Hello! Please tell do you answer questions concerning arts/gallery contracts? I am british. I have a very small house where I live, full time, in France. I am concerned about possible future battles with an arts agency, based in USA, that represented my work for some years - for a gallery in Japan, I continued to work with the same Japan gallery (against the agencys wishes) - after a messy break up with that agency. I will be glad to fight any court battles against the agency that might occur, & against the gallery too, if necessary, but I am very very 'hard up'. My question, I need to know especially - if they could force me to sell my house in France if I lost any legal battle with them. I would be homeless, and have nowhere to go at all. Or if they could attempt to claim a percentage of sales profits from around 2004? I have no savings and live on the income from art sales and my pension. My UK solicitor, in the beginning (96) told me to tear up the first contract they offered years ago, as it was totally unfair. I was very worried about my son in Japan at the time, so agreed to work without a contract, although later correspondence *may* have amounted to the same thing. There may also be some kind of hidden arrangement made via hostile family members, to attempt to lock me into a bad contract, to prevent my working in Japan alone - but this is not definite. (I have found other interested arts companies). There is some supporting evidence.

I add a small note;

One of the reasons among many that I found the agency unacceptable, was that all the shows in Japan were advertized as 'charity' shows in some way. The agency added a large percentage to my own prices, but did *nothing at all* for that percentage. Claiming their exclusivity in the japanese market made the huge fees appropriate. I had already had my work presented in Japan, via a printed calendar and another reproductions company wanted to promote my work there, so there was no way the agency could claim that I was selling in Japan, solely because of their efforts.

I managed my own liaison with the gallery, and my own deliveries

it seemed to me to be a kind of scam that the agency was offering to the detriment of charities involved..

I feel this could be a good part of any battle against an attack on them

I paid a small amount on account here, some years ago. Please let me know if you can help me - and my account status with your web site from your point of view?

Optional Information:
Country relating to Question: France

Already Tried:
UK lawyer - but she has no knowledge of this kind of problem.