Richard A. Goins
NEW ORLEANS – A New Orleans church has sued a Jefferson Parish heating and cooling company after its pastor entered into a settlement with the company without the approval of the church's board.
Watson Memorial Spiritual Temple of Christ, Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries and the Family Center of Hope filed suit against GMC Services, LLC in the Orleans Parish Central District Court on July 23.
The church claims GNC Services sued for non-payment after it previously installed a heating and cooling unit. The church claims it did not pay the $22,500 for the unit because it never worked, the work done by GMC was not permitted by the city and the church was not able to use the buildings where the unit was installed due to lack of temperature control.
Due to non-payment, GMC sued the church in Jan. 2, 2011 and Rev. Tom Watson allegedly agreed to a settlement with the defendant for a consent judgment of $60,000. The church claims at the time of the agreement Watson was not allowed to act alone on behalf of the church, but was required to receive approval from the church board, which he allegedly never did.
The defendant is accused of coming to an agreement on behalf of the church with someone who was not a representative of the church.
The plaintiff is seeking to have the previously rendered consent judgment annulled.
Watson Memorial Spiritual Temple of Christ is represented by New Orleans-based attorney Richard A. Goins.
The case has been assigned to Division I Judge Piper D. Griffin.
Case no. 2012-07161.