Know-How Exchange : Customer Behavior

I am a new event planner in the South Florida area. Well, new as a business owner, but have 15 years of experience. I just finished working an event during the Super Bowl. I need feedback on whether I am handling a client correctly or not as things look to get a bit uncomfortable. 4 months ago, I submitted a $30,000.00 proposal for service and asked repeatedly for a buget with which to work. I got no response on budgeting. After several follow ups, it was clear that there really was no budget with which to work. I got okays from my
client's office - everything was cool, etc. My client, however, would not send the 80% deposit I requested. Nor would he sign my letter of intent or contract. I did my first big "no-no", I rolled over and consented. I kept my vendors happy with the promise of big Super Bowl
contracts and asked them to trust me. They did. I figured it was my first time out of the door on my own, the word "no" does not exist in the spirit of great customer service, he was giving me a chance, etc.
Well, 3 weeks before the event, my client freaked out when he saw my proposal and cut it down to $15,000.00 still with no deposit check. Okay my vendors were furious!!! But they stayed with me. He did send
me a 50% deposit for my fees ($1,500.00) and stated that he did not like to pay vendors until after the event because he believed they wouldn't show up. I talked him out of that - so I thought, because he did not give me a check for my vendors until 1 day before the event! It was an out of state check that would not clear for 12 days!!!!! I scrambled and got a loan covering the costs for my vendors so that I could pay them on site with no delay. I must mention that he nickel and dimed me through the whole process. He stated that no matter what costs were presented to him, he relied on not paying any invoice in total because that was his art of negotiation and saving him costs. I am on my 4th or 5th big "no-no" now, right? I consented and tried
like hell to cuts costs even further. I got it down to $12,000.00. He wrote me a check for $8,700.00, so he owed me $2,500.00 at the conclusion of the event. The event went on for 2 days without a hitch. He complimented me on my professionalism, my communication skills, and my hard work. On the third day which was Super Bowl Sunday, everything went downhill. It rained all day and all night. Our event was scheduled for outside and we were supposed to have 700 people arriving! I executed all necessary tasks to get us moved into the hotel which, by the way, had been bought out by another company. They were gracious enough to let us come inside. We had (2) signs which to my knowledge were going to stay at the host hotel and not come to this site. Well, his lead staff brought them over to the event and they were damaged from the rain. We also had an ice sculpture which the hotel would not be allowed to move to the inside of the hotel. My client held me accountable for these 3 items stating that all of this was my responsibility. I looked for the compromise. Even though there was his personal event planner on site that had total control of the signs and the signs were utilized completely for
all 3 of his events and there was no mention of usage after the event (they were on foam board - which is mostly thrown away for specified events), I agreed to eat 50% of the costs. He agreed to that and said
if he recieved notice from the hotel on not moving the ice sculpture, he would cover those costs. He got the email. I have in my possesion his gobos (6 of them), his photos, and his step and repeat (media board for photos). I sent him an email that stated as soon as I got the remaining monies, I would then forward his belongings. 20 days after the email was sent, he called me, yelled at me, lied about what he agreed to pay, threatened to call the NFL on me, call the hotels on me
(defame my character so that I lose good relationships), and sue me for his belongings on principle. He said that he had more money than me and more contacts than me in Florida, so I had better rethink my decision. I was defeated. I said in a calm voice - almost a whisper
- that it was unfortunate he felt that way and to have his lawyers call me and I cut him off by hanging up the phone. He has sent a very ugly email which I have not responded to. I know that I made mistakes and I have left out other details that I have gone over with my
lawyer, but I would like honest feedback. I want to be the best event planner in the world. It might not seem so in this post, but my client generally is a good person. I am not looking to defame his character or make him seem like a bad person. I only want to explain objectively the situation and to get my final payment. Tell me - should I fight or should I fold? Right now - I am prepared to fight...