“Lacking any other recourse, Albion Staffing Solutions, Inc. issued a lawsuit against the City of Fort Lauderdale for the recovery of USD 187,100.97 in unpaid invoices relating to staffing services provided at the specific request of the City under the parties’ contract(s).
Although non-payment of this amount was referenced in the City’s Internal Audit Report as being the amount “overcharged” by Albion, Peter Santangelo, President of Albion stated “The supposed overcharges in question cover the difference between the billing rates on wages paid to temporary staff specifically dictated by the City and billing rates based on minimum wages. Unknown to Albion, until the publication of a scathing Internal Audit Report, was that the City Commissioners claim that they were internally mislead and advised that temporary staff were being paid minimum wages as compared to staff doing similar work at USD 16.50 per hour – the same rates that Albion also paid its temporary staff.” Peter Santangelo continued “We wish that the City would take responsibility for its internal management shortcomings and honor its legal commitment to pay Albion for the services received. To attempt to invoke sovereign immunity by claiming that these temporary staff were not covered by our contract is just a ridiculous legal ploy that should not succeed on legal or equitable grounds as the City’s own Purchase Orders and correspondence reference the Contract Number. Furthermore, the written correspondence from the City to Albion confirms the contractual nature of the parties’ dealings.”
“These delay payment tactics are very frustrating. The City Manager knew in May of 2015 that the City was over budget, continued to authorize our services for four additional months and continues not to pay for services rendered. It would be patently unfair and unconscionable for the City to receive the benefit of services it ordered and escape paying under a claim of sovereign immunity.”
