Yellow Book sues law firm for failure to pay for ads

WINFIELD –- Yellow Book Sales & Distribution Company is suing Klein & Hall after it claims it failed to pay for advertising services.

Mitchell Klein, president of Klein & Hall LC, was also named as a defendant in the suit.

On June 29, 2006, Klein execute a contract for provision of advertising services in the Greater Tri-State telephone directory on behalf of the law firm, according to a complaint filed April 28 in Putnam Circuit Court.

Yellow Book claims the defendants were to pay $992 per month for a period of 12 months in return for advertising in the telephone directory.

On Jan. 11 2007, Klein executed another contract for advertising services in the Greater Charleston telephone directory on behalf of the law firm for $1,033 per month for a period of 12 months, according to the suit, and on July 6, 2007, executed another contract for adverting in the Greater Tri-State telephone directory for another year for $1,128 per month.

Yellow Book claims the defendants' annual amount due on all three accounts would be $37,836, plus late fees of $240.32 and billing fees of $63, pursuant to the contract.

The defendants have paid $12,562 on the three contracts, the last payment being received on Oct. 19, 2007, according to the suit.

Yellow Book claims the defendants are indebted in the amount of $25,567.32, which has been due and owing as of July 2008.

The defendants have failed and/or refused to pay for the advertising services, according to the suit.

Yellow Book is seeking judgment in the amount of $25,567.32, with pre-judgment interest at the rate of 8.25 percent from July 31, 2008, until the date it is paid. The company is being represented by Daniel T. Booth.

Klein responded to the complaint.

"It's a simple contract dispute," he said. "It does appear that we owe them some money. It appears as if they were billing us, and we were paying regularly. But then, the billing seems to have stopped.

"We'll resolve this. We always pay our bills here."

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge O.C. Spaulding.

Putnam Circuit Court case number: 11-C-137