SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego photographer who has been accused by several females of not subsequent by with their contracts now faces far more legal troubles.
Due to the fact Team 10 initial commenced reporting on Lexie Cruz in 2021, extra girls have appear ahead saying Cruz violated the terms of their contract. In addition, Cruz is also tangled in legal issues with her landlord.
Ree said she hired Cruz soon after the photographer contacted her by means of a Fb team in 2021.
“She gave me a superior offer,” reported Ree, who only needed to use her initial title for privacy considerations. “I commenced paying her, generating payments and hired her.”
The contract she experienced with Cruz and her corporation, LL Media, showed an settlement of $750 for 8 hrs. Ree said she should have gotten a flash push with pics and movies, as effectively as photographs no later than 60 days soon after her Oct marriage. That did not take place, according to Ree.
Ree said Cruz gave her excuse just after justification, from the wi-fi wasn’t working and she was not performed editing the images.
Ree threatened legal action and last but not least acquired about a person-3rd of her pics.
For the to start with time, the videographer that Cruz labored with is also sharing her story publicly.
Lauren Martin was the videographer for numerous weddings, such as Ree’s. Martin had no concept many gals have been indicating their contracts had been remaining broken due to the fact she mentioned she “was staying advised complete other matters the entire time” from Cruz.
Martin stated she discovered out that persons ended up not getting images or films when a bride arrived at out to her in the fall of 2022. “[She] claimed that she didn’t acquire her shots or videos,” Martin claimed. “I was instructed that she was despatched anything by now.”
Martin and Cruz no longer do organization collectively. In the meantime, Martin has been in touch with several brides to give them the movies she has.
“I sent 11 flash drives in the past two months for men and women. I gave another person a refund that was intended to have their marriage ceremony in 2024 out of my own pocket,” Martin stated.
The problems bordering Cruz increase over and above her former clientele and co-staff. Janet Kleine reported Cruz was a tenant dwelling on her assets. Kleine stated she was a “reasonably good tenant until eventually she began bringing her spouse and children and they were being squatting in my condominium and creating issues and threats.”
Janet reported Lexie’s lease ended on Dec. 31, but she did not transfer out. Alternatively, Kleine claimed Cruz filed a restraining buy against her.
Kleine also filed a person in opposition to Cruz and numerous relatives customers.
Through a courtroom physical appearance on the restraining order at the conclusion of February, Cruz did not surface. Workforce 10 spoke to Kleine next the short listening to.
“It’s nerve-wracking, and it is really costing me a good deal of moments costing me a whole lot of income,” Kleine claimed.
While the troubles with Cruz as a tenant are unrelated to her images business enterprise, Kleine’s legal professional reported it is suitable “in that it reveals a pattern of harassment by this particular person,” in accordance to legal professional Alicia Freeze.
“It also goes to her credibility, which is certainly relevant,” Freeze stated.
Attempts to achieve Cruz by e-mail and cellular phone had been unsuccessful.
Her business enterprise license for LL Media is still active in California.
In a movie clarification posted to YouTube in 2021, Cruz supplied an clarification to some prior clients.
Certainly, there’s been cancellations. There’s been no deposit again, and I choose responsibility for the points that I have carried out,” she claimed. “But I also just can’t say that I’ve performed a ton of the stuff that men and women are producing me out to be.”
Even while Cruz never responded to Team 10, Ree said Cruz despatched her all the pics from her marriage ceremony inside of 90 minutes of Crew 10’s email to Cruz.
An attorney not affiliated with the scenario gave some direction to men and women acquiring troubles with their contracts. “I’d notify a individual who felt like there was a breach in their deal that they need to doc anything,” mentioned Valerie Garcia Hong, who is not affiliated with this scenario.
Garcia Hong reported the pandemic and a absence of face-to-face conferences amplified deal issues.
Due to the fact of the deficiency of in fact conference with the suppliers that we retain the services of, we obtain challenges like this,” Garcia Hong mentioned. “I feel the learning lesson from it is that you actually need to vet that seller and get as a lot details you can about their track record in advance of you enter into a agreement with them.”
Klein claimed Cruz last but not least moved out in early March, but that she nonetheless owes her lease cash.
For Ree, she’s glad she at last bought every thing she paid for, but it came with a expense.
“Don’t allow this happen to you. It’s a lesson I shouldn’t have discovered on a working day like that,” Ree claimed.
