A second business is alleging that former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart and his Forward Together campaign didn’t pay bills related to their unsuccessful election bid last fall.
Point Blank Creative Inc., a Canadian company that provided media relations services for the campaign, is suing Forward Together Vancouver, claiming it is owed $59,000 on invoices filed in September and October of 2022.
According to a civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court on April 14, Point Blank attempted to deposit four cheques provided by Forward Together. Each one bounced due to “non-sufficient funds,” it alleges.
“Forward Together has refused or neglected to make full or any payment in respect of the Outstanding Amount, despite demand,” the claim states.
“Forward Together was unjustly enriched by receiving the Services and Additional Work without paying for their value, Point Blank was correspondingly deprived, and there is no juristic reason for the enrichment.”
Point Blank declined an interview request. Global News is seeking comment from Stewart and Forward Together.
According to the court document, Point Blank and Forward Together signed a contract in early September last year committing the campaign to paying a lump sum of $84,000, including $15,000 for paid media planning and management, $65,000 for advertising spending including a 10 per cent commission, $4,000 for taxes, and an hourly charge for any extra services performed.
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The contract also established an interest rate of 19.5 per cent per annum, with payment due immediately upon receipt of an invoice, it said.
The company alleges Forward Together only paid $50,000 of the initial $84,000 owed in September, and none of the additional $25,000 owed for additional work in October. Point Blank is seeking the a judgement against Forward Together for $59,000, in addition to legal costs, and court-ordered interest or interest of 19.5 per cent per annum.
The election held Oct. 15, ushered ABC Vancouver’s Ken Sim into the mayor’s seat. Point Blank is not the only business to claim it has been shortchanged in the aftermath.
In March, TownRent owner Tim Malito claimed Stewart and Forward Together had stiffed him on a bill for furniture rented during the campaign. After Stewart lost, Malito said he sent Stewart’s campaign an invoice for $2,888.48 and was promised a cheque in 30 days.
That cheque never came, despite an extension, Malito told Global News last month.
In February 2023, Malito further said he received a “debt management” proposal from Neil Monckton, Stewart’s campaign manager for the fall election, that proposed Forward Together make “three payments in 2023 amounting to 10 per cent of the total for the outstanding invoices for work pre-Oct.15, 2022 you are owed.”
The memo went on to state: “If Forward Together finds that its revenue picture has improved sufficiently over the course of this year –as the result of our traditional fundraising work or the new line of goods and services that are in development – we will make every attempt to exceed the 10 per cent payment to your company in 2023.”
Neither Stewart nor Monckton responded to a request for comment on that story, reported on March 22.
Forward Together’s website is still accepting public donations.
The group has 21 days from the date it is served a notice of civil claim in Canada to respond, unless the court specifies another timeframe.
None of the claims have been proven in court.
— with files from Anne Drewa
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