Not sure where this new poster is getting his "facts," but a quick check as he suggests would show he is wrong. The tax records do list that property as belonging to J&M Popadiuk. Interestingly, they had been delinquent in paying 2014 taxes but suddenly paid it and the back penalties right before the Pintasia announcement was made. I wouldn't be surprised if John received cash to cover that as part of the licensing deal just like his office rent.

Just a thought, but if someone was planning to go bankrupt, why pay their taxes? Is it possible that Jpop will pay the plaintiffs when he loses the case(s), as he doesn't want to go bankrupt?

Conversely, if Jpop is renting and has no assets, this is worrying, as he could easily walk away from Zidware.

I've seen people, including 'rich' people, use this tactic. The expensive cars and mansion house all rented/leased. I always wonder where their money is. Offshore and untouchable, of course. To their creditors, anyway... Unethical in my view, but a highly efficient way for them to conduct their financial affairs and be able to set up and dismantle companies, even go bankrupt, without much personal risk.

But of course this is all speculation about Jpop. We will soon find out the facts as the legal case unfolds. Or won't, if he settles/there is a default judgment. This should be interesting to watch evolve, and at this juncture I cease to care (too much) about my lost money. It's popcorn time.

Taxes don't discharge in a bankruptcy and paying owed taxes to the government is not a preferential payment.

What you are able to keep in a bankruptcy is a matter of state law and most states allow you to keep a homestead property if it doesn't hold too much value (in Louisiana it used to be around 80k of equity in a house, not sure what it is today off hand, in Florida there used to be no limit on value, not sure today).

Here's what I wrote on the owners group for JJP. A thanks to those who do make games, and my feelings on what a shame pinsiders need to throw threats and garbage at others when its supposed to be a community. Hopefully my last post in this depressing thread. (and yes I'm copying to pinside from the private owners group because... I wrote it in the first place)
++++++++++++++++
Jack -
I have a little tidbit on my attempt to help. I went to John's the thursday before the NW show, to get a few posters signed that my family wanted to frame for fathers day gifts. I went to his shop and he was gracious with his time and showed me around, I'd never seen the shop or any of the games of MG or others. I had skipped the 10k posts on the pinside thread - what a waste of a lot of pinhead time - they could have been playing a game, using Novus or doing a shop of their favorite title....

Anyway, that weekend John emailed me asking for help - he explained the Bill factor, and needed to get the game in whatever finished state to ship to the show Wed. morning. I spent about 18 hours over the next 2 days, being an amatuer pinball assembly and on-the-fly designer. The game was about 50% done, with several mechs that weren't going to make it on the game - Bill's friend John and I helped Jpop to assemble a few mechs and attach some PF stuff, redo a bit of wiring, join the plastics ramps that had just came in on a rush shipment - it was a scramble, and literally making brackets and drilling plastics (the only ones), hoping to not make a mistake and solve some finish and fit problems along the way - the game got done at 230am Tue morning - and Bill's friend got in the rented van and trekked 30 hours to Seattle on 2 hours of sleep. A few of us really helped!!!

The game at the show was a lot of eye candy, but with the scoops, magnets and ramp returns not finished, the response was ??? this is it? Bill got back to the pinside thread with, "not going forward". The game was a gorgeous box of lights. Everything was custom, the monitor brackets had to be reversed at the last second to get the PF to fit. So while the code and color LCD and visuals were stunning - few could leap to the end conclusion that the game was near production ready.

Not least, the game cabinet and PF are not standard size. For JJp or Stern to sub-contract assembly, new sized manufacturing fixtures etc would need to be created - and for 19 ( or 30?) MG and maybe 200 games of MG or game #2, the fixed cost just for prep assembly would have added thousands more to the $1mil already spent pre-order money.

Pinside is a no-win place. I got attacked for not saying enough, for not taking pictures and sharing, for not taking inventory so they could have me testify in their lawsuits for liquidation, geez - it was aweful. AND I DIDN"T PREORDER W/JPOP. So I did all this to help a friend, had no $ at risk, but spent time and $ of my own to help pinheads, none of which I knew, just to see the final game at least have a last gasp at a rescue. It was kind of fun being a pinball guy, in Jpop's shop, trying to make a prototype - a good story and memory for my later pinball years.

I have talked with Jack, Charlie@Spooky, Heighway, Dennis and Greg on Whoa Nellie, many at Stern - I get to see and talk about how each is doing their own way to get games made and delivered (and I don't share between them, Roger Sharpe told me that he had makers confidence to not share, so he was respected for that and it was appreciated). WHat I have learned is that all have a passion, and only the savvy business guys, with passion and smart financial moves, will survive. John didn't realize how long a design prototype phase lasts - and he didn't plan for a 4 year investment capital cash flow plan - in fact, he didn't have a business plan much at all. No project manager to keep things pressed to deadlines, no budget, and no updates --- once you lose confidence amongst customers or prospects, its over. Expo reveals of empty cabinets and other mistakes, didn't help potential investors, vendors or pre-order folks keep any enthusiasm along the journey. in 2015, it all turned to talking about "ever?", is there money for refunds?, can vendors survive a write-off... add a predator event, the blow up of a Dutch Pinball USA rep and delays on even the simpler BoP 2.0 kit ---- it all contributed to angst, then pinside anger, even threats and wishes of poverty and homeless John going to jail which his family watched, his wife was added to the blame game --- it was/is terrible to watch.

I'm grateful to Jack for keeping his passion. The factory, design and coding will happen eventually. Jack risked a lot of up front money on all the fixtures, space and 3 years float for salaries and $1mil in parts (I'm guessing --- actually, it had to be if you saw it personally), before the first game rolled off the line. Who knows if a$7 - $8 mil of a 1000 Woz was enough to even break even, JJP may not break even until the PLD game.

Bottom line - appreciate Jack and the others that are willing to risk the entire $ on a dream and 4+years of their life because of something they love to do.

Thanks Jack
Happy Fathers Day.

Ah, that covers the tax question- thanks!

I feel sorry for Bill having lost $100k to Jpop with Pintasia. It may mean Jpop could pay off a few plaintiffs though, if he goes down the 'no bankruptcy' route. Or will someone force an involuntary bankruptcy on him?

I do want to make one more comment:

though the above is generally correct, there are not a lot of absolutes in the law and a bankruptcy judge is an exceedingly powerful person. If inclined, a bankruptcy judge does have the power to hurl a lightening bolt through the IRS or state level taxing authority. It does not happen frequently but is theoretically possible.

This is really limping to the finish line.

The way I see it, the info is easily found online. What difference does it make if it's here, on Google, on a personal blog, or anywhere? He could have registered his website privately, and not posted his own phone number. But he didn't.

Besides that, ripping people off should have been off limits. The gloves are off now, he made the bed he's gonna lie upon.

why are you here if you don't want to be?

The Illinois homestead exemption is limited to $15,000 for an individual, and $30,000 for a married couple.

Yes, federal bankruptcy law often trumps state law.

In fact, some tax claims can be fully discharged in bankruptcy (e.g., income tax debts at least 3 years old, subject to qualifying criteria), and a bankruptcy trustee can avoid and recover some preferential payments to taxing authorities (e.g., if the payment was for an antecedent debt).

Christ Jack people lost a lot of money. You can't grasp the anger?? Additionally there is a trail of blumbering and secrecy that made it worse and prevented stop gaps.
Thanks for last efforts but seriously getting to help out for a weekend does not feel like losing 16k.

Nice post. This explains a lot about your character and I'm sorry I miss judged you at one point. Happy Fathers Day

I give Jack credit for doing what few others have been able to do- actually ship a pin.

However, don't forget, Jack "risked" a lot of OTHER peoples money for those 3 years, not his own. You might say "so what", but I think that a pretty big distinction.

That doesn't take anything away from the accomplishment, but lets not romanticize who exactly was taking the risk.... Because frankly, THAT is still a big part of the problem with all these startups- they aren't risking their own money.

If he had been listening to Harwell, he might have made better decisions.

That's pretty low, even by Syracuse standards.

From what I've seen, in bankruptcy your primary residence is still safe.

Real classy there, fella.

I thought it was funny.

but... Is she hot?

I'm just wondering - did any of the unpaid suppliers do any legal action ?
Not sure about how it's legally in the usa, but can't they just go to court with their unpaid invoice (and certified letters following this up) and force Jpop into bankrupcy ?

It seems none of them does, why ? Does everyone just want to stay friends with eachother in the pinball business ? Didn't want to burn bridges ? Did they hope that Jpop would continue and they'd get more business from him later ?

hope that kiss proto was put together with his own funds.
stick to one machine, concentrate on that... keep the overheads in control, have realistic expectations, dont go ballistic on custom shit everywhere.. stick to at least some standard forms... the vision was too great.
are those another 2 mg cabs to the right or something else ?

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So with those Nemos now being delivered, it IS possible to create a low-production custom game, as long as you don't siphon all the money for wages and monthly expenses like office space.

Possible to make... But is it a business? How much will the guy lose in the deal at the end of the day. A game of passion shouldnt be compared with someone trying to make a living at it

Ben and others have already proven you can hand make games. Yet spooky is the only one coming close enough to actually call it a job

I like being here. I don't like jerks like you so I ignore. You should have more pride than venom

Any preorder on a game that will take years to design, see and build is a risk. Even for an established manufacture in coin up, like Jack was. I agree, they all risked other people's money.

"Player 1, Ball 2 ..."

Wait, I never even got my first ball!

Yes you did!

No I didn't .....

Also, we can't let bad apples ruin pinside. Thinking raping someone's wife is funny, needs to be countered with pinsiders who think its evil not funny and disgusting. I am not a saint, but I can object to your crap and I know many agree - however, wise pinsiders have drained this thread long ago. I think I'll join them. Putting you back on ignore.

I don't know about that. It shows that a man who's full-time profession is NOT pinball managed to complete and ship a custom run of 14 games with a TOTAL budget of under 80K in less time than John Popadiuk, who was working "14 hours a day, 7 days a week" on his projects with a million dollar budget. It is even more relevant because the board he designed to run Captain Nemo is the SAME BOARD that John is currently using in Magic Girl & RAZA.

whoa whoa whoa there buddy. You are one messed in the head guy.

I am not sure where you read anything about raping someone's wife you damn creep and there is nothing funny about that it is disgusting. He said he wanted to bang his wife and finish her (i.e. make her climax) which jpop has never done. In other words if jpop can't finish this project in 4 years then he unlikely to have ever been able to please his wife either.

Much like Bill (a real man) attempted to step in and finish this project, maybe a real man needs to step in and help out jpop with his other issues.

It was pretty funny given the situation, but now some weirdo like you takes it to a whole new level. Get you head out of the gutter or maybe at least check yourself. How you read into that as a suggestion of rape/approval of that sort of suggestion is beyond cloudy and you may want to take a step off the ledge.

so you have no money in this? you go to JPOP to get your stuff signed? you wrote JJP a love letter?

you loved being in Jpop's shop for the history of it?

listen buddy,we all lost serious money,you DO act like you are a saint and there is a lot of pissed of people over here,do not come here again,this place is not for you...

you just like to watch a good car crash,

go away..

I now own that garage door..

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He sure would be a bit more uncomfortable if people started camping out in front of his house with picket signs & etc. and followed him around everywhere he goes. Right now he's wandering free, wherever he may go, spending other people's money on his own needs and desires and not one single person is giving him a hard time about it up close and in person.

Right on Right on !

Please can we all be a bit more cordial? Pinball is a fun, non-essential hobby. It's awful to observe when Pinside gets like this

As for Jpop, I want to get my money back/get civil justice, but in no way do I wish harm upon him. Legal, due process is all I crave, as I'm sure would be true for all of us, regardless of occasional ranting which we may all succumb to occasionally to varying degrees. For me, it can occur after a few Coronas in the jacuzzi

Anyway, back to the litigation (drumroll...), it will go on the Cook County Circuit Court website shortly, but I've had an email from Zane Smith's office today that the Judge granted our motion to amend the complaint to add additional plaintiffs. There are ELEVEN plaintiffs in total currently, including me. The defendants (Mr & Mrs Popadiuk and Zidware) have 14 days to file an appearance and 28 days to respond to the complaint. I added up the total money being claimed, and it's $94,835. Maybe Jpop will consider that worth paying to avoid bankruptcy? Who knows.

So there you have it. Some actual new information in this thread

Thanks!

You rock! Tyvm for the update!

My pleasure

BTW all the plaintiffs look like individual customers, not vendors. So no 'big money' being claimed yet...

Yup. He could potentially just get a second mortgage and pay off all the plaintiffs and be done with it. That would allow him to keep Zidware going.

That would be the best news for everyone. At least 95k is doable with a second mortgage or some sort of bank loan.

Second mortgage? From what I hear he makes that much in a year

Considering that he could have done that to get the project off the ground, I don't see that happening.

We'll know in 28 days

Except... he hasn't shipped a run of 14 games, nor has he completed the game -- just delivered the near-finished game to his first customer. Again, back to the point, lots of people have built custom games.. Building a pinball company is not just about building one or a handful of prototypes... its a lot harder to actually get those games to production, sell, and do it cheap enough you can afford to keep doing it and actually making a living off of it (the original comment).

Antonio's work is an amazing example of a boutique game and I'm sure the game will be quite stunning when completed. But I don't think his, like other projects like The Matrix, Ben's games, WOOLY, and numerous other customs have a lot of relevancy when it comes to what should be expected behaviors/traits from a company that legitimately is trying to make a BUSINESS out of it.. and actually make a living. Not just a personal passion. Spooky is the closest we have to that business reality.. but he too relies on family to fill the gaps and I'm sure is probably still way in the hole when it comes to actually being in the black across the board. DP looks to trying to be a legit one as well. It can still be a long gap between surviving and 'making a living'. I wish none of them ill-harm, but its still a big difference between being able to make a game, and be a pinball company...

Building a pinball company is about building a selling games, whether its 1, 15 or 5000. If a company wants to sell a handful of prototypes, they can do just that! Your original comment was about it not being relevant. John was a one-man show trying to develop, build and sell a game. Antonio is a one-man show who developed, built and sold a game. Sounds relevant to me. We are seeing first hand that it can be done, and you have to start somewhere.

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