Engineer sues Mississippi town for millions
Local engineer Rudy Warnock is suing Canton Municipal Utilities for more than $6.3 million.
David Humphreys of Carson Law Group, the firm currently representing the engineer, said Warnock is owed $6,329,974.87 under his contracts with CMU.
According to Humphreys, Warnock has three separate contracts with CMU, beginning in January 2016.
Warnock and CMU entered into a "General Engineering Services Agreement" Jan. 4, 2016, the suit states.
Warnock was appointed as the sole engineer for CMU in July or August, Humphreys said. Warnock was fired via letter in December.
According to his contracts, mediation is required. However, Humphreys said, CMU did not respond to numerous mediation requests.
A lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Mississippi March 9.
"He's enforcing his rights under these three contracts," Humphreys said. "CMU elected to prematurely terminate these contracts and Warnock Engineering has certain rights under each of the three contracts, including rights to certain payments. CMU has thus far refused to make the payments. They left Warnock Engineering no choice other than to file this lawsuit."
CMU filed a motion to dismiss the suit Tuesday.
This isn't the first time Warnock has been locked in a litigation fight with a public agency he worked for previously.
Madison County sued Warnock and his firm last year, alleging he was delaying projects by withholding designs and other documents. Warnock was fired by the county in January 2016.
Warnock’s response to Madison County’s complaint said that the county owed him over $1.4 million and that he owns the engineering drawings because his former client hasn’t properly compensated him.
Humphreys said the two 2016 Madison County lawsuits were consolidated and settled in December.
Madison County supervisors voted to pay Warnock $550,000 to settle Warnock's lawsuit.
SEE ALSO: Lawsuit: Ex-Madison County engineer Rudy Warnock overbilled
SEE ALSO: Former county engineer Rudy Warnock sues Madison County
Contact Sarah Fowler at 601-961-7303 or sfowler@gannett.com .