A Tarrant County construction company wants its money, and it's going to court to try to get it.
RJ Construction out of Dalworthington Gardens is suing the Arlington ISD for work performed that has thus far gone unpaid.
"What the Board of Trustees for the Arlington Independent School District is doing to my company is outrageous and wrong," owner Robert Jordan says in a YouTube video that's been viewed more than 20,000 times.
Arlington Independent School District hired my company, RJ Construction, on an emergency basis to repair catastrophic damage to Sam Houston High School caused by Winter Storm Uri last February."
Jordan says RJ Construction worked around the clock to dry out and dehumidify the school after pipes had burst during the arctic blast.
With 450,000 sq. ft. to work with and a rate of $2.50 per square foot, that added up to more than $1.2 million.
Jordan says the school district has not paid a single dime of that bill.
"Any reasonable person would have almost immediately turned the claim over to their insurance company, but not the AISD," Jordan says in the more than seven-minute video. "The AISD now refuses to pay the bill for the services of RJ Construction."
Jordan says the district is claiming "government immunity" in avoiding paying the bill.
"The AISD board is willing to bankrupt a local business -- a business that employs real people with real families that have kids that go to their schools (and) who have real bills, just to avoid paying its own," says Jordan.
The Arlington ISD has released a statement on the dispute:
"RJ Construction performed emergency repairs at Sam Houston High School after a winter storm in February caused flooding across a portion of the school. The district and RJ Construction were in the process of working out the scope and value of the emergency services when RJ Construction filed their lawsuit.
"As fiduciaries of the public’s money, Arlington ISD must examine submitted documentation and confirm the value of services being performed. The district has repeatedly requested necessary documentation from RJ Construction, which has not been received. The district also offered to resolve these issues through mediation but RJ Construction opted to sue the district instead. Now, the matter is in litigation where it is expected to be resolved."
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