Builders do not plan on paying for repairs to N.P. Moss Lawsuit may be next step

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Builders do not plan on paying for repairs to N.P. Moss

Lawsuit may be next step for board

The Daily Advertiser - Lafayette,LA*

Tina Marie Macias

tmacias@...

June 24, 2008

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20080624/NEWS01/806240320/1002

The deadline has passed for N.P. Moss Middle School's general

contractor and architecture firm to respond to letters demanding

$3.15 million to pay for damage caused by water intrusion and mold.

Attorneys for Ratcliff Construction Co. in andria and architects

Corne-Lemaire Group in Lafayette both said their clients do not plan

to pay the sum.

The School Board sent a letter to both companies on May 22 and gave

them 30 days to respond. That deadline passed Saturday.

Corne-Lemaire attorney Emile ph sent a letter to the board's

attorney McMahon on Friday telling him his client would not pay

the board. Ratcliff attorney Doggett never formally responded

to the letter, but Doggett doesn't see a reason to pay the board.

" We don't think that there are any problems with the construction, "

he said. " And we think too much time has passed. "

In December, N.P. Moss shut its doors and displaced about 500

students because of damage caused by mold and water leakage that the

school board says was due to inadequate workmanship and design.

The letters tell the firms that the board has already spent $351,984

investigating and removing or repairing mold or water damage. It

also asks for an additional $2.8 million for a new HVAC system,

drainage system and exterior wall reconstruction.

The board will consult McMahon in deciding whether a meeting is

necessary prior to the next regular meeting July 16, board president

Carl LaCombe said.

" It's definitely important that (McMahon) gives us direction on

this decision, " board member Hunter Beasley said.

The school board can either drop the issue or pursue litigation,

McMahon said. Construc-tion suits in Louisiana can be filed up to 10

years after the construction of the building. N.P. Moss is almost

nine years old.