Coercion of Jen Ch. 01

"While I was in New Orleans, scrambling to figure everything out, two weeks after the hurricane, I was negotiating with the insurer when I was informed that because we did not have the appropriate cash availability in our builders account, they did not believe we could finish the contract, so would be denying future coverage and, as a matter of fact, would not be covering damage to date.

"It was their contention that we had breached our agreement with them due to the cash shortfall. I informed them that they were wrong, that we had plenty of cash to finish the project and if I placed the appropriate amount in the bank account that I would expect them to continue to honor our contract. They agreed as long as the cash was in the account by end of day."

"I left the meeting completely confident that I had enough cash available as we had just enough in the land holding company to make up the short fall. I called up my girlfriend and asked her to immediately head to the bank and transfer the monies we would need to address the insurance shortfall.

She said she would, I told her I loved her, all would be well once this was done and I could be home by the weekend."

"The adjuster and I had set a dinner meeting for that evening. I was running around trying to put out supplier problems all afternoon and never found time to ensure the money transfer had taken place but I trusted her and went to the dinner meeting with full expectation to leave with the commitment I needed."

"The adjuster was there, I joined him and on gaining my seat he said he was surprised I had shown up since the money transfer hadn't been done. I apologized, said I didn't understand why, then excused myself and called my gal.

The phone rang forever before she finally picked up. She started apologizing immediately and informed me that she didn't have the cash required because she had made a land purchase the day before my call which had tied up all our cash. She had tried to get out of the deal all day but the sellers wouldn't budge, she was so sorry."

"Her failure to honor her commitment to me, to use the cash without my knowledge nor support, resulted in my losing the insurance money and a whole lot more. I spent the next two years fighting daily to survive and ultimately to rebuild. She had cost me almost everything, I fired her, I sued her for losses, she left the country and we never spoke again."

"I learned through that experience that when someone breaches a commitment with me that I don't want that person in my life. I don't do business with liars or cheats. I will only do deals with people that are fully committed to honoring their commitments. Nothing else matters if I can't trust them."

"Ms. Radner, understand me on this. Any breach of any kind in your commitments to me, any kind at all, and I will end our agreement, you will leave my property, and we will never speak to each other again.

It will be my lawyers who you will meet next, who will be charged with full recovery of all my costs. I will never tolerate betrayal!"

She took it all in as he spoke. She could feel his passion as he shared his tale. She could understand his disappointment, resentment, even anger at the former girlfriend. She understood he was not a man to take shit laying down. She asked, "What was her name?"

"Break your word with me and you no longer exist in my life," he finished off with authority.

She got the message that the ladies name would never cross his lips. The betrayer no longer existed in his mind just the lesson learnt. A shudder went through her as she realized his meaning and total commitment to his way of thinking.

They sat in silence for a while with both looking out across the property in peaceful serenity. He calmed himself after sharing his memories.

Finally, he asks if she wants the place. She excitedly replies, "Yes, I do."

He requests she sign a contract clearly laying out terms and conditions. Having just heard his story about contracts, agreements and conditions, she fully understood, all conditions and terms of any contract entered into with him, would demand absolute compliance or immediate termination with full costs recovered.

The contract was simple, as long as she met the terms and conditions of the contract, she had a safe place to live and raise her son. As she was paid weekly, she was to pay one week's rent. in advance, every Sunday at four p.m.

She was to remit rent every week on Sunday at four, in his den. At that time, she is to inform her landlord if there is any risk to making the next rent payment. Any known potential disruption in her rent payment schedule had to be immediately reported to the landlord so as to be able to seek assistance, advice, or options in making the payment.

The contract could be terminated by either party on demand with all outstanding debts to be paid forth with. Failure to repay all debt, on demand, could result in the lender demanding immediate payment in cash or services and pursue all legal remedies available to obtain such if necessary.

They are at the kitchen table, so he offers her an opportunity to read the contract, walks away, leaving the room, so she can read in peace. Instead of reading she day dreams about how great it is to find a place like this for her son, who is nonverbal and will have to fight to see ten-years-old.

One blessing was he slept a lot, on an average of fourteen-sixteen hours a day, even held to a pretty regular schedule, it helped. She thought of the gym, pool and the hot tub! Life would be so much better here, for both of us!

He came back in and asked her if she understood the contract. She said she did. He informed her one last time, "Do not enter into any contract with me, at any time and not honor it. I will not tolerate noncompliance and will always demand a penalty be paid, usually termination. Is this understood, Ms. Radner?" His voice had been quite stern, formal, there was no misunderstanding him.

He offered her a pen to sign the contract and she signed it.

She moved in on Monday evening.

Mr. Black had a lawyer discover that Jen was entitled to a government support worker, from welfare, because she was a special needs mom. One was provided at a very reasonable cost for her to hold down her job. The old Eastern European woman assigned to her, Elsa, spoke broken English but you knew she had a good soul, her eyes shone when she first saw the boy, she immediately reached out to hug the little bambino. Jen and Black smiled.