August 10, for that matter August 11, has come and gone, and so far, none of the former employees of Multi-Family Services (MFS) have been paid.
MFS, which was contracted with Picerne Military Housing to provide landscaping services on Fort Polk, terminated its contract with Picerne on July 31. Now in financial arrears, MFS has asked Picerne to pay its vendors and employees out of the funds Picerne had planned on distributing to MFS on August 10 as part of its contract for services performed in July.
"While we do not yet have all the necessary information, it appears that the amount of money Picerne is obligated to pay MFS under the Fort Polk contract will be less than what MFS owes to its subcontractors, suppliers and employees," said Picerne's Mark Williams in a press release on August 10.
In an email to the wife of a former employee, Jeremy Parrott, part owner of MFS, indicated that Picerne had decided to deduct approximately $32,000 from the amount it owed MFS "for damages to fences."
Williams claimed that MFS did not provide the information Picerne needed to finalize payment to vendors and employees until August 10, the same date Picerne was scheduled to make payment to MFS.
"Until we have more complete information and an opportunity to carefully review it with our local counsel, we are not in a position to provide the amount of payments we intend to make or to whom," said Williams. "We hope to be in a position to provide information on how we expect to proceed with this situation by the end of the week."
Parrott wrote on his website (http://web.me.com/jeremyparrott/mfsnewsupdate/Polk_Updates/Entries/2010/8/11_Latest_from_Polk_-_Picerne_to_Distribute_Funds.html) that Picerne had informed him that MFS would not be receiving any of the funds to distribute. "[A]ny payments made will be facilitated via joint check to those to whom MFS is indebted in connection with the work performed under the contract at Fort Polk."
Former MFS employees with bills to pay, however, are unsatisfied with answers. or the lack thereof, from either company.
"He is and has always been an honest hard working individual and deserves better treatment than what he was given," Bridget Diron said in an email to Parrott of her husband Jerry, former foreman over a special services crew at MFS. "Even though I know some of this is out of your hands, other decisions were placed in your hands, for example, the choice to pay some vendors with the 7/30/2010 money received by MFS rather than paying your employees who worked in the heat to complete the month end for your company ... These employees that have no money not only get things repossessed for no money to pay, they also go without electricity, food, water and other life necessities like required medications."
Parrott said on his website that MFS' involvement in the situation is at Picerne's discretion since ""MFS agreed for Picerne to distribute the funds." Picerne, on the other hand, insists that the problem stems from MFS.
"It is Multi Family Services' responsibility to pay their workers, and they are the ones you need to go to for payment information," Williams told Biron in an email. "We are working as fast as we can to check the information MFS provided us so that we can figure out who we are obligated to pay, and how much."
As late as 2 p.m. on Wednesday, former MFS manager Trance Griggs said that Picerne was "crawfishing and saying they can't pay us direct."
The wife of yet another employee said she'd been told by a Picerne receptionist that the Picerne representatives she needed to speak to had all left at 8:30 a.m. and not returned.
Williams said on Wednesday afternoon via email that there were no changes in Picerne's stance since the company's August 10 statement.
In the meantime, a third company has arrived on the scene. Munie Greencare Professionals has taken out a classified ad in the Leesville Daily Leader and the Beauregard Daily News for a landscape maintenance laborer. Parrott had said in an earlier interview that he'd contacted Munie to take over the contract at Fort Polk. Whether Munie has taken over the contact was unclear, as calls to Munie employees were not immediately returned on Tuesday or Wednesday.
|
|
|
August 10, for that matter August 11, has come and gone, and so far, none of the former employees of Multi-Family Services (MFS) have been paid.
MFS, which was contracted with Picerne Military Housing to provide landscaping services on Fort Polk, terminated its contract with Picerne on July 31. Now in financial arrears, MFS has asked Picerne to pay its vendors and employees out of the funds Picerne had planned on distributing to MFS on August 10 as part of its contract for services performed in July.
"While we do not yet have all the necessary information, it appears that the amount of money Picerne is obligated to pay MFS under the Fort Polk contract will be less than what MFS owes to its subcontractors, suppliers and employees," said Picerne's Mark Williams in a press release on August 10.
In an email to the wife of a former employee, Jeremy Parrott, part owner of MFS, indicated that Picerne had decided to deduct approximately $32,000 from the amount it owed MFS "for damages to fences."
Williams claimed that MFS did not provide the information Picerne needed to finalize payment to vendors and employees until August 10, the same date Picerne was scheduled to make payment to MFS.
"Until we have more complete information and an opportunity to carefully review it with our local counsel, we are not in a position to provide the amount of payments we intend to make or to whom," said Williams. "We hope to be in a position to provide information on how we expect to proceed with this situation by the end of the week."
Parrott wrote on his website (http://web.me.com/jeremyparrott/mfsnewsupdate/Polk_Updates/Entries/2010/8/11_Latest_from_Polk_-_Picerne_to_Distribute_Funds.html) that Picerne had informed him that MFS would not be receiving any of the funds to distribute. "[A]ny payments made will be facilitated via joint check to those to whom MFS is indebted in connection with the work performed under the contract at Fort Polk."
Former MFS employees with bills to pay, however, are unsatisfied with answers. or the lack thereof, from either company.
"He is and has always been an honest hard working individual and deserves better treatment than what he was given," Bridget Diron said in an email to Parrott of her husband Jerry, former foreman over a special services crew at MFS. "Even though I know some of this is out of your hands, other decisions were placed in your hands, for example, the choice to pay some vendors with the 7/30/2010 money received by MFS rather than paying your employees who worked in the heat to complete the month end for your company ... These employees that have no money not only get things repossessed for no money to pay, they also go without electricity, food, water and other life necessities like required medications."
Parrott said on his website that MFS' involvement in the situation is at Picerne's discretion since ""MFS agreed for Picerne to distribute the funds." Picerne, on the other hand, insists that the problem stems from MFS.
"It is Multi Family Services' responsibility to pay their workers, and they are the ones you need to go to for payment information," Williams told Biron in an email. "We are working as fast as we can to check the information MFS provided us so that we can figure out who we are obligated to pay, and how much."
As late as 2 p.m. on Wednesday, former MFS manager Trance Griggs said that Picerne was "crawfishing and saying they can't pay us direct."
The wife of yet another employee said she'd been told by a Picerne receptionist that the Picerne representatives she needed to speak to had all left at 8:30 a.m. and not returned.
Williams said on Wednesday afternoon via email that there were no changes in Picerne's stance since the company's August 10 statement.
In the meantime, a third company has arrived on the scene. Munie Greencare Professionals has taken out a classified ad in the Leesville Daily Leader and the Beauregard Daily News for a landscape maintenance laborer. Parrott had said in an earlier interview that he'd contacted Munie to take over the contract at Fort Polk. Whether Munie has taken over the contact was unclear, as calls to Munie employees were not immediately returned on Tuesday or Wednesday.
