I just received an email from a very upset Florida resident who says in his letter that he has never met a nightmare in his life like the Miami photographer Liz Ordonez. Here is what he writes.

"I purchased two photographs of my home from the Miami and South Florida Real Estate Photographer Liz Ordonez. Her Website bio says "Liz, a native of Honduras, moved to South Florida in 1985 to pursue the American Dream."

Ordonez claims the copyright date for the photographs in this ad expired and wants the owner of the house pay her additional fees (which she will calculate) for him to be able display this magazine in his kitchen during open houses. Ordonez says she communicates only by confidential written messages no one is allowed to share with anyone, including one's wife or husband. Anyone she threatens with such lawsuits, according to Ordonez, will further violate international copyright laws (in Florida and Honduras), if they forward emails she sends out, because her lawsuit threat emails are also her iintellectual property and are protected by the same copyright laws and no one is allowed to talk about them. They must remain completely secret and confidential.

Click here to view one of her "secret" and "confidential" lawsuit threat emails.

"Her bio page also says: "As a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, ASMP, I have chosen to adopt their Code of Ethics as a basis to run my business. This Code aims to protect our industry, photographers, vendors, employees, subjects, customers and colleagues."

"Let me translate what her undersanding of "code of ethics" means to me based on my recent experience dealing with her.

"I purchased and paid for the copyrights fees to Ms. Ordonez of two photographs of my own house. After cashing the $1,200 copyright payment check for the use of these two photographs in marketing materials, Liz started to send threatening letters to my representatives, claiming that she was never paid by me, and we have been infringing in her copyrights. The copyright payment made to her was to use these photographs in marketing materials to sell the home. The house was taken off the market and the material was never used until recently when it was put back to the market. She wants to sell the same photographs twice to the same home owner, for the same intended us of the images!. This is insane, not only in South Florida, but also in Honduras. Not only her actions are inappropriate business conduct, but also created terror among the close realtor community."

Liz Ordonez Website can be located at http://www.lizphotos.com/lbio.htm

"This woman is out of her mind! I will understand her lucrative real estate photography business may have gone down the tube with the crash of the Florida real estate market which impacted the related industries, but threatening her paid customers to extract more money without questioning under the name of copyright and calling this her "code of ethics" is unheard of. Is this what the code of ethics means in her native country of Honduras? I don't think so. Is this her American dream? Sue everyone you meet? Is this what she thinks a business conduct?

If there is a group called American Society of Media Photographers, this organization should throw this woman out of their organization and issue a press release for her misconduct, and apologize to all her victims.

"How many times would you attempt to demand (extort) money for the same photographs you sold to the same client? How ethical to threaten the same person with a copyright lawsuit for which copyrights you got already paid for? I left three phone messages in her answering machine today and still not heard back from her with an apology!

"Is the world coming to an end? Florida is known for its boiler room scam operations. Do we now have to watch out before we hire a photographer to take a pictures of our home so we can put it on the MLS guide? She gets paid and then turns around and threatens you for a law suit? What century are we living in and where is our constitution and where are our laws?

"This is unbelievable! I would like to meet all her other victims of harassment, I am sure I am not the first or the only person going through this craziness since her emails look like form letters downloaded from an internet site.

"I am curious how many of her clients have received emails from this woman, instead of a Happy New Year!, which starts with the following disclaimer.

Privileged and Confidential Information Used To
Settle Potential Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Only

It may be a very good idea to contact your lawyer right away

THIS MESSAGE AND ANY IMAGES ATTACHED ARE INTENDED FOR VIEWING VIA THIS E-MAIL ONLY, BY THE INDIVIDUAL TO WHOM IT IS ADDRESSED. ALL INFORMATION IS PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL AND EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. IF THE READER OF THIS MESSAGE IS NOT THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, OR THE EMPLOYEE OR AGENT RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING THE MESSAGE TO THE INTENDED RECIPTIENT, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT ANY DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION OR COPYING OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. PER COPYRIGHT LAW IT IS ILLEGAL TO USE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION FROM COPYRIGHT OWNER.

• Liz Ordonez Terrorizing South Florida Real Estate Brokers?