Legal Question in Business Law in Maryland

I met a relative of my husband's and he proceeded to pursue me as a friend. At that time, I was earning 80,000 - 90,000 a year. I was at the point in my career where I had started to think about starting my own business. He "seduced" me emotionally and mentally and manipulated me into thinking I should go into business with him and a friend. He convinced me whatever money I put in I would get back when we got funding as a company. I paid for everything for the USA side of the business. He introduced me to a friend who later damaged the company and ended any hope of any funding. He was fine as long as the money was flowing from my end. He sabatoged every funding opportunity we had including a very serious one and where I have suscipicons that he deliberately helped a funder run off with a bunch of our customers. When my money started running out he proceeded to threaten, play guilt trips, manipulate, harass, and utilize whatever he could to push me out of the company so that he could do business with others all the while threatening and harassing me to pay out of my own pocket debts of the company to its vendors. My marriage disintegrated and I am left penniless as I was harrassed and threatened to the point of several suicide attempts. I poured everything I had into the company. All this while, he set up a 2nd company with one of the chief creditors to the company and probably used proceeds sent from my work and money from my own pocket to set up this company. He tried to blame me and slandered me to everyone involved.

I have accepted that I will never see the $70,000+ I poured into this and then was forced out of the company.

He continue to threaten me and harass me with threats of lawsuits for harassment and conspiracy. He continues to demand money from me.

When I found out about the 2nd company and when I refused to send any more money oyt of my own pocket - I am penniless and barely able to pay rent now - I resigned my shares of the company stock and resigned from the company.

The thing I have left is a relationship I had due to my own personal work background in market research. I have worked for 4+ years with a guy in New York who has set up a start up market research company. I have been paid as a freelancer for my work but am referred to as a partner. This market research company will merge with a very large market research company in December and I have been promised a full time job which is my lifeline and what is keeping me alive right now.

Back when I was still with the company, we factored the invoices we did with an invoice factoring company. I was pushed and harassed into doing invoices each month with this factoring company and all money factored went to the other 2 business partners. I was left with NOTHING. I found out that in the middle of the meltdown and in the middle of my becoming suicidal I had made a mistake on invoices which resulted in double billing of invoices. The money the factoring company paid for these invoices went to the other 2 business partners and I never saw anything. I just realized the mistake and the factoring company is threatening to go after the market research whose invoices I factored. I recognize the error and need a lawyer to work contact the factoring company on my behalf and let them know I want to pay them back. If they sue me, they get nothing as it will force me into bankruptcy. If they try to go over the market research company, it will cause my relationship with it to terminate and again they will lose whatever chance they have to get the money back. I want to set up a payment plan where I pay in good faith till December whatever I can even and then starting in December when I go to full time I pay more.

1. Is there any chance I will ever recover the money I lost in the business? I was forced to resign fraudulently and also under duress.

2. Is there any chance I can negotiate a payment plan with the factoring company? I need a lawyer to help me with this - should be less than 4 hours of work.


Asked on 8/16/10, 6:59 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Phillip M. Cook Cook Legal Services, LLC

1. It is likely you will face an uphill battle in attempting to recover your lost investment. I would recommend hiring a Maryland commercial (business) litigator if you decide to pursue the matter.

2. It is possible to negotiate a settlement with the factoring company. They certainly have incentive to work with you, as opposed to forcing you into to bankruptcy. It may turn out to be more than 4 hours of work -- telephone calls, negotiation and review of settlement agreement, etc.

Best of luck. *****The above does not create an attorney-client relationship and is intended for informational purposes only.******

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Answered on 8/22/10, 2:15 am


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