Quick Action And Negotiation May Solve Contract Dispute, Early On
On behalf of The Law Office of Lynnette Ariathurai, A Professional Corporationposted in Contract Disputes on Thursday, October 26, 2017.
Many people in California enjoy traveling by bicycle. In fact, San Francisco is a prime location for businesses catering to bicyclists, such as Ford GoBike, a bike sharing program that allows travelers to access bicycles inexpensively for personal travel throughout the city. This particular company says it has an exclusive contract with the city; unfortunately, a contract dispute has apparently arisen once word got out that the city’s transportation agency is planning to forge a deal with a Ford GoBike competitor.
In an effort to mitigate the contract dispute before things get out of hand, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission has initiated a dispute resolutions process. The MTC bases its actions on the threat of legal action regarding Ford GoBike’s allegations that the city is breaching an existing agreement. The MTC said that it has received word that the city plans to enter a contract with another bike share program; therefore, it believes problem solving techniques may help diffuse a potentially acrimonious situation if Ford GoBike decides to take the matter to court.
A notable factor in the situation is that Ford GoBike bore complete financial impact when it started its bike share program in the city. The company’s willingness to foot the entire bill (with no cost to the public) was primarily based on the agreement that it would have exclusive rights to running such a business in the city. Some say, if left unresolved, this situation could have a ripple effect in other regions.
Generally speaking, California company owners who work closely with experienced legal representation are often able to overcome their contract-related disagreements sooner than those who try to handle their own problems. A good place to start when seeking guidance about a particular issue is to request a meeting with an experienced business and commercial law attorney. It is better for the bottom line in the long-run if a dispute is resolved in as timely a manner as possible.