No-show plaintiff loses breach of contract case

A Beaumont judge awarded summary judgment to the Lumberton business Hampshire Roofing on Monday, since plaintiff Raul Sifuentes failed to show up at the hearing.

Sifuentes filed suit against Hampshire on June 21 in Jefferson County District Court, alleging the company owed him $100,000 for contracted work he preformed at Smith Middle School, which is part of the Beaumont Independent School District.

The suit says Sifuentes was contracted by Hampshire in the summer of 2009 to install roofing for the middle school.

"As of the date of this lawsuit, defendant owes plaintiff over $100,000 ... that was to be paid when the job was completed," the suit states, adding that Hampshire unjustly enriched itself by not paying him.

Last month, Sifuentes' former attorney, Norman Straub of Houston, withdrew as counsel, saying that he could no longer reach his out-of-state client, a court official told the Southeast Texas Record.

Hampshire moved for summary judgment and on Feb. 14, Judge Milton Shuffield, 136th District Court, granted the request, since Sifuentes did not attend the hearing.

Hampshire argued there was no evidence to support Sifuentes' claims during the hearing.

The company was represented by attorney John Seth Bullard of the Beaumont law frim Orgain Bell & Tucker.

Case No. D187-114