I think it really pays to know someone in the legal profession.
I’ve been negotiating over a second venue for the SCIBAse exhibition, for the last month and from the very start, I made it very clear that we were a non profit organisation and did not have the funds to pay rental costs.
I felt like I’d made a breakthrough when the acting vendor offered a much less salubrious location within the building ‘at no cost’. Now, when I think of ‘no cost’, I assume that it means that I didn’t have to pay anything. Obviously, that has a different meaning to anyone in the trade. It was at no cost other than, a licence fee of £750 per month, up to £750 solicitors fees to draw up a contract AND utility bills at a business rate.
I’d had experience of a licence before – when using empty shops as a venue, so I wasn’t alarmed by that. ( For those not aware of what a licence is…and in layman’s terms, a document is issued with all the do’s and don’ts while using their building. The premises must be returned to the state it was given, or you pay a fee)
So… in my ignorance, I assumed that the £750 licence fee was only payable if there was some damage to the building.
Hmmm…it appears not and this is where my legal friend has stepped in – well before I became rash enough to sign anything!
I have now sent an email requesting that all fees are wavered.
Anyone else would probably walk away from this one, but with legal backing, I just want to see if its possible to make headway.
