A tribunal has ordered the AMS to pay a contractor $4,631.44 after an invoice dispute.
According to a decision from the Civil Resolution Tribunal of BC, the AMS failed to pay McGregor Mechanical Contracting Ltd. (MMC) the full amount of a $15,550 invoice for plumbing services provided after MMC filed a claim with the tribunal.
On a balance of probabilities, tribunal Vice-Chair Andrea Ritchie found MMC entitled to the remainder of the invoice amount from the AMS.
In April 2019, MMC invoiced the AMS for replacement plumbing parts and costs including labour and parts sourcing. The society only paid $11,182, stating it was “overcharged” for repair labour and that “it could have had the work done elsewhere for cheaper,” according to the tribunal’s ruling. It denied owing MMC any additional money.
Vince Markarian, AMS building operations manager, was named by initials in the ruling as the AMS representative in the case.
The AMS did not comment on any specifics of the case but said it was committed to being financially responsible with contractors.
“The AMS respects the decision of the Civil Resolution Tribunal, and we are looking forward to continue working hard for UBC students,” said AMS President Cole Evans in a statement.
MMC did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publishing.
The AMS had submitted a quote from another company estimating a lower cost, but Ritchie said it was “irrelevant” to the dispute between the two parties.
The AMS said MMC overcharged for repair labour, specifically in travel time when sourcing parts. MMC reportedly went to several different suppliers for parts. The AMS argues this should not have been the case, and it resulted in the company charging the AMS travel time for multiple trips.
Ritchie ruled that the AMS must pay MMC the remaining $4,631.44. The majority, $4,368, of that comes from the unpaid plumbing services, $88.44 from “pre-judgment interest under the Court Order Interest Act” and $175 in tribunal fees.