Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/21/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  ****** Ligon (owner of Ligon Fine Art Gallery) and I came to an agreement (late Nov, 2019) for ****** to sell several original Paintings that I had created. Ligon Fine Art Gallery sold one of my paintings called Windsong for $7200 in Apr 2023 and owed me half of that amount ($3600). After several attempts using emails, text and phone calls during 2023, Ligon Fine Art Gallery promised to pay me but never did. ****** Ligon closed her gallery in late 2023. I was able to retrieve my other paintings before she closed the gallery. ****** was hired by ***** ****** Home in ******** as an Art ********** and created an Art Gallery within the store. In Apr of 2024, Ligon Fine Art LLC made a payment to me of $500 leaving a balance of $3100. I was hopeful of receiving the remainder of payment, but further communications resulted with no payments. In Dec of 2024, I received the final communication email from ******. Again, no payments have been made.Bottom line: Ligon Fine Art continues to owe me the $3100 as noted on her $500 check she paid me in Apr of 2024. All correspondence is attached.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2025

  Attached is the text correspondence between myself and ****** ******* in Feb 2025.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2025

  I have represented ****** ******* and 35 other artists through Ligon Fine Art since 2018. This is my first BBB complaint... and hopefully my last.
  
  Ligon Fine Art began opened in *************************************************************************************************************************** January 2020. Because my business had been open less than a year, I was ineligible for PPP financing and benefits. This left me in a precarious situation, as I was left to figure out how to keep the business running (financially) as I had annual contracts with my landlord and 35 artists. However, rather than quit and close the gallery, I chose to push through and fight for our businesses at the adamant encouragement of (and on occasion the financial backing) from the artists. I had no choice but to bootstrap it.
  
  It is true, I did sell the piece entitled "Windsong" by ****** *******.
  
  Shortly after that, in April 2023, my landlord decided to have a conversation to discuss the renewal of my annual contract. (The contract was supposed to renew January 2023.) It was in this renewal discussion that he demanded that I pay triple the amount of rent that I had paid in the year prior. He backdated this rent increase to January 1, 2023. He then threatened to lock me out of the building wherein he would hold the $4m of consigned inventory until his monies were paid in full. (The monies were to be paid by May 1, 2023.)
  
  (Please remember, my business was still recovering from the effects that followed two-years of COVID.) 
  It was then that I asked ****** ******* if I could delay paying her the money owed for her art sales. 
  She agreed. (Of which I remain grateful.)
  
  I attempted to seek business financing through banks and other institutions, to no avail. It was through this experience that I learned that there aren't many resources available for businesses serving the art community.
  
  Ultimately, I was forced to close the gallery. 
  I returned art to the artists, placed some of the inventory into storage, and I decided to seek employment with another business. In July 2023, I settled on a full-time position as a Design Assistant with a local design firm, making $20/hour. Strategically aligning myself within an industry wherein I may continue to help artists sell their works AND perhaps earn enough income so that I can pay back the monies the artist(s) so graciously allowed me to "borrow".
  
  Mind you, through it all I have continued to seek business financing, to no avail.
  
  I worked in the design assistant position for the firm for over a year. While I didn't earn enough money to survive, I still made an effort to pay the artists as much as I could... as evidenced in the $500 check that I wrote to Mrs. ******* in May 2024. (Please understand that I was paying the other artists as well.)
   
  The sacrifice seemed to be working out swimmingly, as after a year the design firm allowed me to open an annex gallery within their firm, at no cost to me. The Ligon Fine Art annex gallery opened in August 2024.
  After the commissions to the design firm and the artists were to be paid, I was only to earn 10% of sales (at the very most), but this would at least be a venue wherein I could continue to support the artists and slowly repay them the monies they afforded on my behalf.
  
  Two months later ******** was hit by a major hurricane, ******. This, as you can imagine, had a major impact on Ligon Fine Art's business as well as the business of the design firm. (I also lost my home and still haven't been able to return.)
  
  In January 2025 the design firm decided to take back the space allotted for the annex gallery, therefore causing me to again close my gallery doors and work remotely as an art consultant.
  
  In February 2025 I contacted Mrs. ******* and informed her that I had clients interested in buying several of her pieces. I was SUPER excited because these sales would result in my ability to pay her the monies owed in full. But she refused the opportunity. (see attachments)
  
  Despite that, I mailed Mrs. ******* (in addition to the other artists) $100 check in May 2025 along with a promissory note. 
  This amount was unsatisfactory to Mrs. ******* which led her to file this complaint.
  
  This is absolutely NOT a case of a business owner attempting to take advantage of a contractor. I've literally sacrificed my life to support Mrs. ******* and the other artists so that they may do what they love to do the very most. 
  I continue to fight... and I continue to work has hard as I possibly may to pay them back and I continue to apply for business loans to support my cause, my calling.