Verizon Sues Yonkers PL for $850K in Internet Fees
Library says charges unfounded
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 05/10/2010
- $722,363 in fees, plus legal fees
- Bills confusing
- Parties dispute willingness to cooperate
Internet provider Verizon has sued the Yonkers Public Library, NY, for an alleged $722,363.40 in unpaid Internet fees, as well as an additional $144,472.68 (or 20 percent) attorney’s fees.
The library says the charges are bogus and that Verizon had been paid appropriately during the term referenced in the lawsuit, from June 10, 2003 through August 1, 2009.
The lawsuit was originally filed March 22 in State Supreme Court in Westchester County and named the Yonkers Public Library Foundation as the defendant. A revised lawsuit, naming the library, was filed last week.
Company spokesman John Bonomo told LoHud.com that Verizon had tried to negotiate a repayment plan, but got no cooperation.
Library response
“The library’s position is that there’s no money owed,” attorney Adam Wekstein told LJ. When Verizon started providing service, he said, “it was the library’s understanding that the service was one charge for everything,” meaning Internet access and the actual line.
“My understanding is that Verizon started issuing two bills,” he said. “The library paid for one of them on an ongoing basis and requested why it was getting a duplicate bill for the same services and to this date has never gotten an answer.”
He said the bills were not duplicates and thus confusing. “The library has only one contract” with Verizon, he said. “Despite my clients requesting any additional contract, we’ve never gotten one.”
The library will formally respond in court later this month.
