u/Opening-Voice9357

***First and foremost I understand any answer I receive is not legal advice, I just want to know what people have done in the past regarding this issue***

I have an investor who hasn't paid for the use of my plans the way he is using them - I charged him for a single use, there is verbiage on the plans saying he needs my permission to use them more than once. I informed him of this and sent an invoice for a 20% reuse fee for each build of the plan, as he has come back requesting changes and such, but he has since ghosted me.

My former employer said I could put a lien on the property, however, when I called the county they said since it was not a construction-type work but rather just the drafting/copyright, she wasn't quite sure what to do and couldn't direct me further as to not give me "legal advice." I would rather not scour the internet for days trying to find what I need to know in addition to the extra time it takes to actually go through whatever process I am trying to go through, so I am just wondering what people have done in this situation.

This is a copyright issue, so I understand an attorney could be the best route - however, if I could simply put a lien on the property as opposed to incurring legal fees that would be preferred. Or, I know that copyright laws are very strict - would my legal fees end up being covered by the investor?

Thank you!

I am a residential drafter - I worked for a company for about 4 years where I learned Softplan and have been freelancing for about a year and a half now, using Softplan as well. The company taught me the absolute wrong way to use the software, and I have since learned more about the correct way to utilize it to its full potential, but I am still struggling a bit.

I am having problems with certain aspects of the software. Some of it could be attributed to my older computer (about 6 years old now), like lagging commands, etc. But I also tend to have issues with other technical things. For instance, I started drawing a basement on the specific basement drawing in the project, yet for some reason everything I was drawing ended up on the main floor in 3D, which is on a completely different drawing. Another example is that I was trying to edit some kitchen cabinets on the main level in 3D, but they got entirely messed up (not based on my inputs), and the explanation that I was given from the tech support is that since the cabinet layer wasn't switched on in the basement level, which is not where I was working literally at all the entire work day, that is why my cabinets were getting messed up. There are a lot of things like this that pop up and make no sense to me, and it is becoming very frustrating to use. I want to learn the software as best I can, but it seems like there are SO MANY nuances, like it seems to create a new rule every single time I draw. Like playing beer pong at a frat party and they keep making up rules to make sure you lose.

My question is, is it worth it to dive into Chief Architect instead and go through the process of learning an entirely new software? Or will I be experiencing the same types of issues? I understand they are very, very similar softwares, but I also know that Chief Architect is more widely used, and perhaps that means it is more user-friendly? I don't need Softplan for material lists or takeoffs or anything like that, which is sort of what separates it from CA according to my research. They are relatively the same price, so that's not a factor either. I would just hate to go through all the trouble of switching only to experience the same frustrations.

I sent an invoice to an investor because while he paid for a set of plans, he did not pay for the rights to use those plans more than once - so I issued a re-use fee for the amount of buildings he planned on building (confirmed with the builder).

He has since stopped responding to any messages I've sent (unusual behavior) and is obviously trying to not pay me - the builder even said he is owed about 180k from this investor and that he refuses to acknowledge that there is anything wrong about ignoring his payment duties. I am still seeing ads for this new condo village he is using my plans for, so he clearly has no intention of stopping.

How would I go about approaching this? Is a cease and desist letter or "pay to continue" legitimate? Can I write that myself, or does anyone have a template I could use? What would my actions be if he doesn't pay and/or cease and desist by the given deadline? I am just a freelancer, so I don't have any company SOP or anything on how to approach this.

I am a freelance residential drafter/designer. What are some books, publications, live seminars or events, websites, any other resources that could help me improve my skills and ultimately my services to clients?

I currently follow some people on social media that cover space planning and things like that, and aside from watching their content I would like to gain more knowledge in my field - like better designs, interesting architectural features, creative ways to approach a difficult design, etc. Any input is appreciated!

I am trying to figure out how to take payments from people and avoiding the "consumer protection" fee that venmo and paypal have. It hasn't been an issue so far since I've been working mostly with the same investors and builders, however I am starting to grow a bit and am having more clients coming in. My most recent client opted for the consumer protection and I was therefore unable to receive the full payment.

I obviously can't tell people not to toggle that on because that's just plain sketchy lol.

Is there a way to solve this problem? I also take paper checks, but mail takes about a week to get to me which really holds things up (I withhhold plans/work until I receive payment).

I currently do freelance drafting drawing construction plans for residential homes. My scope of work typically does not include site visits (although I do sometimes), or site plans - I essentially get information from the builder or homeowner over a series of phone calls and emails to find out what I'm drawing and how they want it designed, and once we get a plan they like I get them sent off and they are ready to go. What they receive is a 4-6 page document with elevations, plans for each level, and building sections with an occasional 3D render for presentation.

I currently am working with an investor who is building condos (duplexes) on a golf course. When I started this project (2024), I was working full-time at a day job, so I didn't put much thought into what I charged as it was just extra cash. He just came back to me for some changes to future builds (nothing crazy) with the same plans, but since starting freelancing on my own I learned about the reuse fee for using my plans more than once.

In this case, since I didn't address the reuse fee from the beginning, would it still be reasonable to charge a percentage of the original fee (probably about 20%) for each build that uses my plans? Is this even grounds for charging a reuse fee? How should I approach this?

Thank you!