ANJ Investigates

Send Ben: ‘They owe us,’ Local musician needing liver transplant no longer strung along, gets paid

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — Diana Walker and Wrennie Weir have been making beautiful music together for nearly a decade

“I took guitar lessons and he was a guitar teacher,” Walker said. “You can say it was love at first sight I opened the door and thought, ‘Who is this?’”

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The married couple from Green Cove Springs are known as the Silk and Steel Duo and play all over Northeast Florida, but the duo say they were strung along by a client which hit a sour note.

“We played and they owe us,” Weir said. “They should just do the right thing.”

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The Cove at Marsh Landing booked Walker and Weir to play at its assisted living facility in Jacksonville Beach receiving this message from the Executive Director, “I would love you guys to come play at our community.”

Weir said they played, but weren’t paid $150 for their performance on Valentine’s Day nearly one year ago.

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He said it’s especially disheartening because he needs a liver transplant, which has kept the duo silenced for months.

“It cut off our income stream not being able to play,” Weir said. “We just need this put to rest because every penny counts.”

Walker said she sent multiple invoices and emails asking for payment, but only received one response from the Executive Director saying she, “did not see February’s invoice” but promised to “submit it and get you paid” and the duo never saw it in the mail.

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“The longer the debt lays out there, the more difficult it is to collect,” said Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson. The couple turned the case over to a company called LegalShield, an online legal service that provides legal coverage for small businesses and individuals. The couple say the company sent two letters to the Cove at Marsh Landing demanding payment, but again nothing.

“You don’t need a third party to make calls for you,” Carson said. “You need to sort it out in advance so you don’t run into a situation like this. The alternative of course is to contact somebody like Ben Becker.”

Becker called the assisted living facility to get some answers.

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The Executive Director called Becker back and told him she would take care of it and she did -- because just a few minutes later he received a text from Walker and Weir.

“You ARE THE MAN!!! This is our Holiday present.”

If you feel like someone is stringing you along, email SendBen@Actionnewsjax.com.

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