Port wins rent case

Whitman County District Court Judge Douglas Robinson ruled Columbia Phytotechnology owes the Port of Whitman $1,154 for unpaid rent on a building the company leased in the port’s Pullman Industrial Park.

“O.k., now what’s the chance of us getting it,” Port Commissioner John Love asked Joe Poire, port’ executive director, at a port meeting Tuesday.

Port officials have not been able to contact the company, and had to publish a summons to appear in order for court action to advance. A representative of the company did not appear at the court hearing.

Poire said the port’s policy has been to go as far as the court level to recoup past due bills. He said further efforts to collect would likely cost more money than the judgment.

Commissioners directed Poire to attempt to collect the debt at no additional expense from the company’s former director, Mark Savarese.

The plant research company leased space in a port business incubator in the industrial park.

Poire said the company moved out of some of its office space in the incubator, but did not inform the port of that decision before withholding rent for the unused space.