Allen Knauer 1st Place Models Www.1stplacemodels.com Aka Indy Models Company owes model for tradeshow worked/expenses, will not pay, kept money from client Indianapolis Indiana

I was contracted by Allen Knauer of 1st Place Models in Indianapolis, IN to work a tradeshow for him/his company in Las Vegas on July 18-20, 2007. I live in San Diego and work full time as an independent contractor. I have worked as a successful tradeshow professional for over 5 years.

As per the contract, I was to receive compensation in the amount of $850 for working the event as well as be reimbursed for expenses relating to travel for this event in the amount of $100 bringing the total to $950.

I completed the tradeshow and received positive feedback from the client regarding the great job I had done for them. I was never paid by Allen or 1st Place Models for this event. It is now November.

I have tried calling, leaving messages, and emailing in order to try to get a response as to when I will get paid for my work.

Over the past 5 months, this agency has conveniently 'temporarily closed' several times without notice, then on the day it was supposed to re-open, I called and there was an outgoing message that he was going on 'vacation' for nearly half a month. Most of my calls and emails have been neglected. The responses that I have received have been mostly generic and unhelpful, or of the threatening nature advising me to stop persuing the matter.

Another of the excuses that I received was that the clients check was NSF and that he would have to wait for a replacement check from them.
I contacted the client who contracted www.1stplacemodels.com to staff the booth hostess position at the tradeshow. They stated that the agency had been paid already and the checks had cleared. They also stated that he had required them to pre-pay him prior to the event.

I have spoken with several other models that have had a situation similar to this happened to them with this agency.

I would like to be paid for my hard work. I would also like to prevent this situation from happening to other hardworking models.

Calimodel
San Diego, California
U.S.A.