posted on Jan, 8 2009 @ 03:28 AM
I've been wanting to start this thread for a while now because I think it's important. It has to do with the complete destruction of my wealth and
how it was done through lies and absolute theft.
I want everyone to consider this info constructively and not see it as a pity parade for me personally. While it is my story, I doubt it is unique.
Again, I am not crying in my beer here, please don't take it as such. I'll try to be brief on each topic and lay down the general facts. Any
specific interest in further details can be Q & A as they arise. What I've faced in the last four years is cruel, unfair and admittedly hard to
believe. I promise that nothing I say will be exaggerated in any way.
I've worked as an Auto Body Technician/Custom Painter from age 17 until my recent 40th birthday never in my life was I without a job and never once
did I collect unemployment benefits from the state. My job was commissioned, so I only was paid for work I did. I bought my house at age 21 and could
have afforded to buy two more. I never played hooky and believed that hard work was rewarded. From 1986-2003 I had worked for only four companies. In
that time I made from $40k-$100k a year, my last few years being the lowest.
From around 2000 life was getting more difficult. I worked for an independent repair shop for 14 yrs. owned by a friend. He was getting burned out and
was looking for a way out of the business. Though a costly divorce combined with depreciating economic times this was my best shot at my own place. I
knew things were getting tougher, though I never expected what was about to take place in my life.
The current owner leased the space the shop was in. For nearly 20 years, we occupied two of the four 3200 sq.ft. units in an industrial building. The
other two units were leased to another company and earning rent. I proceeded to make an asset purchase of my friends company as well as purchasing the
entire building from our soon to be ex landlord. The business plan reflected, among other positive forward looking statements, rents alone from our
neighboring tenants exceeded the total operating costs needed for property ownership. This was met with approval at the bank and I was officially in
business for myself on Feb. 21, 2004.
Little did I know, but this was the beginning of the end. What I'm getting at though is it didn't have to be. My financial destruction came due not
to economic downturn, but from dirty banking practices, crooked insurance companies, rising utility costs and interest rate increases.
Auto body and paint repair wages have been suppressed by insurance companies for years. Mechanical repair rates once equal to, now more than double
that of auto body repair. Collision shops also differ regarding vast increases in utility and paint material costs. My heating gas for a 3200 ft.
paint area have gone from $1200, on average in cold months, to a new average of $3700 per month. This is only the paint area. I also have a 3200 ft.
collision repair area and a 400 ft. office. New 10%-20% increases for 2009 have been reported for heating gas as well as electric and water & sewer.
My average telephone bill was $90 in 2005 and now never less than $400. What's worse is these figures are not fair comparisons. My gross sales in
2004/2005 were $495,000 and $438,000 respectively. Sales for 2006/2007 were only $325,000 and $260,000 respectively. This is outrageous and
unsustainable. George W. removed any oversight to these crooks and we all are paying the price.
continued......