CHARLESTON -- The contractor that built the new state Department of Environmental Protection headquarters in Kanawha City has sued a security firm for negligence after a construction site robbery in 2003.
BBL Carlton, a West Virginia subsidiary of New York-based BBL Construction Services, signed a contract with Security America Inc. on Nov. 4, 2003, to provide security for the construction site of the new DEP headquarters near Kanawha Mall.
In the Kanawha Circuit Court suit, filed Dec. 1 by Alonzo D. Washington of Flaherty, Sensabaugh & Bonasso PLLC, BBL Carlton claims that on Dec. 3, 2003, Security America personnel allowed individuals to enter the DEP construction site and unlawfully remove installed electrical equipment from the property. The suit says it would have taken a skilled electrician more than an hour to disassemble and remove the equipment.
BBL Carlton said it sustained a loss of $41,895.50 because of the theft. The company seeks compensatory, consequential, punitive, contractual and extra-contractual damages as well as attorney fees, court costs and expenses.
The DEP building was a $21 million project completed in late 2004. The three-story building is about 178,000 square feet and is located on an 8.5-acre site in Kanawha City. It also provides parking for about 650 cars.
The case has been assigned Judge Irene Berger.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 05-C-2646
Contractor says security firm responsible for stolen equipment
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