East Hampton District to Pay Over $750K to Sandpebble Builders

While construction has long been finished on East Hampton High School, a lawsuit over a construction contract with Sandpebble Builders lasted many more years, ending last week with a jury decision that the East Hampton School District has to pay $750,750 to the company.

Kate Maier in 2009

May. 30, 2016

Christine Sampson

A New York State Supreme Court jury concluded this week that the East Hampton School District should pay Sandpebble Builders about $750,750 related to the construction contract the two signed more than 10 years ago for major renovations to all three school buildings in East Hampton.

Richard Burns, East Hampton's superintendent, announced the outcome in a press release Friday. He later said by email East Hampton does not plan to appeal the decision and that there is sufficient money available as encumbered funds in the school's budget to pay Sandpebble the sum that the jury determined the district owes.

In a lawsuit filed in 2006 that alleged the contract had been wrongfully terminated, Sandpebble Builders, which is based in Southampton, had been seeking total damages of $3.7 million plus accrued interest. The East Hampton administration, which signed a new contract with a different construction company when the scope of the work increased dramatically, countered with a lawsuit of its own to limit the damages that Sandpebble could collect.

According to Mr. Burns, Justice Jerry Garguilo will now schedule a conference with both sides "to discuss the details of the decision by the jury." After many years of delays, jury selection began on May 9; the trial lasted approximately 11 days.

In January, Mr. Burns said the school district had spent about $2.8 million in legal fees since 2006. An updated figure was not immediately available.