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Saipan mayor: We will settle debt to Joeten
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Posted on May 03 2000
The Saipan Mayor’s Office will seek an amicable settlement with Joeten Motor Co. Inc. of the $5,000 debt it owes to the company as final payment for the Sentra car given away as grand prize during the 1999 Liberation Day Celebration.
Mayor Jose C. Sablan said payment for the expenses incurred from last year’s celebration of the Liberation Day will come from the nearly half-a-million dollars appropriated for the Saipan Mayor’s Office to help improve its delivery of services to the community.
However, he is still waiting for the legal opinion of the Attorney General’s Office to find out whether he can reprogram the funds from the poker license fees collection to pay for the 1999 Liberation Day Celebration expenses.
The appropriation signed by acting Gov. Jesus R. Sablan will also be used to purchase equipment and spare parts for heavy equipment used in clearing roads as well as improve water delivery service, which has suffered delays in the past few weeks due to low water pressure.
Joeten Motor has demanded payment from the 1999 Liberation Day Committee on Nov. 24 last year plus $25 service charge within 30 days or charges will be filed in court.
But the demand letter was simply ignored. Joeten is now seeking $5,000 in damages, $750 maximum statutory penalty pursuant to the Bad Check Act and $250 in attorney’s fees.
Last year’s Committee Chair Sonya Pangelinan issued the $5,000 Bank of Hawaii check to Joeten Motor on Aug. 30, 1999. The Liberation Day Committee was created by the Saipan Mayor’s Office.
The 1999 Liberation Day Committee was able to raise $100,000 plus fees from concessionaires and money collected from candidates, according to Mr. Sablan. He said it is difficult to say whether the 2000 Liberation Day Committee Celebration will be able to raise sufficient funds this year to be able to carry out smoothly the yearly activities.
“This is just the third time that we are operating the July 4 activity so we are learning from our mistakes,” Mr. Sablan said.
