Rat Fink 2k5 Party Cancelled!?!

[CJHacker]

Thougth I would pass along this info from Moldy.  Here's how he describes it on the board....

So what the heck happened?

Here's the scoop....

I didn't know if I could pull off this years show.  Especially after a the separation from my better half last August, she was my rock and foundation that gives one the confidence of taking on such a task. Not only that she did all the paper work, the hiring, insurance contracts, more than I can think, the show flyers and the show program along with overseeing the Vendors the day of the show.

Now that I have had a taste of trying to do everything myself, I have come to the conclusion that she pretty much put on the show. All I did was to promote the show and wear a Stupid Hat!

I also didn't have the bucks and to tell you the truth, I or we had done nothing but lose money on this venture for the past five years.  Hey, It's not that I have to make money on this event, after all this event is a labor of love but at the same time I can't continue to take a bath on it either.

A lot of folks suggested that I should at least give it one more shot, just to prove that I could do something like this on my own. Not only that, after 5 years of establishing an event like this there seems to be a lot of folks that rely on the show as something that is a part of them, something that is installed, something that they look forward to and something that they love. And then there was my love and dedication to Ed Roth and his fans.

 So with the moral support of my friends I  came up with a game plan.  At first I analyzed the financial situation of how one could either make some $$ or at least brake even. The answered was to move the event into a larger facility in order to bring in more revenue to pay the bills. IE. Vendors, and Vehicle entries.

So last October I hooked up with Saugus Speedway and started negotiations. Saugus Speedway is a big bucks operation and the only way to pay for the place was to allow them to charge an admission at the gate and also take the proceeds from the food and beverage sales. They even told me that if they hit a certain nut they'd possibly give me a piece-o-the pie to help pay for junk on my end. We chose a date for the show but there was still a big problem, I needed $ 5,000.00 for the deposit on the venue.  I talked to our sponsor but they were only willing to support the show with the original agreed amount of $ 2,000.00 this was reassuring but I still needed 3 grand.

Heck in the years before  when the show was located at the Elks the final total came in somewhere around $ 12,000.00 to $ 14,000.00 before all is said and done. So needing another 3 grand can be a lot when you start with nothing.

Anyway I himmed and hawed for the next couple of months trying to figure out how I could raise the cash. Oh yeah there was also another small snafu, all the vendors would now have to have a special event permit issued by the State Board of Equalization.  So looked into a couple more venues but every where you go these dayz there is so much red tape and so many rules for a decent facility, it's overwhelming.

After awhile I pretty much got cold feet about the whole thing. I figured that maybe I should blow the whole thing off for a year. Then back in February someone on the ratfink e-group asked about this years show. I told the gang what my dilemma was, then one of the members stepped up to bat and pledged that they would loan me the money for the rest of the deposit as long as it was refundable.  So with that I negotiated the rest of the contract with the Speedway.

The contract was finalized on March 18th. In the contract it stated that the deposit was due at contract signing.  I couldn't pay the deposit because in order for me to submit the documents for the personal loan and the invoice to the sponsor I needed the contract as proof to receive the coin needed for the deposit.  Catch 22 or wot!

The Speedway management verbally agreed to allow me until May first (a Sunday) to get them the bucks. So I immediately submitted my documents to the parties that were to get me cash and go on to other things.

In the mean time I figured that the best thing to do would to be to get a Home Equity Line of Credit that would allow me to pay for all of the other things that would be needed to put on the show and then pay it back as the renew came in. I figured if I did that then everything would be taken care in advance of instead of waiting till the last minuet. You wouldn't believe all the stuff that needs to be taken care, of.. liability insurance, porta potties, dumpsters, printing, show program, sound, canopies, tables, chairs, the list just goes on and on.

I try to get a hold of the Speedways manager during the last week of April and they are on vacation. I wanted to tell them that things were running a little behind but they would get their cash. the receptionist tells me that the manager would be back on the 5th.

Well.....  May First rolls around, No Money! the sponsors check comes in on May 3rd, I throw that in the bank cut a check for 2 grand to the speedway, wait a day or so for it to show before I send it out on the 5th.  I also had been keeping in touch for the past few weeks with the guy who pledged the other 3K and he kept telling me he was sending it etc. Except the last two calls one on the 29th of April and the 3rd of may the dude hangs up on me. FLAKE!

So anyway I got real busy on the 5th got back home around 5:00pm there is a voice message on my fone from the management from the Speedway I return the call but the office is closed.

On May 6th I get an e-mail from the Speedway saying that they are canceling the contract because they haven't  received their money yet. I then e-mail them back telling them that the money is on the way. I also told them about the Flake but I could give them the rest of the cash this week as soon as my Home Equity Loan Check cleared. (the only thing is that 3K is going to take a big bite out of paying a bunch of other stuff)

This was their response:

Dear Moldy,

I am guessing that perhaps you are misunderstanding me. Your contract, with payment due from the original signing date
of March 18, 2005, was given a verbal payment extension to May 1, 2005, and entered into default at the close of
business May 1, 2005. As of May 6, 2005, we officially notified you of the payment default and the contract cancellation.
There will be no Rat Fink/Kustom Kulture event at Saugus Speedway on June 25, 2005.

Again, we wish you success with your event at another location.

Sincerely,

The thing that is killer...  is that the show is still a month and a half away and they will get their money.  The only thing that I can think of is that the Speedway has been burned in the past and they just don't have any tolerance left to give. So I guess ya can't blame them.

As of today May 9th  we have an ally that personally knows the owner and he is supposed to talk to the Speedway owner and management tomorrow.

If that don't work I along with the help of others are looking into two other venues and we hope to have this thing figured out by the end of this week.

If none of this stuff comes to fruition then all of the entries, vendor registration and sponsor cash will be refunded.

Thank God I haven't touched it.

To the Street Team: Please Do Not hand out any more flyers.
To The Bands: Please keep the original Date open for the show. I'll get back to ya A.S.A.P.


So there ya have it, keep yer fingers crossed and hopefully we will be back in business.

Love,

Moldy jeffrey

P.S. There is a whole bunch of folks that I want to thank for their support, if ya want to see who they are then click this here link!

 

[31Rodder]

hmmmm

[CJHacker]

Thought I would pass this along!  Sounds like the Rat Fink Party is back on again!  Different date, different venue...here's the word from Moldy:

Hey Gang...

Everything is back online.. just have to up date the forms and flyers.
http://www.ratfink.org/rfparty2k5

Many thanx goes to, Bernie & Almighty Tim at L.A.C.R. and special thanx
goes out to the folks at Obvio Brazil and the Auto America Group.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!


Moldy