So frustrated.....i just hope the bride misunderstood... - Page 3

I agree!

I'd be PISSED if I was the bride. What right do they have one month before her wedding to tell her this!? If I were the bride, I'd be getting a lawyer or contacting the newspaper to do an article on it, so other bride's are aware!

Devil's Advocate - giving the venue the benefit of the doubt, maybe they didn't push the issue in the past, but maybe they very-recently got busted by the their city for not requiring their vendors have a license. I'm sure there are consequences for them allowing non-licensed vendors, just as there are consequences for you for doing business in an area that requires you to be licensed. it's not up to us to pick and choose what laws we follow, you shouldn't expect the venue to do the same and make exceptions because you don't like them. You know what I mean?

Bottom line - If it's a city/county requirement that you pay a fee for doing business in their area, it's not the venue's fault for following it.

As a business person, I wouldn't be mad at anyone but myself. As harsh as this may sound, it's nobody else's responsibility but yours to make sure your business is legal and has all the appropriate permits, licenses, insurance etc. It ain't the venue's responsibility. Sure, I'd be irritated, I may even be pissed because obviously I wouldn't be the only one looking like a dope right now, but I'd put on my professional "I Got This Covered, Bride, And You Have Nothing To Worry About" face.

You quite possibly are in in breech of your own contract by not being licensed in that area. My contract is pretty extensive, but "not being licensed and not having the money to pay for it" or "I don't want to pay for the license because I don't see the monetary benefit" aren't cancellation exceptions. Earthquake? Yes. Zombie Apocalypse? Yes. Don't want to get the license for the area in order to fulfill said contract? No.

So think about how the bride, in a hyper-sensative over-emotional state- is probably perceiving YOU (everyone) right now - I can only put myself in her place - but honestly I'd be thinking that all the businesses I contracted with that don't have licenses to do business where my wedding is are complete idiots, and anyone that isn't doing whatever they need to do to be legal this late in the game would not only never get my business again, but I'd never refer business to them ever and quite possibly blame them for ruining my wedding. I'd be thinking, you are the professionals that do this all the time, how could you not know? And if a vendor asked me, the bride, to pay the fee, I'd go from freaking out to nuclear. I'd probably call you very colorful names and tell you to go fornicate with yourself, followed by telling you that I expect a cake to be delivered per our contract otherwise I'll sue the poo-poo out of you.

Sounds harsh - but this isn't a normal person you are dealing with, you are dealing with a bride.

So, if I were you, I'd find the money and pay the fee ASAP with a smile, then start advertising "Licensed to do business in XXX!" to compensate for it.

Good luck!

I wedding vendor friend of mine had this happen to them. The reason for this was some of the wedding vendors in a neighboring city got tired of brides hiring vendors from other areas and taking away what they thought should be their business. So they pushed for this law to be enforced. I'm sure these vendors have higher overhead being as many of them were storefront business, so they charged higher prices for their goods than vendors in the surrounding area. Therefore more customers were going to vendors that prices were less.

Now as far as the health code, I'm not sure. But this is my opinion. Since the State of Alabama issued me a permit then it's good for the entire state, seeing as how the codes apply statewide, regardless of enforcement. As far as the taxes, yeah I get that but since that cake was manufactured in my license, inspected and permitted shop and I'm paying sales taxes in the county it was manufactured then why are taxes due where it is delivered? Let's say you buy a dress in New York but you live in Maryland you don't have to pay taxes on it again when you get it home.

If the venue did not make the bride aware of this at the time of booking them they are at fault. If this is a rule that has just been implemented or they have starting enforcing then she should be "grandfathered in." Meaning she was on the books before hand so it shouldn't affect her event. Just my opinion.

As far as having a business license for every county or city I delivery too is insane in my opinion. I deliver to many cities and counties and if I have to have business license in all of them I'll have to add more walls to my shop.

I was trying to be serious, but in a funny way

PS - I really do have "Zombie Apocalypse" listed in the natural disaster section of my contract. It's like an Easter Egg hidden in it and people find it hilarious (the ones that actually read, that is!)

I thought this was interesting so I went to research a city near me (but not the city where my business is sitused). This is on their business license, so it DEFINITELY could be legit...
"Who Must Pay Tax - Any person who conducts business within the city, either by maintaining a business location within the City limits OR, either personally or through agents, solicits business within the city, or picks up and/or delivers goods or services within the City limits, is liable for the Citys Business License fees unless specifically exempted by State law or local ordinance..."

I guess I'll make sure to get these for all nearby cities...thanks for bringing this up! I thought it was just the city in which my business is located!

I would think if it was not stated in the original contract then they have no leg to stand on with this.. she should be able to bring in who she has already hired. This cannot be sprung on a bride only a month away from her wedding!

State and local laws supersede any contract between private parties and businesses. If the venue is enforcing a law, then they are actually doing what they are supposed to be doing. Not following the law is not following a law, and you can't contract around it or not want to follow it because it was "sprung" on you. Yes, this has come up last minute, but that isn't the venue's fault (although the OP already said the venue was incorrect and she does not actually need a license after all, so in this instance I'd be fuming at the venue for upsetting a bride without making sure they knew what they were talking about).

BUT - Hypothetically, if a baker DID find out they needed a license to do business in a city they don't reside in, that is only the baker's fault for not checking something like that sooner, not the venue and not the bride. It's the business owner's responsibility to make sure their business is covered.

You pay city sales tax on a take-away food product? What state are you in again? In California sales tax is not collected on food unless it's consumed on-site where the food was sold. Example, Beyond Buttercream doesn't collect or pay sales tax on the cakes I sell because I don't have a storefront. Once I open one, I'll need to start collecting sales taxes on any food consumed on my location, but I still wouldn't collect sales tax on a cake I deliver

I DO pay taxes on income to the state/feds. Different topic.

No, you can't double collect taxes either way. You pay taxes to the city/county you reside.

Pebbles~~I've been following this out of curiosity. "What a mess" is right. Goodness! I am waiting with bated breath for the State's solution.

Talk about a Catch 22.

No worries. I worked for 30 years in the medical health care field and dealt with medical insurance issues every day (and in my dreams at night). At this point I'll believe just about anything that has to do with State or Federal agencies.

One thing I learned long ago was to call the same office 3 times and make sure I got the SAME answer 3 times. I cannot tell you how many times I would get 3 different answers......

Unless I got the same answer 3 times, I would FORCE them to provide a WRITTEN statement of the "answer". I cannot tell you how many times I would have them screech to a halt and gasp and say, "I can't put that in writing!"

As Yul Brynner said in "The King and I":
"Is a PUZZLEMENT!"