that guy, balkins level +1 crazy.

Ricky plays Little League - Dow plays in the majors.

Doesn’t show up if it was mediated or arbitrated. I’d see about asking people who previously worked with them, did they get paid on time ect.

Thanks, the guy just moved here. I do need to check his references from where he was previously, good idea.

Now, how to ask for such a thing without sounding suspicous?

Start with a deep google search, it's often surprising what you can turn up. One develops a good sense of smell after a while - if you have doubts your intuition is probably correct.

Always structure your deals so you that don't get far behind, never release work without payment in full to date, and have a clear exit clause so that if they start jerking you around it's adios.

It's not suspicious. He might very well ask for your references. It also puts him on notice that you won't take any bullshit.

Thanks Miles.

Ug, I can't give details but yes, humans. Ug.

On subject of background checks, this has come up recently in our office because, being Canadian, we have a steady stream of applicants from conflict regions. All of us require basic security clearance just to have access to projects while others (such as yours truly) need secret level. We're not sure how to ask applicants if they can foresee any issues with them passing basic security clearance.

Secret level? Are you working on a facility for Labatt?

You need to be careful indeed, Pakistan got their atomic bomb "thanks" to the Netherlands. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a former exchange student from the TU Delft, stole the necessary nuclear technology from his Dutch employer: https://www.delta.tudelft.nl/article/tu-delfts-dr-strangelove

Miles... if I told you, I'd have.. wait, I hear helicopters.

NS.... like most things, it is best done in a straightforward way. "You will need to pass a basic security clearance screening, if x, y, or z is true, you may not pass and should reconsider your application for employment"

But people lie...

are we invited to the wedding, and, not related at all, but will it be open bar?

wonderful!

What about an outdoor wedding? Astroturf and plastic flowers.

i'm out of touch. i know trump interrupted tv last night, but i couldn't take more than a word or two before i left the room. anything else i should know?

trump who?

Sounds good to me.

Perfect timing! Just gave notice at my current job.

Congrats archanon! Where are you off to?

Thanks Donna! I don't think I want to say publicly with some of the recent activities on the forum... I value my anonymity under this account. Suffice it to say its an amazing female owned firm. PM me though, or I think you have my personal email?

What's in it and is it better than this "california common" brew I have at my desk?

Vodka, Chambor, and pineapple juice. It's girly, but good. Edit: not that martinis have genders, they are free to choose and be gender fluid too.

hey, keep your politics away from TC. 8-)

The martini is offended.

At least it's NOT gin.

I just discovered there's a ton of booze at my desk, and i'm only here for a few more days so I gotta drink it.

Gin is delicious... Tanq10 or Hendricks or GTFO

When I had drinks with Peter Bohlin FAIA he ordered a Cosmopolitan, which I always thought of as a girly drink, but he ordered it so severely and minimally that he changed my mind.

Im always surprised when people raise eyebrows at my ordering a Manhattan. I always associated it with mobsters, but apparently theres a feminine perception to it? Whatever. Love me a some good Canadian rye, and its the only reliable whiskey cocktail i know of.

The only reliable whiskey cocktail is Whiskey.

There is just no way 5% of the population dies every year.

I need sensitivity training.

Do you use the cinnamon stick as a straw?

No, the cinnamon stick is used as a cigar. It isn't even in the drink.

i wonder if the dialogue would make more sense if you switched screen names when talking to yourself?

Hendricks or GTFO.

I overdid gin and tonics in college. They were 75 cents at a certain dive bar.

Hendricks is also a great gin. I really miss the one from Reykjavik distillery. Haven't replaced it yet since air freight costs are as much as a bottle.

Think i've mentioned this before but its still a good shout. Try Ungava from the Canadian arctic; really good stuff.

I way overdid G&Ts in grad school and somehow I'm still not sick of 'em.

Hendricks G&T with a cucumber slice.

How do you spell it?

Whales.

How people don't qualify for the "free" part but should sign up the sharks now to do their wills.

Are you free to choose if or if not you attend? Did I freely wrote that sentence? What about this one? The hole gets deeper... did I choose to dig it? No... no, dig up stupid.

*write*. Silly iPhone. I freel
y chose to not correct my post.

My very first real project was an ICE detention center. It was called INS back then though.

Jails and detention centers are a growth industry. They're planning ahead for massive civilian uprisings.

Probably planning ahead to incarcerate all those architects who issue stamped PDFs according to Ricky's latest ramblings.

wait, that baller is still here? god, that change really does the trick.

I'm not that fond of fishing.

Is it just me or is the horse stoned? Awesome photo!

The gin bar near me (Scofflaw, named one of the best cocktail bars in the country in some magazine) has a great Old Tom gin. 

emulating Prince with a little bit of jon bon jovi...

Yaaa!

Missing posts returned.

All of that was bizarre. Scary, too, to see his/her/its wingnuttiness coddled .

Ah well, shit happens.

I talk to myself... sometimes I need an expert opinion...

I talk to myself ... sometimes I need a contrary opinion.

I don't talk to myself because it always just ends up in an argument.

You do all the drawings, details, and specs too? Want to help me?

You want to teach everybody on a thread? That sounds like fun!

Tintt, in Denver you want Kyle Schurter and Robbie? At KL&A. Inexpensive, especially for simple projects and we're always happy to talk bigger picture principals, rules of thumb, check work, etc...

Were rather than "we are", I'm not them.

Awesome, archanonymous. Thanks!

Chrissy, I'm open to it. I'll talk to the rest of the team. (can I call you chrissy? probably shouldn't.)

If you want to send me a pm you can tell them who sent you but it shouldn't matter, they are serious professionals over there.

I sent you an email, sir.

This is an awesome idea, thanks tintt & Chrissy ! I have a "back-pocket" structural engineer that I've used to double-check my gut in various small renovation settings, and with a bigger renovation coming up I was actually thinking the same thing as you -- asking if he'd walk me through some basic rules of thumb for being able to start sizing things on my own. He's shared a bunch of basic guidelines on previous projects (and of course, using the wood frame span charts and stuff gets you a lot of the way there -- when in doubt, oversize (haha)) which has helped me feel more confident in my own quick analyses. Would be great to have a little crash course in this from Chrissy, thanks!

Yay! I'll see if I can make it work!

This is a neat idea. On the rare occasion where I've done residential moonlighting, I did all the calcs myself using the guides available in my national and provincial codes. Basic span tables, concrete and rebar specs, etc. If you don't deviate, the code examiner typically does not ask questions and I would purposefully undersized something obvious to attract their attention and make them believe they did their job. I used to know truss design and would love to pick it back up again. Just been about 14y since I've had to do one.

Yeah, my plan was to not deviate to make it easy. So design is one part, then I'm guessing there are submittals and inspections too. I don't know that part at all. hmmm

Have you seen the software that shows trusses like a heat map? Tension is red, compression is blue.

Congrats on the new job!

Congrats on the job and what sounds like some fat stacks of cash. Hope you asked for a signing bonus

Use a good realtor! Don't let anyone know you're an architect!

He was supposed to be a good one. I didn't tell him I am an architect.

"What do you guys do, as architects, when it's time to buy and sell your own homes? " ... regret that I spent 6 years mindfucking myself debating the fold, form and the tartan grid... instead of taking a 15 day course for 6
%... oh hell... who am i kidding it was 8 years... :D

The info he had is invaluable tho! Did you know 96% of home buyers start their search online? Did you know brick houses have brick walls?

Guess he forgot to mention the vinyl siding on the sides and rear.

He was talking about my house. Load-bearing triple wythe. Brick on the inside AND the outside? Yup.

The realtor actually told me his fee was negotiable. I'm going to take him up on it.

Yep... it's Thursday and I've already put in 42 hours this week and looking at coming by Saturday to finish a report.

Yep... I just hit 40 and its my first week at the new job/ worked a 1/2 day Monday.

Busy in a good way. Witnessed one of those moments where someone runs out of the room crying no!!!! today. I took comfort in knowing that others recognize this behavior as inappropriate even though social code says we must pretend we don't see it.

lol. i just walked out of the office at 38, thinking maybe i should stick around just to finish off the work week.

you have to keep track of hours if your time is billable. not that you have to stick to a 40 of course, that's just for amusement.

I don't know but I just looked at the code at it says 1 toilet per 10 occupants and 1 shower per 8. Is that what you want?

Thx tintt, that's what I found too... I was talking about establishing base occupancy # though. 2015 is 200 gsf/ person for residential, but you could have a double or triple occupancy dorm room with 200sf... Which seems like it would throw counts way off.

Got it. Not sure.

that's crazy

Gotta love the Studio diet. I lost 10 pounds over thesis.

you need snacks!

yes, but if you have a lot of work to do you might want to supplement it with some sort of protein or a bit of lettuce or something like that.

I got a giant box of granola bars. Curt, are you still interested in moving to Colorado? I'm looking for a partner.

i would consider offers.

I'll know more within a month or two. Or theres this..... I'm getting lots of recruiters contacting me - I could give them your name if they are willing to recruit from out of state.

i've been contacted by quite a few recruiters as well. have you followed up and actually spoken with them? i talked to a couple before i got the job i have now. it just sort of seems that what they do isn't viable. i'm not actively trying to leave the job i have at the moment, but there are always times when i think things out of my control could be controlled better. i could probably be pulled away if your pitch was good enough :)

I always turn them down. I'm not interested in working in a firm. I asked one a question once and never heard back so yeah. It's crazy busy is what I'm saying.

You dodged a bullet. If she's this much of a bitch because you didn't take her project, just imagine how impossibly difficult she would have been if you had. Congrats.

Gotta flag 'em all!

Same here, got another one this morning.

Ha!

Some people are put on Earth just to provide amusement for others.

Correct, and for some reason, several find their way here. Are we some sort of promised land for the lost causes?

This system of tubes is a place where anything is possible.

Is tube some new hipster slang for gutters?

That thread is in the gutter.

A dumpster fire without Ricky B? Can you imagine if he got his mitts on this one?

I saw a thread on twitter yesterday that was an angry vegan shaming another vegan for buying a non-vegan ice cream for a sad child. I was near tears of laughter because I truly felt this guy was Balkins but arguing about veganism. it was delightful.

This idiot makes Balkins look good. Really. I mean Ricky doesn't have a mean bone in his body.

What did I miss?

Josh, look up both of Rich_9999's threads. You missed out.

Alright, I've got to stop. This is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You want to look away but you can't.

That took quite a while to escalate, normally that level of dumpster fire is reached within a few posts.

Rando, I think it lasted so long because we were hoping the OP would provide a detail or drawing of their design/solution. It degenerated after it became apparent he was not able to look at the problem in a logical way.

Their loss...I was just getting into the subject matter.

While OP checked out days ago already.

He must have found our incompetence and buffoonery intolerable.

Certainly the wanker is still lurking silently in the background.

I was gonna mention coravent for vertical wood rain screens, but I didn't wanna seem like I was taking it seriously.

Leave.

Sounds like a great place to move up quickly through the ranks now with everybody gone :)

The path for advancement is clear.

the company will not survive the divorce unscathed

Leave, and pull a Scarface from Half-Baked on your way out. Sounds like this one is a bridge you probably should burn.

While there are a lot of dysfunctional firms in our discipline, this one sounds like a real prize winner. There are also really wonderful firms. Go find one of them.

This is about as good an excuse as you'll ever have to leave a firm. If you interview in the same city, the prospective employers probably have heard gossip about this firm and should be understanding. If not, they should be able to read between the lines when you tell them you left because of nepotism.

I so want to keep that thread alive to see how deep it goes.

Slow day?

No... not been a slow day in months.

You're such a troll. I'm laughing my ass off at Ricky playing architect.

OMG I totally read your post as "Ricky advising Trekiez on dating...." and literally scrambled to go read the thread! Then I realized you said *detailing* and was disappointed.

So sorry. They do make a cute couple, though.

Ricky giving out dating advice? Oie.... let's not open up that can. As a side note, I contributed actual architecture stuffs in my last response to that thread. That's enough built in karma to last the next 8 "what design is this" wanker realtor posts I gather.

It happens. It happened to me today, and when I realized, I wanted to call the asshole and tell him.

Once the moment passes it's too late. I'm just trying to remember it for next time.

Sign of a gentleman.

^one thing i'm not.

Surprise, surprise.

Happens to the best of us:

That's funny right there.

No you're not. Hire an architect.

I charge too much. Maybe that Trek wanker can offer lower fees.

Hi Trek, forgot your sense of humour at home again?

Yours?

I know mine are better, my Tequila goggles confirm it. The overseas thing has got me confused, I don't know the drinking schedule in various time zones.

When's the Australian happy hour?

24/7 apparently.

Mine are definitely better after. Though I'm fairly happy with the comment I just made on the "what style is this" thread and I'm not drinking. Yet.

only on cannabis - when I drink, the last thing in my mind is to look at the inter tubes.

That archlife wanker certainly ain't getting any more cheerful.

Once again Arch, you've given no one here "a taste of your own medicine". You're simply not worth taking seriously and using a poor sap like you for low-bar entertainment is pretty much all you're good for anyways.

Apparently it's unhappy hour in Leicester. So sad.

There is nothing to deny as there was never any ass whooping. You're just upset no one wants to play with you.

ArchLife, comments like this ^ are not welcome in Thread Central. ArchLife, Miles, NonSeq, please take it back to ArchLife's thread.

It's obvious that nobody in the real world wants to play with you, thus all your infantile blustering on the internet. Here you can pretend you are somebody. What you find upsetting us that we all know.

Hey... I didn't start it, or maybe I did. Not sure, too busy to keep track of discussions. Besides, there is hockey to watch soon anyways.

Trekiez started it.

Touche'

kill them

That is the real life ignore button, BUT then I'd be posting from jail and I'm not sure about that.

I often face that and I typically the "go to" person to fix other people's short comings. Just keep track and ask for more money since you have to redo work.

Asking for money forces a choice. Fire the jackass, in which case you probably get the extra work with no extra dough or fire you 'cause you're too costly. Intelligent decisions are atypical.

I already asked for more. Got a little bit, but not enough.

^then priorities what you work on within your set hours. Don't push away more important projects just because you work with wankers.

I don't work hourly. :(

Tell TC about it. We're listening (Delilah voice).

You can either hope it goes away or undertake a full-on legal assault. Harassment charges/ restraining order and sue him all at the same time.

What does the harassment consist of? States have different thresholds for meeting the actionable definition of harassment, but typically you'd need to be able to document a sustained pattern of contact with no useful purpose beyond - and the specific intent to - create alarm, annoyance, and/or emotional distress.  You may have a problem with the "no useful purpose" part of that, if he legitimately believes he has financial damages and is contacting you to try to resolve those.

As for your former partner trying to sue you: he may have a case there, even if there was no explicit non-solicitation agreement between the two of you. Most states have some version of a "uniform trade secrets act", which potentially covers this if the client came to your firm during the time that it was a partnership. The client and their project can be considered to be a trade secret of that partnership, meaning that you can't take it outside of the partnership without agreement of the partnership, unless you can prove that you would have known of this potential client and project in some other way that would have been readily available to the general public.

The wierd thing too... he doesn't want the job and told me this as well as the client which is why the client called me. When the client called me I immediatedly called the former partner and asked if he was ok with it. He said he was too busy and didn't want the job plus he didn't think it would pay enough. So I think that means I can take it right? This guy doesn't want the job but he doesn't want me to have it either. Now that I have it he is jealous. I think he made a mistake, took the wrong risk. Former very good friend/former colleage here too. I told him again yesterday he can call the client and ask for the job and I will back off. We were never techincally a partnership, we were co-oping both as sole proprietors. The harrassment is name calling both to me and around the community and threats of various sorts including suing me.

If I'm acting out of line, either legally or ethically I want to know so I don't get in hot water.

It does not sound like you're out of line ethically. It sounds like you're saying you discussed the situation with your former partner before you took on this job, and he didn't want it then, and he's changed his mind since. If that's the case then there's nothing to feel bad about -  he's just too late - too bad so sad. He's being unprofessional by asking you to bow out when the client already has a relationship with you. Who says the client would even want to switch to your former partner now? If you bow out now there's every possibility that the client will just go with a different architect.

Legally is a little more complicated:  your former partner could certainly try to sue you.  As I explained above, projects/clients that are introduced to a firm are usually considered trade secrets of the firm.  Partners are sometimes successful in suing other partners in stealing those clients/projects from the partnership.  Whether he'd have any chance of success probably depends on the paper trail.  If he has evidence that the client and project were originally introduced to you during the time that the two of you were partnering, and if you do not have evidence of the conversations that have transpired since, then perhaps he'd win.  Hopefully you have something in written form (emails?) to back up everything you've explained here.

Most of it was verbal but yes I have plenty in text messaging. I also have the client as a witness. The client is the one who told me this guy was too busy to take on the work in the first place. Then he told me the same. I kinda feel like I should file something somewhere. Like a restraining order but not really. The threats are enough that I'm afraid this guy is determined to sabotage me, the project, or both out of spite. Thanks by the way. 

He says I undercut him, but it was before I even gave it thought. He told me what he wanted which was over 10% for architecturals alone, and I said it was too much. This was when we were "partners". So he says that's undercutting.

Found the answer on the FTC website. No, it's not undercutting, or predatory pricing as they call it.

You have done nothing wrong and appear to have bent over backwards to avoid conflict. Unfortunately that does not protect you from anything.

This is a form of harassment and is extortion if there is a demand for you to do anything. You can report this to the police and file a harassment charge, at which point you can request an order of protection. At the very least you are establishing an official record of his behavior which will be useful if it continues.

If you have a record of threatening texts / emails / phone calls all the better.

Also don't panic. If a process server appears at your door you will have to respond. Until then it is just a bunch of hot air. You have not violated any legal, professional, or ethical standard. If push comes to shove you counter-sue for frivolous action and claim damages for legal fees and emotional distress.

I have a license, accredited degree, and insurance and said individual has none of the above. And yes, this is part of the problem, that he says I used my credentials against him. (waved them around, lol, made him look bad that I called myself the 'a' word that he can't use) This doesn't belong in the #metoo records but it is a fine example of how a man thinks he can treat a chick in my opinion. I don't think he would do this to me if I was a man. 

Well clearly your first step should be to report him to NCARB and the Colorado licensing board so he can never become a licensed Architect...

if those are you friends i'd hate to see what your enemies do to you. i think you definitely have good reason to be pissed off at him. legally, i would advise not taking advice from an internet forum. especially not a forum with architects. our inflated egos tend to make us think we know a lot more than we do. mile's advice about talking to the police might be a good idea though.

Maybe he'll read archinect today and see this. And shut the hell up.

Asking an attorney. I'll let ya all know.

First attorney says it's libel and slander and suggests a cease and desist letter.

Chrissy, you bring up a good point about not legally being able to compete. And I don't think he knows that. :(

Wow... that sucks tintt... sorry to hear...

(In delilah voice :))

tintt, tell them to fuck off. there, saved you an attorney fee, seriously though, have the attorney write a cease and desist, or you'll get some jersey types, who know where the hoffa is buried.

Jerry Jerry Jerry!

Relax........ there is absolutely nothing here! You undercut him for a job he didn't want? You somehow violated the terms of a three week old co-op "agreement"? He isn't licensed to begin with? You've told him as recently as the day before yesterday that he could have the job if he wanted it? Your client will support your side of the story? This will never materialize into anything vaguely resembling a lawsuit. The guy is a wack job, clearly. The only thing I would worry about is him egging my house or slashing my car tires before the men with white suits and butterfly nets come to take him away for a nice long rest at Shady Manor.

Geezer, precisely! Except egging my house is kid stuff. I’m worried about the crazy adult version of it. If I go missing...

If you fear for your safety you absolutely must file a police complaint for harassment, at which point you can ask for an order of protection. Which will without doubt be granted. 

Stop fooling around and get it done. You can end this game with a single phone call.

from funny to scary pretty fast. most likely all talk, but still...…

Update: the best piece of advice I got is from my husband (the counselor/psychologist) and that is to de-escalate the situation by ignoring it. The equivalent of saying fuck off but not even wasting the breath to say it. Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

good luck tintt

Hang in there, tintt. As I told my ProPrac students, anyone can sue anyone for anything. But as Miles says, whether the case has any merit or not is the question: it could all just be hot air.