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Company says casino operator owes $25K
Firm says unpaid receivable since 2016
A local architectural and engineering firm spoke up during Monday’s Commonwealth Casino Commission meeting to inform them that Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC has yet settle their balances with the firm.
During meeting’s public comment section, Tony Cabrera, representing the architectural and engineering firm Herman B. Cabrera & Associates, informed the commission that IPI has yet to settle a balance of about $25,000 in services rendered by the company.
The company is reportedly weighing its options, which possibly include pursuing the matter in court. “We are not sure yet. But if the court is where we can settle this, then we would go to the courts, [but] we don’t want to go that far,” Cabrera said yesterday.
The company, according to Cabrera, was contracted for about $66,000 for architectural and engineering consultation, including the review and certification of construction blueprints, all a requirement of the CNMI building code. He declined to disclose an exact amount.
“The last [billing] we sent out to [IPI] was probably the sixth or seventh notice for them,” Cabrera informed the commission Monday.
CCC chair Juan Sablan noted that one of the notices mentioned a billing sent to IPI in September 2016.
Cabera clarified that those were additional invoices and that altogether, IPI was billed about $66,000.
“About more than half has been paid,” Cabrera said. “…[After] the last outstanding balance [notice], we never heard from them after that.”
Saipan Tribune reached out to IPI twice—once on Monday and once more yesterday—but the Hong Kong-based company declined to comment.
Sablan, addressing IPI chief financial officer Ed Chen, noted that the firm is not the only one complaining about not receiving payment from IPI.
“…Last time, we had clients coming in and complaining about the non-payment of billings,” referring to a recent House gaming committee, where another member of the public complained about not receiving payment from IPI. “CFO, I hope you take [this] seriously because that is not an acceptable method of operation.”
Cabrera emphasized the company’s patience with IPI, especially since the company has not responded to several of their notices.
“We have been waiting for a response,” he added.
CCC vice chair Joseph Reyes assured Cabrera that the commission “would immediately request for a response [from IPI].”
