Lawsuit claims Centre County refused $236K payment for courthouse project
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- JG Contracting Co. sues Centre County, seeks $236,000 plus fees.
- Dispute centers on cracked courthouse retaining walls and skipped inspection.
- Centre County is preparing its own lawsuit against the contractor.
A contractor accused Centre County’s government in a lawsuit filed Monday of refusing to pay more than $236,000 it says it is owed for reconstructing the retaining walls at the county courthouse in Bellefonte.
JG Contracting Co. said the county has refused for nearly a year to pay the bill and did not perform a contractually obligated inspection of the $2.47 million project.
The Allegheny County-based contractor argued the county has offered “no valid basis” for withholding the money and not performing the inspection. The withholding, its attorneys wrote, has been done in bad faith.
Centre County spokesperson J.J. De La Cruz declined comment Tuesday, citing the county’s policy to not comment on pending litigation. A court document filed Monday shows the county is preparing to file its own lawsuit against the contractor.
At issue appears to be existing cracks in the sloped retaining walls on the north and south sides of the oldest operating courthouse in the state. The county has estimated the original retaining walls date back until at least 1900.
The contractor said its engineer — as well as the county’s construction inspector — found the cracks appear consistent with typical dry shrinkage cracking in concrete. The contractor’s engineer further said the width of the majority of the cracks falls within an acceptable range established by the American Concrete Institute.
“They are not large enough to affect the physical performance of the wall, and experience suggests that many of these cracks may self-heal with time,” the contractor’s engineer wrote in a letter.
Centre County’s commissioners approved the contract in May 2023 by a 2-1 vote. Democrats Mark Higgins and Amber Concepcion voted in favor, while Republican Steve Dershem voted against.
Dershem declined comment Tuesday when reached by the Centre Daily Times. Higgins said at the time that the commissioners were told the need for the repairs was a “borderline emergency situation.”
The work, which also included replacement fencing, began in fall 2023 and the contractor said it was substantially completed in October 2024. But despite repeated requests for payment, the contractor said the county has refused.
JG Contracting is seeking court-ordered payment of the more than $236,000, plus interest and attorneys’ fees. The two-count lawsuit alleges breach of contract and violation of the state’s procurement code.
A Centre County judge was not assigned to the case as of Tuesday afternoon. The next commissioners meeting is scheduled for Dec. 2.
