A jury found in favor of a roofing contractor who sued Pea Ridge for his contract which city officials claim he failed to fulfill.
Larry Lewsader of Southwest Roofing, Centerton, was accepted as the low bidder for a roofing contract for the Pea Ridge Community Library in July 2011, according to Mayor Jackie Crabtree.
"Things never did start," the mayor said of the work, and despite Lewsader claiming to have power washed the roof, city officials did not see the work begin. So, the City Council rebid the contract and authorized city officials to cancel Lewsader's contract. Lewsader claimed he did not receive the letter of cancellation sent by Howard Slinkard, city attorney.
"We were never notified, nor given an invoice," Crabtree said of the original work Lewsader claimed to have performed.
Crabtree said a second contractor was hired who completed the job for about $5-6,000 more than the original bid.
The jury trial was held in Judge John Scott's courtroom last week.
Crabtree said the city was notified of the suit a few months ago. Lewsader asked for $6,500 and was awarded $9,000.Crabtree said the city plans to readdress the issue with either a request for a new trial or an appeal.
"We will have to pay out money for no product received," he said. "That's money we could spend better for the residents of the city."
"This was not a planned expense," he concluded.
General News on 06/11/2014