Builder suing MJUSD

A construction company contends it would have boosted its bid by at least $600,000 if the Marysville Joint Unified School District had correctly listed plans and specifications for the $2.4 million contract awarded the company for school modernization work.

REM Construction, in its breach of contract lawsuit against the school district, said its work was substantially complete March 31.

That's the date of a notice from Marysville Unified saying the school district was ending its contract with REM because numerous project items were uncompleted. That work included repairing cracked concrete at an Olivehurst parking lot and sidewalks, according to the district.

Attorney Paul G. Thompson, representing the school district, stated in a document filed in the Yuba County Superior Court case that REM would be paid for work properly performed. The construction company did not provide project-related documents, according to the school district.

Thompson could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Attorney Georgia Stearns, representing the construction company, declined to comment on the case.

"It's just in the beginning," Stearns said Thursday.

A report for the Dec. 11 meeting of the school board for Marysville Unified states the district had exceeded 10 percent of the original $2.4 million contract, awarded in June 2007, for the modernization, portable classroom placement and related site work.

The suit filed in May includes assertions by REM that an error in the school district plans required relocating a portable classroom moved from Yuba Gardens Intermediate School to Olivehurst.

REM Construction is in Paradise in Butte County.

The company referred questions about the matter to David Schell, who could not be reached Thursday for comment.

Contact Appeal reporter Ryan McCarthy at 749-4707 or rmccarthy@appeal-democrat.com