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NMHC suit vs Rep. Ogumoro languishing for 14 years now
At least 4 show cause orders issued
A lawsuit filed by the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. against Rep. Felicidad T. Ogumoro (Rep-Saipan) over alleged non-payment of lease totaling $8,007 has been languishing in Superior Court for 14 years now.
According to court documents, the Superior Court already issued at least four orders to show cause, directing Ogumoro and co-defendant Guadalupe P. Manglona to appear in court and explain why they should not be held in contempt for willfully disobeying court orders.
The show-cause orders were either postponed or withdrawn upon NMHC’s or Ogumuro’s requests.
Ogumoro again failed to appear at a show-cause hearing yesterday afternoon.
NMHC counsel Michael White, however, told the court that the lawmaker has already made a “substantial payment” on the outstanding amount.
Upon White’s request, Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio reset the hearing to Oct. 27, 2014, at 1:30pm.
In White’s declaration in support for an order to show cause issued on June 25, 2014, Ogumoro and co-defendant Manglona were ordered to pay $50 per month starting April 1, 2001, and that their payments have totaled $4,225.
White said the last payment received was Jan. 24, 2014, leaving an arrear of $3,725 as of June 11, 2014.
“Defendants have knowledge of the order in that they were present in court when the said order was verbally given,” the lawyer stated.
NMHC’s lawsuit, filed in 2000, sued Ogumoro, who owns Catholic Daughters of America that operates or operated the Little Angels Child Care Center.
In 1997, the parties entered into a lease agreement. Under the agreement, NMHC leased to Ogumoro certain premises; that lease expired in June 1998. Ogumoro continued to occupy the premises through September 1998 on the same terms and conditions of the 1997 lease.
In October 1998, the parties entered into a new lease to the same premises on a month-to-month basis.
NMHC alleged that Ogumoro failed to pay rental and other charges provided in the leases.
