OT - How my dad got screwed

[Flasch186]

So about a year ago Im working for a builder, a small one and My dad is the VP of sales. Now my dad is a great salesman but necessarily the best at management but regardless he flies under the radar and makes a ton of money. Then out of the blue one day, while walking a hallway the Pres. says to dad, "Oh BTW I cant pay you what youve been getting paid. Im going to give 250K per year...but for now it'll be 3K every 2 weeks, and we'll re-apply it to the 6 months of the beginning of the year (basically backcharging him)." So in that instant my dad lost almost a million dollars.

Well the checks started coming, and instead of 3K they were 2, so my mom just hung on to them..not depositing them. Keeping in mind that my dad was an independent contractor, they were of the opinion that the Pres. had simply demanded a new payscale and not actually '"negotiated" a new contract.

So, as rumor turns to fact on the impending sale of the company, my dad begins to wonder why he is the last of the executives to hear of the sale. He figures he is hung out, so he gets an attorney to draft a letter in essence demanding all of the money that he had earned up to that point and effectively resigned. This hurt him a great deal as he has always been one to try and be friends with co-workers etc. He is not very good at drawing the line between work and play so he figured he and the Pres. and the money guys were all friends since they spent so much time together. He was wrong.

About 3 weeks after getting the letter the money guys, not the Pres. (the pres. had let it be known that he was fired up at dad) call up dad and ask for a meeting. Dad goes, against the wishes of the attorney. At the meeting the money plays on my dad's sensitivities, says, "I thought we were all friends." etc. and asks for some sort of mutual settlement. My dad asks for 350K and an interview with the new company. They say ok, with a smile (now the sale is not in jeopardy dueto a lawsuit).

So about a month later my dad gets a bill for the home that the company built about a year before claiming my dad didn't pay for everything, eventhough he did. Then later that week, he goes to the interview and its a farce. Now my dad is looking to get a job in the industry and the money guy(s) and pres. have swamped dad's name in the industry....so now we're at a loss.

I view family as a team and would do anything for anyone in my family. I would pay their mortgage if I had to. But what is he to do? He is getting depressed. I asked him if he would go into general real estate and he just mumbled. He talked about flipping houses but the market is becoming too volatile. I mentioned selling cars but I think he thinks it's dirty, so to my point:

Is there a sales career or track, perhaps even a car company, that has some integrity, pays decently and is hiring 55+ year olds with experience (the trend is to hire younger with little experience [no bad habits etc.])?

[Cringer]

paragraphs? wtf?

[Desnudo]

Do you have any siblings still living at home? If not, maybe a long vacation or permanent relocation could cheer him up.

[Cringer]

ok. now that I have read it, that sucks Flasch.

Sounds like the attorney knew what he was talking about when telling him not to go to that meeting. But that is hindsight I guess.

If he gets desperate, there is a shortage of truck drivers.

[timmynausea]

Family is like a team. In situations like this I ask myself one question: What would Tony Soprano do?

[MacroGuru]

The beautiful thing about sales is you can shift industries pretty easy. One thing that is starting to ramp up, yes even at his age, is software sales and IT Industry stuff. If he knows computers decently, he may make some cash.

Also, if he is a decent presenter, he may get into seminars and such as well.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by timmynausea

Family is like a team. In situations like this I ask myself one question: What would Tony Soprano do?

SI

[Joe]

those goddamn corporations

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by George W Bush

those goddamn corporations

yup, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely

SAVE THE FILIBUSTER!!!

woah, sorry

[Franklinnoble]

Whore college?




... kidding... kidding... anyhow, I dunno jack about sales, but if your dad was that good at it, he'll catch on somewhere else. Just encourage him, and don't worry if he's bummed about it for a while... that's pretty normal.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

yup, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely

Exactly! That's why we must eliminate government!

[Fonzie]

Originally Posted by timmynausea

Family is like a team. In situations like this I ask myself one question: What would Tony Soprano do?

Tony Soprano would start collecting kneecaps. I urge your father to do the same.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Cringer

Sounds like the attorney knew what he was talking about when telling him not to go to that meeting. But that is hindsight I guess.

that's what i was thinking. why pay an attorney if you aren't gonna take their advice?

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't like the sick mental image the title of this thread portrays. Sicky!

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

that's what i was thinking. why pay an attorney if you aren't gonna take their advice?

he's got a soft heart...they played on it.

[NoMyths]

Heck, with the kind of jack he hopefully saved, I'd be sipping umbrella drinks in Tahiti if I were him.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

he's got a soft heart...they played on it.

I feel bad for where your dad is now, but when your attorney tells you to do something, treat him like a cop -- do what he tells you, ask questions and argue later.