Tuesday, November 28, 2006 Laundry firm sues Mactan resort
DIRTY linen, quite literally, resulted in the filing of a P3-million civil case against a posh resort hotel in Lapu-Lapu City yesterday.
The management of the 1st Steam Laundry Services Inc., represented by George Reyes, filed the suit that accused the people behind Plantation Bay Hotel Inc. of failing to pay over P2 million in laundry bills.
It also asked the Regional Trial Court (RTC) to make the hotel pay damages of P1 million.
Reyes, in the complaint prepared by lawyer Deolito Alvarez, also asked that a writ of preliminary attachment be issued against Plantation Bay to ensure that it settles the bill.
Reyes said his company provides laundry service for the hotel every time its own facility cannot handle the load.
Their business relationship began in May 2006 after the hotel’s housekeeping manager, Runnel Paredes, contracted them. Reyes said they got paid after delivering the load.
“Plaintiff relied completely on the honesty and fair business dealings of defendant,” Reyes said in explaining why they did further transactions with Plantation Bay afterwards.
On Sept. 20, 2006, Reyes said, 1st Laundry wrote Plantation Bay to seek payment of P2.1 million for services rendered.
“This account has been outstanding since June 1, 2006 and is more than 90 days overdue,” said the letter that was attached to Reyes’ complaint
But instead of settling the account, the firm wrote back to say that no payment was forthcoming.
“Our hotel is not honoring your transactions with our then housekeeping manager, Mr. Runnel Paredes. As Mr. Paredes was not authorized to enter into any agreement in behalf of our hotel,” read the letter that was singed by the general manager Efren Belarmino.
The laundry firm wrote back but didn’t get a reply.
It reiterated the demand in a letter dated Sept. 29 and, in Oct. 10, 2006, Plantation Bay management finally wrote back through its counsel.
“Plantation Bay is denying your client’s claim. As a matter of policy, arrangements between Plantation Bay and its suppliers/service providers involving services of a recurring nature are covered by written contracts,” said lawyer Jose Palma, who also holds stock in the company.
“In this case...there is no such written contract,” he added.
Reyes, in his suit, wants the court to compel the hotel to settle its bill of P2,120,174.
He also objected to how the hotel, by saying that the former house manager never had the authority to outsource certain services, “used the corporate veil to avoid liability.”
He pointed out that their transaction with the resort could not have been completed had the resort not honored their agreement through such acts as allowing their trucks to enter the resort’s premises to pick up and deliver laundry.
“(The resort) is hiding under the corporate cloak to defraud the plaintiff by claiming that its former housekeeping manager did not have the corporate authority and that there is no written contract...despite abundant documentary proof,” the complaint read.
The laundry firm wants the resort to pay its actual liability, P1 million more in exemplary damages and a total of P400,000 in attorney’s fees and litigation expenses. (KNR)
