A controversial LISD demolition project wound up in court Thursday with a lawsuit between contractors. Filings say that in 2004 the Laredo Independent School District paid an amount less than promised to San Antonio-based Jupe Environmental and its subcontractor Laredo Environmental Services for the demolition of portable buildings at Tarver Elementary.

The companies had been asked to demolish 18 portables, but LISD found other uses for 17 of the buildings and later deducted $25,500 from its payment to Jupe.

Now Dan L. Jupe, president of Jupe Environmental, is suing his subcontractor Pedro Gonzalez III of Laredo Environmental Services for the lost amount.

Jupe is asking for over $50,000 from Gonzalez, claiming that he paid Gonzalez before LISD made the deduction and that he had to hire another contractor to complete work at Tarver. Jupe is also asking the court for attorney’s fees.
Gonzalez denies owing Jupe the sum.

“We think that LISD should never have charged for those buildings because of the agreement we had,” said Pedro Gonzalez III, of Laredo Environmental Services.

Gonzalez has claimed he spoke with LISD board member Jesus Guerra and Jorge Cabello, LISD’s construction manager at the time, who told him they would donate some of the portables to a local church without deducting money from the amount charged for the demolition.

Jupe took the stand Thursday in a bench trial before 111th District Judge Raul Vasquez. He said he was unaware of any dealings between Guerra and Cabello.

Jupe also testified that there was no written agreement not to deduct the donated portables and that his contract specifically said no verbal agreements would be honored.

District Attorney Joe Rubio’s office looked into the matter in 2004; however, investigators determined there was no basis for a criminal complaint.

LISD entered a contract with Jupe in 2003, worth almost $385,000, for work including getting rid of asbestos and demolition.

Testimony in the case resumes today in the 111th District Court, where Gonzalez is scheduled to take the stand in his defense.