions are, so that this kind of usury can be stamped out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMC Posted June 24 Report Share Posted June 24 My $4,000 small claims court date against Abbson out of New York is July 3rd. I anticipate they won't even show up. They didn't show for the prelim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted June 24 Report Share Posted June 24 8 hours ago, BlaqSamuraiFlicks said: I've been working with Beverly Boy Productions since 2009, They've put me on amazing projects over the years and I've been able to build my resume, experience, and network with top notch crews. Payment wasn't a problem until a few months ago. They owe me for a couple of projects, but honestly I'm not gonna badger them, they've been way more positive than negative for my career. I've gotten so many jobs through them, as well as been hired from other crews I've met on their sets. It's bigger than just money. At the end of the day they are making payments to me to get caught up. but overall my experience and others that i know that have benefited from Beverly Boy have been positive. Gotta ask....1 post...are you a troll? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olle Sjostrom Posted June 25 Report Share Posted June 25 12 hours ago, Philip Perkins said: Gotta ask....1 post...are you a troll? Also.. badly chosen name (or maybe appropriate troll name) - Samurai, could refer to Kantana ( which in turn is a misspelled Katana, the sword of a samurai, I think...), which are mentioned in another thread. Or just a coincidence.. I'm not a conspiracy theory person. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backfocus Posted June 25 Report Share Posted June 25 Beverly Boys have contacted me multiple times for projects in my area. However, I have a stead fast rule that if they are contacting me last minute, unless they state someone was sick, I won't work on the project. Two, I have always gotten bad vibes or there were odd phrases from the phone calls and emails, and in my mind told me to turn this down. Looks like I am glad that I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irina Posted July 1 Report Share Posted July 1 I did a job for Beverly Boy Productions back in April, its almost Net90 and they've still not paid me the $7000. I have found forum after forum of people talking about how they haven't been paid (of course i only found these after i did the job for them). I'm planning on taking this to a lawyer in New York and seeing what they can do. I've already submitted to small claims court but it seems like it'll be taking a long time for this to work out. I also have every reason to believe Beverly Boy sees all of this and does their best to delete anything that smears their image. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMC Posted July 4 Report Share Posted July 4 Great news for me! I won my self-argued small claims court case today against Abbson, LLC/Chad Abbott of New York for a one day job back in Oct '23. $4k plus interest, court costs and certified mailing expenses. Now I'll see how the collection process goes. I hope all youse who have been burned by Beverly Boy get your money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tourtelot Posted July 4 Report Share Posted July 4 Sic 'em, bad dogs! D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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