La Marque ISD sued by contractor for $1.3 M

GALVESTON - Healthy Resources Enterprise Inc. demands more than $1.3 million from the La Marque Independent School District for the work the company performed on the latter's roofs after Hurricane Ike, recent court documents say.

HRE's lawsuit against LMISD asserts the plaintiff was brought on as a roofing and remediation contractor after the Category 2 storm inflicted damage on the defendant's campuses in September 2008 and performed its duties in accordance to an agreement dating back to February 2007.

The suit was filed June 4 in Galveston County District Court.

HRE claims it completed the work in six months after which LMISD hired a nationally recognized engineering consulting firm to conduct an onsite forensic inspection.

The plaintiff reportedly was not kept as an engineering consultant despite the contract designating HRE as a contractor and liaison between various engineering teams and firms.

"On information and belief, the plaintiff HRE alleges that no forensic or structural engineering study of any kind was obtained by La Marque ISD prior to its issuance of purchase orders and a notice to proceed on each of the roofing projects in the contract," the original petition says.

HRE argues that LMISD refused to pay, and in response, demanded the plaintiff remit $105,000 in damages.

Attorneys Jack Ratliff and Natalie Niles Arg�ello of Austin and attorney Jules Johnson of Houston are representing the plaintiff.

The case has been assigned to Galveston County 212th District Court Judge Susan Criss.

Case No. 10-cv-1557