BATON ROUGE – The Georgia-based charterer of a vessel is alleged to have failed to pay for stevedoring services.
Cooper/T. Smith Stevedoring Co. Inc. and Cooper Consolidated LLC filed a complaint on April 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana against Agribusiness United North America Corp. and the M/V AEC Diligence alleging failure to pay.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that between July 1, 2015, and July 5, 2015, they provided stevedoring services to load cargo into the defendants' vessel. To date, the principal amount of $105,900.68 allegedly remains due and unpaid. The plaintiffs holds Agribusiness United North America Corp. and the M/V AEC Diligence responsible because the defendants allegedly failed to make payments for the said amount.
The plaintiffs seek judgment in plaintiff's favor in an amount not less than $105,900.68, plus interest, attorneys’ fees, costs and all other general and equitable relief that the court deems proper. They are represented by Jason P. Waguespack, Frederick W. Swaim III and Andrew S. Respess of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana Case number 3:17-cv-00252