LOS ANGELES (CN) - L.A. Models, which claims to be "the largest modeling agency on the West Coast," cheats its independent contractors by deducting an extra 20 percent of their modeling fees for a bogus "service charge," on top of the 20 percent commission to which it is entitled by contract, a class-action complaint claims in Superior Court.
Lead plaintiff Federico Galavis claims L.A. Models takes 20 percent off the top from the party that hires the models, then takes another 20 percent from the models.
"For example, LAM will charge a client $120 for a job with one of LAM's models - Defendant LAM will retain the $10 (20 percent) service charge from the client and report having received $100 for the job to the model. Therein, Defendant LAM will then collect the $20 (20 percent) commission from the model. At the end, Defendant LAM will have collected $40 in total, while the model will have received $80. In effect, on any given job, Defendant LAM pockets one-third of the total amount paid by the employers who hire the models," the complaint states. And, it claims, L.A. Models charges its models even more for various "services."
Plaintiffs are represented by Douglas Johnson of Beverly Hills.
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